While participating in an Bartram Adventure Tour in Palatka, we heard that the efforts to interpret the Bartrams’ travels between 1765-1774 would extend up the St. Johns River.
That time has come. On May 14, 2020, Stetson University and the Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience announced that they have opened the Bartram Gardens & Trail in DeLand.
Much of the impetus behind the project came from Tony Abbott, PhD, professor of environmental science and studies at Stetson.
He’s a Bartram scholar who saw the need for mapping the natural landscape along the St. Johns to William Bartram’s descriptions.
Tony Abbott, PhD, professor of environmental science and studies at Stetson University, contributed his William Bartram expertise to the Bartram Gardens & Trail and created a Bartram paddle map for one of the large kiosks. Photo credit: Stetson University/Ciara OcasioEssential to that mapping are the sketches Bartram made along the St. Johns, which are used for interpretation on site.
Members of the Bartram Committee in Putnam County, including Dean Campbell and Sam Carr, who we met in 2018, told us how they were able to acquire the illustrations from the Natural History Museum in London.
Contributions from Bartram experts, naturalists, the Bartram Committee in Putnam County, and designers from Sailforth Productions also added to the landscape design and site interpretation by Stetson faculty, students, and staff.
This Bartram Gardens & Trail sign panel features pen-and-ink drawings of fish that William Bartram had drawn while traveling on the St. Johns River. Photo credit: Stetson University/Ciara OcasioResources
Resources for exploring the area surrounding the Bartram Gardens & Trail
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Overview
Location: DeLand
Trailhead: 29.000718, -81.355957
Address: 2636 Alhambra Ave, DeLand, FL 32720
Fees: Free
Restroom: Across from the parking area
Land manager: Stetson University
Phone: 386-822-7300
Open daily from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset. No smoking. Access may be restricted during special events.
Leashed pets welcome. You must pick up after them. Fishing is allowed on the pier or shore, FWC freshwater license required.
Do not swim or wade along the shore. Alligators and cottonmouths may be present. Children should not be left unsupervised.
Alcohol and glass containers are prohibited.
Directions
From Interstate 4, take exit 114. Drive towards DeLand on SR 472 for 3.5 miles to where it meets US 17/92 south. Exit towards DeLand and make the left onto SR 15 (DeLand bypass) after 1.6 miles. Turn left on W Beresford Ave after 1.8 miles. Turn right on S. Beresford Ave after 1.5 miles. In a quarter mile, make a sharp left on Old New York Ave. Drive 0.9 mile west to Hontoon Rd (CR 4125). Continue 0.9 mile to Alhambra Ave and follow it east until it ends. The parking area and entrance to the gardens is on the north end of the property after the road makes a sharp left turn past the Aquatic Center complex.
About the Gardens and Trail
Set along the shoreline of Lake Beresford at the Sandra Stetson Aquatic Center, the new Bartram Gardens & Trail offers a new perspective on the lake.
It features trails through the forested shoreline out to observation points on the lake, as well as a fishing pier and canoe and kayak launch.
The Bartram Gardens & Trail features a lush, tree-lined path that leads to Lake Beresford. Photo credit: Stetson University/Ciara Ocasio
William Bartram paddled into Lake Beresford in 1774, describing it and other locations along the river in his Travels, published in 1779.
Along the pathways are informative kiosks about Bartram’s descriptions of the area as well as interpretive information about native plants mentioned by Bartram.
Bartram’s illustrations accompany the detailed information on plants and animals.
The Bartram Gardens & Trail sign panel features pen-and-ink drawings of fish that William Bartram had drawn while traveling on the St. Johns River. Photo credit: Stetson University/Ciara OcasioA wide open lawn under the grand live oaks showcases the beauty of Lake Beresford, which previously had no public access on its western shoreline.
A broad, accessible paved walkway leads to the overlook on Lake Beresford and to the large pavilion.
The Bartram Gardens & Trail includes six large, interpretive kiosks that feature literary descriptions and pen-and-ink drawings and paintings of the creatures, fauna and plants William Bartram encountered while exploring the DeLand area. Photo credit: Stetson University/Ciara OcasioBark chip trails meander through the wooded hammock at the north end of the gardens.
An adjoining stormwater pond is being renovated to recreate a native pond with aquatic plants and a rain garden at the outfall.
A nearby pollinator garden that was Garden Club of DeLand’s Garden of the Month this past February is another campus beauty spot designed by faculty and maintained by students.
Paddlers can put in at the canoe and kayak launch to explore Lake Beresford sites mentioned by Bartram and noted on the paddling map.
This site is part of the River of Lakes Heritage Corridor in Volusia County.
The Bartram Gardens & Trail is situated on the shore of scenic Lake Beresford. Photo credit: Stetson University/Ciara Ocasio
Gardens Map
The sign panel provides information about the Bartram Gardens & Trail. Photo credit: Stetson University/Ciara Ocasio
Paddling Map
Stetson University students, history aficionados and water enthusiasts can canoe or kayak to areas where William Bartram traveled during his expedition along Lake Beresford and other waterways as well as visit the Bartram Gardens & Trail. Photo credit: Sailforth ProductionsRelated Articles
On a Bartram Adventure Tour
On a guided Bartram Adventure Tour, we hiked, biked, and paddled to follow the travels of William and John Bartram along the St. Johns River in Palatka, Florida
Paddling the Bartram Trail in Welaka
Learning how botanists William and John Bartram traveled along the St. Johns River in the 1700s, I followed an experienced river guide for a look at part of the Bartram National Recreation Trail from the water on our Bartram Adventure Tour in Palatka.
Explore More!
Nearby Adventures
More worth exploring while you’re in this area.
Blue Spring State Park Boardwalk
If you’ve never seen manatees by the dozens, let alone over a hundred, there’s no better place to watch them than along the boardwalk at Blue Spring State Park in wintertime
Hontoon Island State Park
An island in the St. Johns River, Hontoon Island State Park is accessible to boaters thanks to a marina big enough to accommodate a houseboat and to everyday visitors by a free ferryboat. It’s worth the short trip to see the bounteous wildlife of the St. Johns River, from wading birds to manatees to turtles lying in the sun.
St. Francis Trail
One of Central Florida’s most scenic and easy-to-follow day hikes, the 7.9-mile St. Francis Trail traverses the southeastern corner of the Ocala National Forest
Gemini Springs Park
With up to 5 miles of gentle woodland paths and paved trails, playgrounds, picnic area, paddling trail and a dog park, Gemini Springs Park is a popular, well-connected getaway.