Washington Oaks Gardens State Park
Washington Oaks Gardens State Park
4.5
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- 980Sheryl1976Saline, Michigan116 contributionsEducation during a stroll through the gardens.The first Friday of the month you can take a guided tour through the grounds. We found the tour to be very educational about the area and the Owen Young home. The formal gardens make for a beautiful walk among the azaleas,camellias in bloom, and reflection pond. A great place for an easy walk, birding or just strolling through the garens to see what's in bloom. The rose garden was not in bloom but should be soon.Visited February 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten February 22, 2024
- dejPalm City, Florida150 contributionsHuge Oaks and nice shadeI haven’t seen a Florida park more beautiful than this one. The huge Oaks and pines are amazing. There is a nice hike that includes a rose garden. The aroma was unbelievable. Lots of birds and beautiful landscaping. We also rode our bikes on the other trails around the park. There is a huge picnic area with play equip for the kids. This park must have a great team to keep this looking perfectly beautiful.Visited May 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten May 7, 2024
- beccabunny59Macon, Georgia256 contributionsThe Mighty MatanzasThis is a nice morning activity in June. We were able to hit the Timucuan trail about 9:30 and the heat was manageable. If you can get there at opening that would be even better. A peaceful, mostly shady, sandy trail through a wooded area along an inter coastal waterway. We saw lots of lizards basking on trees. Many birds in the lush greenery. Be sure to wear a hat and use bug spray. We loved walking down old A1A! The Jungle Road trail was roped off and the reflecting pools in the garden were drained. There was a rose garden but I believe it had passed its peak. I’d love to see it in season with the reflecting pools filled and operational. The sea wall along the Matanzas River was very nice. We were able to fish there with a visitor’s license purchased online. We skipped the beach access across the street because we were staying in Palm Coast on the beach and we had observed coquina there.Visited June 2024Traveled with familyWritten June 22, 2024
- PeteDaytona Beach, Florida459 contributionsbeautiful GardensBeautiful Red & White Rose Gardens, Fountains and Gazebos. Nice view of the Matanzas River and Atlantic Ocean. Best time to go is early morning and late SpringVisited June 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten June 25, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
763 reviews
Excellent
538
Very good
189
Average
29
Poor
5
Terrible
2
ChrisH
Frederick, MD550 contributions
Jan 2023
Two seniors visited this state park in mid-January 2023 and were very impressed. As has been noted by other reviewers, there is a $5 per car entrance fee. Display the receipt they give you on the dashboard. An easy 20 minute drive south on A1A from St Augustine Beach. Be sure to get your park map and trail guide from the ranger at the entrance booth, as we did not see any at the unmanned visitor center, which you can tour. Restrooms are located at several places in the park but no food concessions. The formal gardens had very few flowers blooming in January but we imagine they must be beautiful in the spring and summer with all of the roses and azaleas planted there. There are several paths through the garden and at least three paths through the woods that are well marked and take you to the river side of the park. Unfortunately, the ocean side of the park is still closed due to restorations from all of the hurricane damage.
Written February 4, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
august01
London, UK638 contributions
May 2023 • Friends
Absolutely lovely state park with some wonderful walks. However avoid going on the canopy walk (Jungle Road Trail or Timucuan Trail) in the afternoon or later as you'll be eaten alive with mosquitos! It costs $5 per car, or $2 per person for those on foot. Great wildlife and views across the river. We saw deer, an owl, and river dolphins.
Written May 15, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Regina D
Tavares, FL1,291 contributions
Jun 2021
We stopped here after reading the "Florida Rambler" A1A article about it. We paid a small parking fee (good for park & beach) then went for a walk through the formal gardens. They had Florida-Friendly plants, lots of fountains, sculptures, and so much more. We road bikes on the trails (but not through the formal garden) and along the Intercoastal Waterway. It was truly a magical and amazing place to spend the whole morning through lunch. The Park/land, once belonged to a cousin of President George Washington's who married the daughter of the original owner, General Joseph Hernandez. After Washington's death, it was purchased by the Young's, who left it to the state in 1964. Such a fabulous gift it is!
We then drove across the street to the beach - and what a beach it was! We felt like we had our own secluded oceanfront paradise. Few people were on the sand, and we were fine with that. We enjoyed watching the various birds, swimming (albeit the waves were rough), walking along the coquina sand, and everything else that comes with being on a secluded-like beach.
This is a MUST SEE and BE place of interest along Florida's A1A to Flagler Beach and beyond.
We then drove across the street to the beach - and what a beach it was! We felt like we had our own secluded oceanfront paradise. Few people were on the sand, and we were fine with that. We enjoyed watching the various birds, swimming (albeit the waves were rough), walking along the coquina sand, and everything else that comes with being on a secluded-like beach.
This is a MUST SEE and BE place of interest along Florida's A1A to Flagler Beach and beyond.
