Garden of Eden Trail

Garden of Eden Trail

Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve

Bristol, FL

15 July 2017

Introduction

How to make me happy and excited? Invite me out to go hiking on a trail I've never heard of before! That is exactly what one of my dear friends did, and we had a wonderful time enjoying nature and friendship on the Garden of Eden Trail at the Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve. While I have mostly my own pictures on here, my friend Gladys took far more amazing and beautiful pictures, some of which may be on this post (with due credit of course); however to check out her work, please follow this link to her Garden of Eden album.

The Gear:

• Osprey Daylite Daypack (black) with 3L bladder
• Yeti Rambler™ 26 oz. Bottle (Tahoe Blue)

The Story:

The drive from Tallahassee is relatively short. We took I-10 until the exit for FL-12, and then it was maybe another twenty minutes from there. You can also take FL-20 from Tallahassee, which takes you directly to Bristol. From there you drive about 2 miles North on FL-12 to arrive. Both routes take approximately the same amount of time. This trail is a bit South of Torreya State Park along the Apalachicola River, both on the East side of the river.

Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve
Garden of Eden Trail, Bristol FL

Let's break down this sign beginning with The Nature Conservancy. I have never heard of this before so I went directly to their website. The mission:

Conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends

Awesome! To go along with that, the vision is "a world where the diversity of life thrives, and people act to conserve nature for its own sake and its ability to fulfill our needs and enrich our lives." Founded in 1951, The Nature Conservancy have more than 600 scientists who use a non-confrontational, collaborative approach to impact conservation in 69 countries, locally and globally.

Time to narrow it down locally. Here is the page for the Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve on The Nature Conservancy's website and some hot facts I gathered from the page.

• The habitat of this preserve is considered steephead ravines and streams, one of the rarest habitats
• It is on the Apalachicola River, which feeds into the Bay. This region is "one of five biologicial hotspots in North America"
• Home to a large number of imperiled species including: Florida torreya, Florida yew
• The Nature Conservancy developed groundcover restoration techniques at this preserve, which are now being used around the southeastern states of the US
• Size of the preserve is 6.295 acres.

And to the third, final, most specific part of the sign: The Garden of Eden Trail. The trail receives its name from a local legend that claims this area is the original Garden of Eden. I'm going to assume most people, religious or not, are familiar with the first book of the Bible, Genesis. To quote exploresouthernhistory.com, who is in fact using direct text from the book Two Egg, Florida: A Collection of Ghost Stories, Legends and Unusual Facts by Dale Cox, the following gives insight to the local legend:

"It has long been assumed that the Garden of Eden was somewhere in modern day Iraq. The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers still flow there and the region has long been called the “Cradle of Civilization.” A more controversial theory, however, holds that the garden was nowhere near the Middle East. This theory, first advanced by Bristol resident E.E. Callaway, places the Garden of Eden on Florida’s Apalachicola River. 

For Callaway, this theory was not just a flight of fancy. The Apalachicola is fed by four primary tributaries or “heads,” exactly like the river described in the Book of Genesis. In addition, some of the rarest plants in the world grow along the bluffs and steephead ravines on the east side of the river between Bristol and Chattahoochee. Among these are both the Florida torreya and the Florida yew."

Additionally, locals believe that the gopher wood Noah built the ark with was from the torreya tree. Maybe that explains why the tree is so endangered? Callaway's ideas caught on, mostly in the area of Bristol, where people who believed in the legend put up signs in places where there important biblical moments in the garden. The signs are gone, but supposedly you can find photos in the Florida State Archives.

History lesson over. There will be a quiz at the bottom, so I hope you paid attention. Okay let's get moving.

Hiking the Garden of Eden Trail

Above is the bulletin board of trail information. The overview looks very similar to the website of The Nature Conservancy. The listed habitats/ecosystems on the trail are:

1. Sandhills
2. Steephead ravines
3. Slope forests 
4. Spring-fed streams

Check out FLDEP's Guide to the Natural Communities of Florida

The beginning of the trail is wide and simple. There is no significant elevation change. Eventually it narrows and gets more complicated. As stated above, the ecosystems on the trail are diverse.

First, the vegetation thickens.

Then we get some roots, slopes, even thicker vegetation, more abundant trees, and some steep (for Florida) climbs. I think we have now arrived at the "slope forest". Pictured below is the wonderful Gladys as well as a preview of the roots we'll be trekking on. This is very different from the above pictures. (Who said Florida was just beaches?)

This is a relatively short hike. Strava puts the grand total at 4.1 miles. The ecosystems are going to transition quick. It doesn't take long for us to be overlooking ravines, where there are many streams to cross over. Streams come with adorable bridges (and staircases). The bridges help with the Garden of Eden vibe. Still searching for the serpent, which was probably in fact a copperhead if this is truly THE Garden of Eden.

Along the trail we did discover some cool things. Better images and close-ups can be found here, Like you should definitely click that link. Right meow.

It was difficult to capture some of the steep climbs and descents, so I guess you're just going to have to test out the hike yourself.

Photo by Gladys Liehr
Garden of Eden Trail, Bristol FL

We now begin a habitat shift. Before discussing that, check out these awesome trees. Because who doesn't like cool trees, amirite?

Next is a sandhill habitat. The giveaways - evidence of controlled burns, widely spaced pine trees, wiregrass, etc. Using The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as a source, sandhill communities need fire (natural or prescribed) in order to support its unique wildlife. The Nature Conservancy has fire "strike teams" who assist with prescribed burns, fireline installation, and removing invasive species. Without regular burns, the sandhill could convert into a xeric hammock. Xeric refers to dry soil, and a hammock refers to an ecological island (a micro-habitat within a larger ecosystem).

