This botanical wonderland sits on quiet stretch of rare rocky Florida coastline.

Where Is Washington Oaks Gardens State Park?, What Makes Its Beach Unique, Why Its Roses Are Special, What To Do While You're There, Know Before You Go

If you’re roadtripping along Florida’s Atlantic coast, you’ll have to pull off of busy Interstate 95 and slow down in order to come across this hidden state park. But I guarantee a visit to Washington Oaks Gardens State Park will be well worth the detour and the lower speed limit of scenic coastal byway A1A.

Where Is Washington Oaks Gardens State Park?

North of Flagler but south of St. Augustine, Washington Oaks Gardens is an unexpectedly elegant park. The land has seen many different owners, including a relative of President George Washington—where the park gets its name. The land as it looks today, was bequeathed to the state of Florida by industrialist Louise Powis Clark after the death of her husband Owen D. Young, under the direction that the gardens full of azaleas, camelias, roses, and exotic plantings be maintained in their existing form.

Today, the protected park includes a rose garden, formal gardens, a Native American midden, and a 300 year old live oak tree named The Washington Oak. This botanical estate is dreamy to explore itself, but it also sits on a stretch of beach that is unlike any other in Florida.

What Makes Its Beach Unique

Washington Oaks Gardens State Park is on the shores of a coquina rock beach, the second largest outcropping of visible limestone shoreline in Florida (the first is Blowing Rocks Preserve in Jupiter). Coquina rock is an ancient mixture of shells, sand, and acid rain. Take a closer look in person and spot the fossils of shells that could be tens-of-thousands, even millions of years old. This shoreline is so beautiful and unique, it’s popular for weddings and photoshoots.

Why Its Roses Are Special

An average of 150 rose bushes bloom at Washington Oaks Gardens State Park, which is a remarkable feat. Ask any rose gardener, and they’ll tell you that roses typically don’t like humidity, and some varieties dislike salty air. But the circular rose garden has been preserved and maintained and buds begin to bloom in May, continuing through the summer. Early morning and late afternoon are the best time for enjoying the roses at their best.

What To Do While You're There

Tour the Gardens and Coastline

If you're the kind of person who loves formal botanical gardens, or you’re just looking for an idyllic place to pull off and picnic on a Florida road trip, then this state park is worth rerouting for. In spring, the roses are in bloom. In late fall and winter, it’s camellia season. All year, the coastline is a unique, peaceful, and untouched place, thanks to its state park status (no one’s rolling a cooler and beach umbrella onto these rocks).

Enjoy the Hiking and Biking Trails

A walk through the gardens is easy thanks to wide walking paths that wind past azaleas, ferns, bromeliads, large live oaks, and a reflection pond. But for a longer hike (1.7-miles) and a look at the coastal hammock, try the The Bella Vista trails, which includes the Timucuan hiking trail, Jungle Road hike and bike trail, and the Old A1A hike and bike trail.

Know Before You Go

Washington Oaks Gardens is open daily from 8 a.m. until sunset, 365 days per year. Admission is $5 per vehicle. Leashed dogs are allowed in some areas, but not in the formal gardens. Bring water, sun protection, bug spray (especially in the summer) and a camera—The Washington Oak is a spectacular place for a photo. 6400 N Ocean Shore Blvd, Palm Coast, FL 32137