Accessibility
Florida State Parks are in various stages of accessibility, and are working to improve access to services and facilities. Should you need assistance to enable your full participation, please contact the individual park office as soon as possible. Sometimes as many as ten days may be needed to schedule a particular accommodation.

Management & Protection
Florida State Parks are managed as natural systems. All plant and animal life is protected in state parks. Hunting, livestock grazing and timber removal are not permitted. Do not remove, deface, mutilate or molest any natural resources. For your safety, do not feed any animals. Intoxicants and firearms are prohibited.

Hours of Operation
Florida state parks are open from 8 a.m. until sundown 365 days a year.

Pets
Pets are not allowed in camping areas, on bathing beaches, in concession areas and may be restricted in other designated areas of the park. Where pets are allowed, they must be kept on a six-foot, hand-held leash and well-behaved at all times. Service dogs are welcome in all areas of the parks.

State Park Guide
To discover and experience all of the Real Florida at Florida's 145 state parks, ask a Park Ranger where you can pick up a copy of the Florida State Park Guide, or call 850/488-9872.




| Front Page | More Florida State Parks | Parks Map |
| Parking, Camping & Cabin Fees | Park Rules |




Reservations for
Florida State
Parks are now
made through
Reserve America,

toll free, at
1-800-326-3521
 


TORREYA STATE PARK

The high bluffs overlooking the Apalachicola River make Torreya State Park one of Florida's most scenic. Rising more than 150 feet above the river, the bluffs have been shaped and divided by deep ravines that have been eroded by streams throughout the centuries.



PLANT & ANIMAL LIFE
The park is named for a species of rare Torreya tree that occurs only on the bluffs along the Apalachicola River. This once plentiful tree was nearly destroyed by disease in the early 1960s and may be doomed to extinction. Other rare plants found in the park include the Florida yew tree and the U.S. Champion winged elm. The forests of the park include river swamps, hardwood hammocks and high pinelands. Each community contains a different set of trees, shrubs and wildflowers which offer variety during each season of the year. The bluffs and ravines are forested by many hardwood trees that commonly occur in the Appalachian Mountains of Georgia. These hardwoods provide the finest display of fall color found in Florida. Over 100 species of unique and colorful birds may be seen throughout the area. An array of animals commonly found in the park include deer, beaver, bobcat, grey fox and the unusual Barbours map turtle.



HISTORY
Animals were not the only inhabitants known to exist in the area over the centuries. A number of Indian sites have been discovered here by archaeologists. During the first Seminole Indian War in 1818, General Andrew Jackson crossed the river here with his army.

In 1828, when Florida became a U.S. Territory, the first government road across north Florida met the river here in the park. Throughout the 1800s, the Apalachicola River was an important interstate highway. More than 200 steamboats traveled the river during the great trading era, 1840-1910.

During the Civil War, this important route was protected by a six cannon battery. ŒLocated on a bluff, the battery was in place to prevent Union gun boats from passing. The remains of the gun pit can be seen along the bluff trail.

The Gregory House, built in 1849 by Planter Jason Gregory, stood across the river from the park at Ocheesee Landing. Gregory's plantation prospered until the beginning of the Civil War and the abolition of slavery. In 1935, the house was dismantled and moved to its present location in the park by the Civilian Conservation Corps, which was developing the park.



ACTIVITIES
The natural beauty of the park can best be enjoyed along one of the nature trails. The Apalachicola River Bluffs Trail, a National Recreational Trail, offers a view of the river, Confederate gun pits, bluffs and hardwood forests. The Weeping Ridge Trail provides a healthy and pleasant walk to one of the park's deep ravines. A seven-mile loop hiking trail meanders through the park, exposing the hiker to virtually all the park's natural features.

Recreational activities available in the park include one of the state's most peaceful and scenic campgrounds, with two primitive campsites located along the hiking trail for registered hikers.

A picnic area with covered shelters is provided.

Ranger-guided tours of the restored Gregory House are available daily. Included in the tour are stories of early plantation life along the river.




Torreya State Park is located off S.R. 12. on C.R. 1641, 13 miles north of Bristol.

For more information, contact:
Torreya State Park
Route 2, Box 70
Bristol, Florida 32321
(850) 643-2674.

 


View Larger Map


This site is designed by Absolutely Florida - The Sunshine State @ Your Fingertips