Burnt wood, sandhill community

More burnt wood, sandhill community
Garden of Eden Trail, Bristol FL

Pictured above on the right, is some sort of species of prickly pear cactus (Opuntia). It first seemed out of place (and maybe it is), but we kept finding some more. This is most likely Devil's Tongue (Opuntia humifusa).

Opuntia (humifusa)
Photo by Gladys Liehr
Garden of Eden Trail, Bristol FL

We also found some lizards, discovered an underground beehive, and rescued a dragonfly. I heard rustling from wiregrass. Upon further inspection, there was a struggling dragonfly. I helped the little guy out and he chilled a bit for a badass photo. He seemed to be okay and was able to fly off.

Photo by Gladys Liehr
Garden of Eden Trail, Bristol FL

We reached a crossroads where the trail forms a loop. Our previous walking will also be our return trip. The loop leads us to Alum Bluff Overlook.

Alum Bluff Overlook

According to exploresouthernhistory.com (again), Alum Bluff Overlook, standing 130+ feet above the Apalachicola River, is the largest naturally exposed section of the earth's crust in Florida. This bluff, which is of course where Adam met Eve, was also used by Union troops during the Civil War. The evidence from this specific bluff has eroded into the river, but if you head to Torreya State Park and take the Gregory House tour, they can give more insight about the Apalachicola River's role in the Civil War.

We reached the steep bluffs of the Apalachicola River to discover an amazing view after another ecosystem shift. As some people say, this might be one of the best views in Florida. I think it could be in the top ten for sure.

If you're here wondering what the formal definition of bluff is like I am right now, have no fear - National Geographic will help straighten ya out. Buzzwords: cliff, river, erosion. 

Apalachicola at Alum Bluff
Garden of Eden Trail, Bristol FL

We made a friend. I'm pretty sure this guy wants to be a professional model. He did not mind photos being taken. His modeling dreams came true today.

The next part of the trail continues along the river bluffs. More trees, more forests, more ravines, more golden orb spiders. Those ladies were everywhere! They're so cool looking. Cute, non-deadly spiders == awesome spiders. While doing what was supposed to be a quick Wikipedia browsing, I ended up on the sexual cannibalism page. Apparently lots of spiders are into that kink, but the golden orbs usually don't. The males actually have something going for them, and that is a mating plug. "Shudders". End tangent.

We complete the loop and get back onto the out-and-back trail. From here, we for the most part, put our cameras/phones away and enjoyed the nature. Photos below by Gladys!

I like to play with trees.

Numbered Sign Posts

EDIT - See post comments for their response.

There are sign posts with numbers throughout the hike. Could they indicate distance? No. They are spaced out in different distance increments. We decided to check the map when we got back to see if it helped us out. IT DID NOT. The legend refers to them as 'Trail Posts'. 

It's bothering me that I cannot find an answer. So I left a comment on the official page of the Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve. Hopefully we'll get an answer!!

Below are several plant species found on the hike. Sadly there was a sign for the Florida Torreya, but there wasn't a matching Torreya tree to go with it.

Swamp Chestnut Oak, Quercus michauxii 

Similar is a species of the white oak section, similar to the chestnut oak but larger. Native to bottomlands and wetlands.

Swamp Chestnut Oak, Quercus michauxii
Garden of Eden Trail, Bristol FL

Florida Yew, Taxus floridana

CRITICALLY ENDANGERED, along with the Florida Torreya. Both are protected at Torreya State Park and the Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve.

The Florida yew is endemic only to a small 10 squared kilometer area on the eastern side of the Apalachicola River.

Florida Yew, Taxus floridana
Garden of Eden Trail, Bristol FL

Longleaf Pine, Pinus palustris

• Evergreen conifer
• Longest leaves of any eastern pine tree (up to 18 inches long)
• 80-100ft tall, grow perfectly straight
• Several century lifespans
• Shade intolerant - need sunlight in order to grow
• At one point covered 90 million acres but now only cover 3% of that
• Exceptional, top-notch lumber
• 30 endangered and threatened species rely on this tree for their habitat
• Source: National Wildlife Federation
• More info: The Nature Conservatory: Florida Longleaf Pine Forests
• The Nature Conservatory has planted millions of longleaf pine seedlings

Witch hazel, Hamamelis virginiana

• Native to eastern North America, as indicated by sign
• Small deciduous tree, stem cluster from base, as indicated by Wikipedia and my photo
• Leaves and bark used to create the astringent, Witch hazel. 
• Used by Native Americans, Puritan settlers, and even in modern times for medicinal purposes

Hurdles:

Couldn't find information about the numbered trail posts.

Relevant Quote:

“Have you also learned that secret from the river; that there is no such thing as time?" That the river is everywhere at the same time, at the source and at the mouth, at the waterfall, at the ferry, at the current, in the ocean and in the mountains, everywhere and that the present only exists for it, not the shadow of the past nor the shadow of the future.”
― Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha

Other:

So everything I've read said that this hike was gonna be tough! If you're a fit and healthy person, it shouldn't be. It's "tough" for Florida standards. The Torreya loops are more challenging, as well as similar to this hike. Just pack enough water and plenty of snacks!

Photo by Gladys Liehr
Garden of Eden Trail, Bristol FL

Related Resources:

• Florida Hikes! - Garden of Eden Trail
• AllTrails - Garden of Eden Trail
• The Nature Conservancy: Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve
• Explore Southern History: The Legend of the Garden of Eden
• Explore Southern History: Alum Bluff
• FLDEP's Guide to the Natural Communities of Florida

There's no quiz, ya nerd...