At Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park, docents in 1940s dress take you through the living and working space of this Pulitzer-winning novelist.
She is beloved by regional historians for her accurate depictions of rural North Florida.
Resources
Resources for exploring the area
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Overview
Location: Cross Creek
Trailhead: 29.480152,-82.16003
Address: 18700 S CR 325, Cross Creek
Fees: $3 per group
Land Manager: Florida State Parks
Phone: 352-466-3672
Grounds open 9-5 daily. House have not yet resumed. Leashed pets welcome.
Directions
The park is along CR 325 between Grove Park and Island Grove in Cross Creek, partway between US 441 in Micanopy and US 301 in Island Grove.
About the Park
Costumed guides explain what life was like in Cross Creek when Marjorie sat on the front porch and typed the drafts of her novels, including The Yearling, which became an Oscar-winning film.
Set in what remains of her original orange grove, this dogtrot Cracker home offers some quirks specific to its northern resident.
One of these is the “liquor cabinet” with firewater on top and firewood on the bottom, as well as her use of inverted mixing bowls as decorative fixtures for lights.
Cary Grant, Spencer Tracy, and many other legends stayed in Marjorie’s guest room.
In addition to the tour, the grounds include nature walks into the woods along Orange Lake and a nature trail through the forest that grew up in Marjorie’s old orange grove across the street from her home.
You can also simply wander through the yard to watch the chickens peck at corn.
The parking area is shared with a park providing access to Orange Lake, with a boat ramp and bank fishing as well as restrooms and picnic pavilions.
Explore More!
Nearby Adventures
More worth exploring while you’re in this area.
Longleaf Flatwoods Reserve
A worthwhile wander on water management lands, this loop hike at Longleaf Flatwoods Reserve hits the highlights of this colorful 2,850-acre preserve.
Tuscawilla Preserve
Peek through thick curtains of Spanish moss beneath grandfather live oaks along the shores of an ancient lake
Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park
Protecting a massive natural basin of prairie between Micanopy and Gainesville, Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park combines panoramic views with wildlife watching along its trails
Barr Hammock Preserve
Circling Levy Prairie at Barr Hammock Preserve provides a glimmer of understanding of the chain of prairies that William Bartram saw during his 1774 traverse of the region
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