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John B. Sargeant Conservation Park

Named after a member of the Hillsborough River Basin Board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District, John B. Sargeant Conservation Park is located in Thonotosassa.

Meander through a wetland forest on the quarter-mile boardwalk. Stop by the overlook to see the Flint Creek meet the Hillsborough River. Enjoy the flowing river from the rest area at the end of the boardwalk. For more adventurous hikers, the 6.7-mile Old King Trail winds from the trailhead at John B. Sargeant Park to the Model Dairy trailhead at Hillsborough River State Park.

Launch your boat at the John B. Sargeant boat ramp. Immerse yourself in the river life as you paddle the Hillsborough River. The Hillsborough River State Canoe Trail will take you on a journey through hardwood trees where lilies bloom and birds sing. Seventeen Runs offers the opportunity to explore a hardwood swamp, its unique plants, and the wildlife who thrive there.

Be prepared to get some wonderful photographs since John B. Sargeant Conservation Park is on the western section of Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail. Picnic tables, covered pavilions, and restrooms are provided for your convenience. Bring your dog. Just be sure she/he is on a six-foot leash.

For more information: https://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/recreat…/john-b-sargeant-park

Photo Credit: Aymee Laurain

Washington Oaks Gardens State Park

This State Park is located near Palm Coast along A1A, between the Atlantic Ocean and Matanzas River. Washington Oaks Gardens is known for its formal gardens, a unique shoreline with rare coquina rock outcroppings, beautiful oak trees, and nature trails. You can hike, bike, and picnic in the park. The grounds feature brick pathways to saunter along and benches to rest upon as you immerse yourself in northeast Florida’s original native habitats. On the 425 acres, you will find a beach, coastal scrub, coastal hammock, and tidal marshes.

Over 144 species of birds can be found in Washington Oaks Gardens State Park. Look for peregrine falcons, spotted sandpipers, scarlet tangler, indigo bunting, and the endangered scrub jay. Take one of the hiking trails and perhaps run into bobcats, a gopher tortoise, raccoons, or whitetail deer. The waters surrounding the park are home to sea turtles, manatees, and dolphins.

Washington Oaks Gardens State Park was part of the Spanish land grants and is in an area steeped in history. The formal gardens are a showcase of the park. They were devised by the former owners Louise and Owen Young and feature rose gardens, birds of paradise, and orange groves, as well as the towering oak trees which the Youngs named the property after.

The park was donated to the state in 1964 with the stipulation that the gardens were kept and maintained as they were originally laid out. Spending the day at Washington Oaks State Park is worth the trip whether you go for hiking, a picnic, bird watching, fishing, or just to spend a serene day enjoying nature.

For more information: https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/washington-oaks-gardens-state-park

Photo credit. Lourdes Brown and Andy Waldo