Our first Eco-outing of 2025 was a very pleasant walk on the Garden of Eden trail at the Nature Conservancy’s Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve. Despite the heavy rains that fell during the night before and into the morning, the weather cleared up just before we gathered at the trailhead and before long the sun was shining and the temperature just about perfect.
The Garden of Eden trail is one of the most unique hikes in all of Florida. Much like Torreya State Park just a few miles North of the preserve, the landscape is characterized by “steephead ravines”. These are formed as seepage springs slowly cut their way into the sandy uplands, resulting in a complex pattern of 5o to 100 foot deep valleys with very steep slopes. The steep and narrow ravines provide a shady microclimate compared to the upland pine forests and many species of plants and animals normally found much farther north are able to thrive within them, including some plants and animals found nowhere else in the world. The deep ravines and tall trees give almost give a feeling of being in the mountains, and indeed the Apalachicola River is the only river in Florida originating in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The trail passes through a range of habitats along its fairly short length including longleaf pine forest, temperate hardwood forest, and the unique ecosystem of the ravines themselves. The trail eventually leads to the top of Alum Bluff, one of the highest overlooks in Florida with a spectacular view of the Apalachicola River and its floodplain forests.
The trail gets its name because Bristol minister E.E. Callaway believed that this region was the original site of the biblical Garden of Eden. Certain features of the local geography as well as the presence of the endemic tree Torreya taxifolia led him to this conclusion. One of the common names of Torreya taxifolia is Gopherwood, which according to Genisis is the tree from which Noah constructed the ark. Once locally common, the Torreya is now critically endangered due to a fungal pathogen and none can now be seen along the trail, but another endemic tree species, the Florida Yew can still be seen along the steep ravine slopes.
Damage to the forests from Hurricane Michael in 2018 can still be seen, but the Garden of Eden trail suffered far less than other parts of the area so it is a great place to see more or less intact steephead ravine ecosystems. All in all its a fantastic walk and highly recommended! Thanks to everyone who came along with us and especially to Doug Alderson who co-lead our outing. We have many more Eco-outings planned for the coming months, details on our next one will be coming soon.
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