Established in 1937 as a memorial to world-renowned horticulturalist Theodore L. Mead, Winter Garden’s original showcase of camellias was reborn in the 1960s with community volunteers enhancing the property with nature trails, boardwalks, and formal gardens.
This 47 acre urban preserve is a mix of natural habitats and planted areas. An easy loop of less than a mile highlights the best views on the premises.
Resources
Resources for exploring the area
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Overview
Location: Winter Park
Length: 0.6 mile loop
Trailhead: 28.584522, -81.358184
Fees: free
Restroom: near parking area
Land Manager: City of Winter Park
Phone: 407-622-6323
Open 8 AM to dusk daily. Leashed dogs welcome. Free guided walks are often offered for birders and botanical lovers.
Late winter is a wonderful time to visit to enjoy the long-established camellias.
Directions
From Interstate 4 in Orlando, take the Princeton Street exit east towards the Orlando Science Center. Turn left on N Orange Avenue and follow it past Florida Hospital for 1.6 miles, crossing US 17/92 in Winter Park. Turn right onto S Denning Drive. Continue 0.4 mile; the park gate will be on the left.
Hike
The trail system starts near the Mead Garden amphitheater at a kiosk which shows the original loop through the gardens, which includes an extensive boardwalk.
Most of your walk will be along a waterway with burbling micro-rapids formed by tree roots up and through the main portion of the old gardens to the south of the parking area.
Explore More!
Slideshow
See our photos of Mead Garden
Nearby Adventures
More worth exploring while you’re in this area.
Cady Way Trail
An urban bike path, the Cady Way Trail follows an old railroad line to connect Orlando and Winter Park neighborhoods to neighboring Seminole County
Harry P. Leu Gardens
Fifty acres of formal gardens hug Lake Rowena in this historic display of botanical diversity in Orlando.
Carl T. Langford Park
At the City of Orlando’s Carl T. Langford Park, a maze of paved trails lead you through hammocks of ancient live oaks, out to an observation deck on an ephemeral pond, across a suspension bridge, and through vast green spaces where kids can play.
Bill Frederick Park
Inside the city of Orlando, the urban Bill Frederick Park has a wild side, too, with more than 2 miles of trails to meander through scrub forest and along Turkey Lake.