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Fairchild Oak

Bulow Creek State Park

Walk among the ancients in Bulow Hammock, starting with the imposing Fairchild Oak, one of Florida’s largest live oak trees

Ormond Beach      ( 29.387667,-81.132183 )      

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It’s the trees that catch your attention at Bulow Creek State Park, from the canopied road leading to the park to the imposing Fairchild Oak standing guard over the main entrance.

Explore the park’s trails to immerse in the ancient Bulow Hammock itself, beneath its canopy of old-growth trees. Along its ridge, springs bubble freshwater that feed primordial swamps.


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Overview

Location: Ormond Beach
Trailhead: 29.387667,-81.132183
Address: 3351 Old Dixie Highway, Ormond Beach
Fees: free
Land Manager: Florida State Parks
Phone: 386-676-4050

Open 8 AM to sunset daily. Leashed pets welcome. Bicycles permitted.

Additional access points for day hiking, biking, and paddling are along Walter Boardman Road and a trailhead along the entry road to Bulow Plantation Ruins State Park.


Directions

 
The park is along “The Loop,” a popular scenic drive along the coast of northern Volusia County. Look for the entrance on the east side of the road north of James Ormond Park and south of Walter Boardman Drive.

About the Park

The park’s main entrance showcases the Fairchild Oak. It’s an imposing presence that would take a good eight people holding hands to encircle the base of the tree.

Thought to be more than 2,000 years old, its limbs are so thick they curve in crazy directions and embed themselves in the ground.

Fairchild Oak
A sense of perspective on the Fairchild Oak

To get acquainted with Bulow Hammock, a short walk on the Wahlin Trail is in order. It leads along the high ground of the forest to its very edge, where it drops off into the swamps.

Along a natural ridge, a bubbling freshwater spring flows out of the hillside while the aroma of a sea breeze is all around you. A boardwalk curves along where it feeds the floodplain to offer a better perspective.

spring with ferns Wahlin Trail
Ferns surrounding a spring on the Wahlin Trail

Following the Fairchild Oak Trail north, more details of the grandeur of this mighty oak hammock unfold, its canopy interwoven by ancient southern magnolias, ironwood, and sweetgum of towering stature.

Along waterways feeding the creek, it’s like stepping into Jurassic Park. Giant leather ferns tower overhead. Primitive coontie plants that sprout in profusion in the rich, dark earth.

Fairchild Oak Trail
Canopy above the Fairchild Oak Trail

Trail Map

Explore More

Wet trail in lush Florida palm forest

Bulow Woods Trail

A linear hike between state park day use areas at Bulow Plantation Ruins and Bulow Creek, the Bulow Woods Trail parallels the flow of a freshwater creek near the sea

swampy trail Bulow Woods

Bulow Woods Loop

Stretching 5.2 miles through an primordial forest of sluggish, fern-lined waterways, ancient live oaks, magnolias, and cabbage palms, the Bulow Woods Loop is one of North Florida’s most scenic hikes

Fairchild Oak

Bulow Creek State Park

Walk among the ancients in Bulow Hammock, starting with the imposing Fairchild Oak, one of Florida’s largest live oak trees


Slideshow

See our photos of Bulow Creek State Park


Park Map (PDF) Official Website

Category: Access by water, Backpacking, Day Hikes, Florida State Parks, Hikes, Loop Hikes, Nature Trails, North Florida, Paddling, Parks, PlacesTag: Big Trees, Botanical, Bulow Creek State Park, Daytona Beach, Flagler Beach, Florida State Parks, Historic Sites, Notable Trees, Ormond Beach, Primitive Camping

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