Washington Oaks Gardens State Park
{{Short description|State park in Florida, United States}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Needs more citations|date=June 2024}}{{Infobox protected area
| name = Washington Oaks Gardens State Park
| iucn_category = V
| photo = Washington Oaks State Gardens.jpg
| photo_caption = Visitor center alongside live oak tree
| map = Florida
| location = Flagler County, Florida, USA
| nearest_city = Palm Coast, Florida
| coordinates = {{coord|29|38|06|N|81|12|14|W|region:US-FL|display=inline, title}}
| area =
| established =
| visitation_num =
| visitation_year =
| governing_body = Florida Department of Environmental Protection
{{Infobox NRHP
| name = Washington Oaks Historic District
| embed = yes
| nrhp_type = hd | nocat = yes
| image =
| caption =
| nearest_city= Palm Coast, Florida
| locmapin = Florida#USA
| built = 1936
| architect OR builder =
| architecture = Modern Movement
| added = September 30, 2009
| area = {{convert|21|acre|1}}
| refnum = 09000400{{NRISref|version=2010a}}
}} }}
Washington Oaks Gardens State Park is a Florida State Park located near Palm Coast, Florida, along A1A.{{Cite web |last1=Dennis |first1=Lauren |last2=Giles |first2=Christian |date=7 December 2015 |title=Washington Oaks: State park has state's most unusual beach |url=https://www.jacksonville.com/story/sports/outdoors/2015/12/07/washington-oaks-state-park-has-states-most-unusual-beach/15691458007/ |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=The Florida Times-Union |language=en-US}} The park is made up of 425 acres{{Cite web |last=Lentz-Janney |first=Melanie |date=2019-11-15 |title=Washington Oaks Gardens State Park: A Hidden Treasure • Authentic Florida |url=https://authenticflorida.com/washington-oaks-gardens-state-park/ |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=Authentic Florida |language=en-US}} and is most famous for its formal gardens, but it also preserves the original habitat of a northeast Florida barrier island.
Ecology
Habitats preserved by the park include beach, coastal scrub, coastal hammock, and tidal marshes.
Flora
Vegetation includes southern live oaks (Quercus virginiana), magnolias, hickories (Carya spp.), cabbage palmettos (Sabal palmetto), and saw palmettos (Serenoa repens). Plants that can be found in the gardens are roses, camellias, and azaleas, among others.
Fauna
Wildlife include sea turtles, Florida gopher tortoises, West Indian manatees, white-tailed deer, raccoons, bobcats, foxes, Virginia opossums, eastern gray squirrels, pileated woodpeckers, northern cardinals, bald eagles, peregrine falcons, and Florida scrub jays.
History
The park's land has a rich history. Native Americans found the area a productive hunting and fishing area. After European settlement of Florida, the property had a number of owners and was used for various agricultural purposes. One owner was a surveyor named George Washington, a relative of President George Washington. In 1936, Louise Powis Clark, wife of the industrialist Owen D. Young purchased the property as a winter retirement home.{{Cite book |last=Tobias |first=Lucy Beebe |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OX3SEAAAQBAJ&dq=%22Washington+Oaks+Gardens+State+Park%22&pg=PT18 |title=50 Great Walks in Florida |date=2008-02-17 |publisher=University Press of Florida |isbn=978-0-8130-4275-6 |language=en}} She devised the name "Washington Oaks" for the property and is responsible for developing the park's formal gardens, citrus groves, and house. Mr. Young died in 1962 and Mrs. Young donated the property to the State of Florida in 1964. Her donation specified that the "gardens be maintained in their present form".{{Cite web |last=Walther |first=Lynette L. |title=Washington Oaks Gardens, historical garden for the ages, comes alive for springtime |url=https://www.staugustine.com/story/lifestyle/2022/04/18/washington-oaks-gardens-gem-palm-coast-history-springtime/7316251001/ |access-date=2024-08-30 |website=St. Augustine Record |language=en-US}}
Recreational activities
The park has such amenities as beaches (on both the Matanzas River and Atlantic Ocean), bicycling, fishing, hiking, picnicking areas and wildlife viewing. The original residence has been converted into a visitor center with interpretive exhibits.
Hours and admission
Gallery
File:Washingtonoakstategardens1.jpg|Matanzas River
File:Washington Oaks State Gardens artesian spring.jpg|Natural artesian spring
File:Washington Oaks State Gardens 2.jpg|Gardens
Washington Oaks Gardens coquina01.jpg|Coquina outcropping on the beach
References
{{Portal|Florida}}
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons}}
- [https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/washington-oaks-gardens-state-park Washington Oaks Gardens State Park] at [https://www.floridastateparks.org Florida State Parks]
- [http://floridaparks.com/stprks/central/washingtonoaks.htm Washington Oaks Gardens State Park] at State Parks
- [http://members.atlantic.net/~lperry/oakpark.htm Washington Oaks Gardens State Park] at Tour Crane's Roost
- [http://www.abfla.com/parks/WashingtonOaks/washingtonoaks.html Washington Oaks State Gardens] at Absolutely Florida
{{Protected areas of Florida}}
{{National Register of Historic Places in Florida}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1936
Category:Parks in Flagler County, Florida
Category:State parks of Florida
Category:Protected areas established in 1964
Category:Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Florida
Category:National Register of Historic Places in Flagler County, Florida