• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Florida Hikes logo

Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides

  • Trails
  • Maps
  • Guidebooks
  • Search
  • Hike
    • Scenic Hikes
    • Loop Trails
    • Dog-friendly Hikes
    • Hikes for Kids
    • National Parks in Florida
    • Florida State Parks
  • Bike
    • Major Bike Trails
    • Paved Bike Trails
    • Off Road Biking
    • Biking Articles
  • Paddle
    • Canoe & Kayak Rentals
    • Paddling Destinations
    • Paddling Articles
  • Camp
    • Cabin Rentals
    • Car Camping
    • Primitive Camping
  • Florida Trail
    • Plan your Hike
    • Best Scenic Hikes
    • Best Backpacking
    • Section Hiking
    • Thru-Hiking
    • Trail Updates
  • Travel
  • Hike
    • Scenic Hikes
    • Loop Trails
    • Dog-friendly Hikes
    • Hikes for Kids
    • National Parks in Florida
    • Florida State Parks
  • Bike
    • Major Bike Trails
    • Paved Bike Trails
    • Off Road Biking
    • Biking Articles
  • Paddle
    • Canoe & Kayak Rentals
    • Paddling Destinations
    • Paddling Articles
  • Camp
    • Cabin Rentals
    • Car Camping
    • Primitive Camping
  • Florida Trail
    • Plan your Hike
    • Best Scenic Hikes
    • Best Backpacking
    • Section Hiking
    • Thru-Hiking
    • Trail Updates
  • Travel
Garden of Eden

Garden of Eden Trail

Try one of Florida’s toughest day hikes on for size: local legend has it this was the Garden of Eden, and from the lush forests and rare flora along this trek, they might be on to something

Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve  |  Bristol
( 30.454700, -84.970433 )      3.3 miles

1.1K shares

This is one hike that’s no walk in the park.  The reason? The very name of the place, Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve, gives it away. We’re talking serious topography here.

The trail drops into several steephead ravines, emerges on high bluffs above the Apalachicola River, and dares you to take on another steep down and up before you head back home.


Resources

North Florida Panhandle Explorers Guide book cover Complete Guide to Florida Wildflowers Hikers Guide to the Sunshine State book cover

Disclosure: As authors and affiliates, we receive earnings when you buy these through our links. This helps us provide public information on this website.


Overview

Location: Bristol
Length: Up to 3.3 miles round-trip and loop
Trailhead: 30.454700, -84.970433
Fees: none
Restroom: none
Land manager: The Nature Conservancy
Phone: 850-643-2756

Open dawn to dusk. Dogs are not permitted. No smoking along this footpath.

Unless you’re used to hiking up and down steep hills, expect this hike to take a couple of hours. Take time to savor the views and the botanical wonders you’ll encounter.


Directions

 
Located just south of Torreya State Park along CR 12, the Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve can be reached from either SR 20 in Bristol (drive north on CR 12) or from Interstate 10.
 
Driving north from Bristol, go 1.6 miles to Garden of Eden Road, turn left at the sign, and continue 0.4 mile to the parking area. From I-10 exit 174, head south on CR 12 for 20.3 miles, passing Torreya State Park. Turn right at Garden of Eden Road.

Hike

From the kiosk at the parking area, the trail starts out in basic sandhill habitat: lots of open space, lots of sand and turkey oaks, and not especially inviting. But before you hit the half mile mark, the fun begins.

Hang on for a steep descent as the trail makes a sharp left in the deep shade of a bluff forest following the edge of a ridgeline around a massive steephead ravine. You can see a loooong way down to the right.

At the bottom of the ravine, a bridge crosses a burbling brook. Arrive in March or April to catch colorful red Florida anise in bloom, and look down at the splashing water to catch a glimpse of a speckled frog.

What goes down must come up, so it’s a steep, steep ascent up the other side of the steephead. Ashe magnolia and sparkleberry crown the top of the ridge.

The understory is very open, enabling you to look down to the right into another ravine. At 0.6 mile, you pass an outhouse-shaped camo blind to the left, just over the property line.

The landscape drops off very sharply to the right—be cautious, as the trail is narrow and pitched.

At 0.8 mile, look off to the right to see what looks like water in the distance through the trees and needle palms growing along the ridge.