Written July 3, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
B C
London, OH34 contributions
Sep 2021 • Family
$5 to get in to a very small park. Gift shop was closed and playground was closed. Claim to have bike trails but we did them all in less than 15 minutes. I know Florida gets it’s funds from tourists, but no way this park should be charging an entrance fee.
Written September 15, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cahill Adventures
Cape Coral, FL76 contributions
Mar 2022 • Family
This park hits all the great things Florida has to offer for $5 a car. The beach side had a unique Coconia rocks on a beautiful beach with tons of space to spread out and enjoy the Atlantic Ocean.
The park side has a great picnic area and gardens. The picnic area has ample space for many groups to picnic on tables spread out. There is also bathrooms and a playground.
The gardens along the inter coastal are breath taking and peaceful. Bathrooms and water fountains open. There are accessible trails throughout the park.
This park is great for all ages and abilities. You can see the beach, intercostal, picnic, playground d and view beautiful gardens all in one place.
The park side has a great picnic area and gardens. The picnic area has ample space for many groups to picnic on tables spread out. There is also bathrooms and a playground.
The gardens along the inter coastal are breath taking and peaceful. Bathrooms and water fountains open. There are accessible trails throughout the park.
This park is great for all ages and abilities. You can see the beach, intercostal, picnic, playground d and view beautiful gardens all in one place.
Written March 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Raegan L
Lakeland, FL1,649 contributions
Nov 2020 • Family
Such a beautiful park, I had the best time! There is so much to walk around and look at here. They have a few gardens with actual food being grown and it’s all labeled. Then, there’s a huge rose garden and so many other beautiful, unique, colorful flowers all over the place, and each one is worth stopping to look closer at. They have a couple trails to walk as well where you can find even more greenery, and there are little signs at intervals that tell you about different plant life that can be seen, and I loved that. At the edge there is a huge lake and it is such a gorgeous view. They have a park for the kids, bathrooms, a gift shop, and a huge picnic area as well, so you really could spend almost an entire day here. They also have signs up all over explaining the history of the park and area, and it’s pretty fascinating. This is definitely a cool stop and I’d highly recommend if you have the chance! And don’t forget about the beach and rocks on the other side of A1A that are also part of the park! You can’t miss out on seeing those, they are so stunning in an entirely different way.
Written November 28, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lsmith315507
2 contributions
Apr 2023
Just the most beautiful place. Thought I'd died and gone to heaven. This is a beautifully kept garden which graciously displays the natural beauty of Florida. The giant oaks dripping with Spanish moss, the well kept pathways, the various fountains, the roses, the ocean inlet views. Just superb.
Written May 3, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Susie Snowflake
160 contributions
Jul 2021
A very pleasant place to spend a few hours roaming comfortably without much difficulty even for senior citizens. The $5.00 parking fee is waived for disabled veterans. A large rose garden, benches, pools of water, a winding path-what more could you want? This park is well maintained and well worth the parking fee.
Written July 25, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rambling M
Tennessee42 contributions
Feb 2022
As a frequent visitor to the area for many years, I had traveled past this park many times and had not thought to visit until I read about the First Friday Tour of the Gardens. What a wonderful tour and many thanks to Range Joe whose knowledge of the gardens made the tour so enjoyable. The story behind the gardens is a wonderful story and history comes alive when walking through the gardens and buildings. A real highlight of the visit was walking along the old A-1-A that was rerouted at the request of Mrs. Young who would later bequeath the property to the State with the provision that it remain a place to be enjoyed by its visitors. The comments criticizing the $5 admission miss the point: this money is used to keep the grounds beautiful for generations to come. What a hidden treasure.
Written February 4, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ital01
Orlando, FL194 contributions
May 2021
This park was recommended by a friend and was well worth the stop. We've driven by several times but planned on making a few stops this trip at some of the parks. Very nice, looks like they are renovating a few areas. Well worth the stop. We stopped on a Monday afternoon and it was uncrowded.
Written May 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi....Are dogs allowed at Washington Oaks State Park?
Written December 26, 2022
Can we barbecue in the picnic areas?
Written April 27, 2021
It was open in April so I’m assuming it still is.
Written April 23, 2021
The entire park is closed; including the beach area, since Flagker County closed their beaches.
Written April 12, 2020
How long it takes to explore the park including ocean side?
Written May 10, 2019
It says closes at sundown. I am planning on arriving somewhat close to that time, that is the earliest I can go. Is there a gate or something that will prevent me from leaving at sundown? I will obviously try to leave before sundown, but just want to make sure we do not get trapped
Written January 16, 2019
Yes for safety reasons, they close the gates. You might want to check with the local weather to find out When sunset occurs when you plan to be there. Seeing the park in the dark is not ideal.
Written May 10, 2019
Has the beach been reopened? Last I heard they didn't have an estimated date for opening. Please advise.
Written June 13, 2018
Beach is not open yet as of last weekend. You can park at Marineland and walk the beach. There is lots of heavy duty constuction equipment and beach replenishment in place so be careful.
Written June 14, 2018
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