Torreya State Park

Tuesday January 14th

Headed up to the Panhandle for a few days. Stayed at the Torreya State Park campgrounds, just southeast of Tallahassee. 

The Gregory House at Torreya State Park

Torreya Tree growing at the Gregory House

Torreya State Park is named for a very rare, endemic conifer tree found no were else but along the bluffs and ravines of the Apalachicola River mostly in Liberty and Gadsden Counties. The tree goes by several common names like Torreya Tree or Florida Nutmeg.  Its probably one of the rarest plants in the country and beyond.  This species once in the thousands is now  in the low hundreds, after suffering heavy harvesting, disease and now Hurricane Michael.  

In October 2018, Hurricane Michael devastated Mexico Beach, Florida and proceeded inland with Category 4 winds, laying waste to property, mostly forested lands. Torreya and Florida Caverns State Parks were both heavily damaged. The storm took a heavy hit on the endangered torreya trees. Much of the back country of these parks remains closed because of the timber damage. Information on how many of the trees survived is not completely known yet. Time and effective management will be needed.

 Some of the camp grounds are open, I reserved a yurt at Torreya.  A comfortable way to camp.

Underwood's Trillium

Spent some time walking the river bluff trail behind the Gregory House, now open after being cleared.  Looking for any other torreyas and other flora.  The ecology here is more endemic to Southern Appalachia than Florida.

The site is also historical. The Gregory House and the Civil War.

Confederate forces constructed heavy fortified artillery, called the Battery at Hammock's Landing to defend the Apalachicola River from Yankee access. Cant really see much now because of the damage but the signage marked the locations.

River Bluff Trail