Garden of Eden
Sharp descent into the ravine

Drop steeply into another ravine down a set of stone stairs. Scramble down a steep slope into a forest of Florida anise, and cross a bridge over a swiftly flowing stream that appears to come from an outflow pipe, perhaps directly from the river.

The trail parallels the stream. As you make a slow ascent out of the ravine, you rise into sandhills much like those at the start of the trail, and the footpath makes a sharp left up a wide road—follow the blazes!

At 1.3 miles, the trail veers left down a forest road and passes between two posts. Look off to your left to see another ravine, which you can traverse on the return trip.

Sporadic plant identification markers start here, helping you to understand the complex botany on this bridge.

At 1.4 miles, you emerge at an unexpected viewpoint. Alum Bluff, with its vast panorama of Apalachicola River, is even better than the views at Torreya State Park.

Standing 135 feet above the river where a Confederate gun emplacement once assisted in protection of the arsenal at Chattahoochee, you have a decision point.

Retrace your route for a 2.6 mile round-trip hike, or continue along the loop to do the full 3.3 miles.

The ravines along the far loop are deeper and steeper than the ones you’ve encountered up to this point.

The loop returns you back into the second sandhill area, nearest the bluffs. From there, you retrace your route through the first two ravines back to the parking area.


Explore More!

Slideshow

See our photos of Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve


Nearby Adventures

More worth exploring while you’re in this area.

Floodplain forest at Torreya

Torreya State Park

Perched on bluffs above the Apalachicola River, Torreya State Park is one of Florida’s first state parks, developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s

Apalachicola National Forest

Noted for its botanical beauty, the Apalachicola National Forest is the largest National Forest in Florida, sweeping south and west of Tallahassee


Official Website

Category: Day Hikes, Hikes, Land Trusts, Northwest Florida, TrailsTag: Apalachicola River, Blountstown, Botanical, Bristol, Chattahoochee, Geology, Hilly, Marianna, Quincy, Riverfront, The Nature Conservancy, Wildflowers

Reader Interactions

Have an update? Contact us.

Primary Sidebar

NORTHWEST FLORIDA

NORTHWEST FLORIDA OVERVIEW
Florida Trail

Apalachicola. Apalachicola National Forest. Blackwater River State Forest. Blountstown. Bonifay. Bristol. Cape San Blas. Carrabelle. Chattahoochee. Chipley. Crawfordville. Crestview. DeFuniak Springs. Destin. Ebro. Eglin Air Force Base. Fort Walton Beach. Freeport. Gulf Islands National Seashore. Madison. Marianna. Milton. Monticello. Mossy Head. Navarre Beach . Niceville. Panama City Beach. Pensacola. Ponce De Leon. Port St. Joe. Sopchoppy. South Walton. St. Marks. St. Marks NWR. Tallahassee. Vernon. Wakulla. Wewahitchka

Our Newest Books

The Florida Trail Guide

The Florida Trail GuideOur definitive guidebook to planning backpacking trips on the Florida National Scenic Trail, now in its fourth edition. Full data charts and maps. B&W, 356 pages. $19.95 + tax & shipping.

Order Now


Florida Trail Hikes

Florida Trail Hikes 2nd edition coverFifty of the best day hikes, overnights, and weekend trips on the Florida Trail. Full hike descriptions and maps, full color. 376 pages. $24.95 + tax & shipping.

Order Now


Discovering the Florida Trail

Florida Trail mini coffee table book cover of trail into palm hammock
A visual journey the length of the Florida Trail, covering more than 1,500 miles from the Everglades to Pensacola Beach. Hardcover, 196 pages. $24.95 + tax & shipping.
Order Now


50 Hikes in Central Florida 3rd edition
Explorer's Guide North Florida & The Panhandle guidebook
Five Star Trails Gainesville & Ocala guidebook

Florida Trail Apps

Farout GuidesFarout Guides Comprehensive logistics and offline maps for the
Florida National Scenic Trail (1,500 miles), the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail (108 miles), and the ECT Florida Connector (92 miles).

Explore More

Our recent park & trail updates in this region

Sunlight streaming through morning fog

Wakulla State Forest

Wakulla State Forest
Pitcher plant slope

Florida Trail, Hutton

Florida Trail, Hutton
Waterfall at Weeping Ridge

Weeping Ridge Trail

Weeping Ridge Trail
Blooming season at Maclay Gardens

Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park

Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park

Footer

FIND A TRAIL OR PARK

NORTHWEST FLORIDA
Apalachicola. Apalachicola National Forest. Blackwater River State Forest. Blountstown. Bonifay. Bristol. Cape San Blas. Carrabelle. Chattahoochee. Chipley. Crawfordville. Crestview. DeFuniak Springs. Destin. Ebro. Eglin Air Force Base. Fort Walton Beach. Freeport. Gulf Islands National Seashore. Madison. Marianna. Milton. Monticello. Mossy Head. Navarre Beach . Niceville. Panama City Beach. Pensacola. Ponce De Leon. Port St. Joe. Quincy. Sopchoppy. South Walton. St. Marks. St. Marks NWR. Tallahassee. Vernon. Wakulla. Wewahitchka

NORTH FLORIDA
Alachua. Amelia Island. Baldwin. Branford. Bunnell. Cedar Key. Chiefland. Crescent City. Dowling Park. Ellaville. Fernandina Beach. Flagler Beach. Gainesville. Green Cove Springs. High Springs. Jacksonville. Keystone Heights. Lake Butler.Lake City. Live Oak. Mayo. Macclenny. Micanopy. Olustee. Orange Park. Osceola National Forest. Palatka. Palatka-Lake Butler Trail. Palm Coast. Perry. Salt Springs. St. Augustine. Starke. Steinhatchee. Suwannee River Wilderness Trail. Suwannee Springs. Talbot Islands. Timucuan Preserve. Trenton. Welaka. White Springs. Williston

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Vimeo

MULTI-REGION
Big Cypress Swamp. East Coast Greenway. Everglades National Park. Florida National Scenic Trail

CENTRAL FLORIDA
Apopka. Belleview. Brandon. Brooksville. Bushnell. Canaveral National Seashore. Christmas. Chuluota. Clearwater Beach. Clermont. Coast to Coast Trail. Cocoa Beach. Cross Florida Greenway. Crystal River. Dade City. Daytona Beach. De Leon Springs. DeBary. Deland. Deltona. Dunedin. Dunnellon. Frostproof. Geneva. Inverness. Kenansville. Kissimmee. Lake Mary. Lake Wales. Lakeland. Largo. Leesburg. Longwood. Melbourne. Melbourne Beach. Merritt Island. Merritt Island NWR. Mims. Mount Dora. New Port Richey. New Smyrna Beach. Ocala. Ocala National Forest. Ocklawaha. Orlando. Ormond Beach. Osteen. Oviedo. Palm Bay. Ridge Manor. Sanford. Silver Springs. Spring Hill. St. Cloud. St. Petersburg. Tampa. Tarpon Springs. Titusville . Walt Disney World. Weeki Wachee. Winter Springs. Withlacoochee State Forest. Withlacoochee State Trail. Yeehaw Junction

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA
Bradenton . Charlotte Harbor. Ding Darling NWR. Englewood. Estero. Fort Myers. Immokalee. Naples. Pine Island. Port Charlotte. Punta Gorda. Sanibel Island. Sarasota. Venice

SOUTH FLORIDA
Arcadia. Basinger. Big Cypress National Preserve. Big Cypress Seminole Reservation. Clewiston. Everglades City. Fisheating Creek. Lake Okeechobee. Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail. Lake Placid. LaBelle. Lakeport. Moore Haven. Okeechobee. Pahokee. Port Mayaca. Sebring. South Bay

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA
Big Pine Key. Biscayne Bay. Biscayne National Park. Boca Raton. Boynton Beach. Coral Gables. Davie. Delray Beach. Northeast Everglades Natural Area. Florida Keys. Fort Lauderdale. Fort Pierce. Hobe Sound. Hollywood. Homestead. Islamorada. Jensen Beach. Jupiter. Juno Beach. Key Biscayne. Key Largo. Key West. Marathon. Miami. Ocean to Lake Greenway. Overseas Heritage Trail. Palm Beach. Port St. Lucie. Redland. Sebastian. Stuart. Vero Beach. West Palm Beach

  • Trails
  • Parks
  • Beaches
  • Gardens
  • Springs
  • Ecotours
  • Attractions
©2006-2023, Sandra Friend & John Keatley | Disclosure | Site Index | Work with Us | Advertise with Us
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy | Florida Hikes PO Box 93 Mims FL 32754| Contact