41-571: Torreya State Park is a 13,735 acre (56 km) Florida State Park , United States National Natural Landmark and historic site thirteen miles (19 km) north of Bristol . It is located north of S.R 12 on the Apalachicola River , in northwestern Florida ( Florida Panhandle ), at 2576 N.W. Torreya Park Road. It was named for the Florida Nutmeg ( Torreya taxifolia ) trees, a rare species of Torreya tree endemic to
82-446: A museum and interpretive exhibit. The Apalachicola River Bluffs Trail, a National Recreational Trail, is part of the park. Florida State Parks [REDACTED] There are 175 state parks and 9 state trails in the U.S. state of Florida which encompass more than 800,000 acres (320,000 ha), providing recreational opportunities for both residents and tourists. Almost half of
123-406: A 2–8 cm long petiole . They are green above and paler and pubescent below. In fall they turn orange and yellow. The flowers are regular, pentamerous, and appear on yellow-green corymbs and are quite small. They hang from puberulent pedicels 2.4–5 cm long in clusters of a few flowers, appearing before or with the leaves in early spring. This is about two weeks prior to the maturation of
164-508: A much smaller extent charitable contributions. Many state parks have an associated local non-profit corporation. Most parks charge an entrance fee. Residents can purchase an annual entrance pass that is valid at any of the parks. Camping is available in campsites in some of the parks. All reservations for park facilities are handled through the private corporation ReserveAmerica . The Florida State Parks website (floridastateparks.org) provides an updated online guide to all parks. On 19 August 2024
205-484: A sense of place by showing park visitors the best of Florida's diverse natural and cultural sites. Florida's state parks are managed and preserved for enjoyment by this and future generations through providing appropriate resource-based recreational opportunities, interpretation and education that help visitors connect to the Real Florida." Several state parks were formerly private tourist attractions purchased by
246-409: A separate species, making the new combination A. floridanum (Chapm.) Pax. In 1952, Yves Desmarais took an intermediate option, treating it as a subspecies Acer saccharum subsp. floridanum (Chapm.) Desmarais, a treatment which has fairly wide recent recognition. A further problem exists with the specific name Acer barbatum , given to a maple by André Michaux in 1803 from samples collected in
287-440: A smooth or rounded outline. The bark is a light gray with thick irregular curling ridges; as the tree matures, the bark tends to become plated. The twigs are slender, somewhat shiny, reddish brown. The terminal buds are sharply pointed, brown and pubescent. The leaves are opposite, simple, palmately lobed and veined, 3–9.5 cm long and 3.5–11 cm broad, with an entire margin and three or five somewhat rounded lobes, and
328-656: Is a fishing pier and one is a recreation area. Seven parks are mostly undeveloped with few or no facilities; 10 parks are accessible only by private boat or ferry; and 13 parks contain National Natural Landmarks . Additionally, there are eleven national parks and service sites in Florida locations under control of the National Park Service . Florida State Parks are supported by tax dollars (document stamps), user fees, and to
369-468: Is best told by the white hairs on the undersides of the leaves, yellow-haired in A. leucoderme . Debate still exists about its taxonomic status, which has been controversial for at least 100 years. The Florida maple was first recognised as distinct in 1860 by Alvan Wentworth Chapman , who treated it as a variety of A. saccharum . In 1886 Ferdinand Albin Pax decided it was distinct enough to be treated as
410-661: Is the division of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection responsible for the operation of Florida State Parks , and won the Gold Medal honoring the best state park system in the country in 1999 and 2005 from the National Recreation and Park Association . They were also finalists in the 1997 and 2011 competitions. The Park Service was awarded the gold medal again in October 2013, making it
451-555: The Carolinas during his decade in North America from 1785 to 1796. For a long time it was unclear if the plant he collected was Acer saccharum (sugar maple) or A. floridanum , as his samples were badly damaged on his return to Paris . M. L. Fernald reexamined the species in the mid-1940s for the 8th edition of Gray's Manual, published in 1950; on reviewing Michaux's notes on A. barbatum , he decided to apply this name to
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#1732772174101492-628: The Civilian Conservation Corps was established in 1933, they started work to create the park. Part of the project in 1935 was disassembling the old Gregory House, moving it across the river and reconstructing it in the park, where it stands today. Visitors can tour the Gregory House for a small fee. On October 10 2018, the eye of Hurricane Michael tracked a few miles west of the park, producing sustained winds well within hurricane force. Catastrophic damage occurred within
533-695: The Florida maple and occasionally as the southern sugar maple or hammock maple , is a tree that occurs in mesic and usually calcareous woodlands of the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plain in the United States , from southeastern Virginia in the north, south to central Florida , and west to Oklahoma and Texas and also common in south Illinois and Missouri It is a medium-sized to large deciduous tree , growing to 15–25 m tall—exceptionally to 38 m—with an elliptical crown of moderate density with
574-524: The Gulf Coast of the Florida peninsula, and also in at least one location in central Oklahoma. The species is also found in isolated locations of Illinois , Missouri , Tennessee and Kentucky. The average annual rainfall within the native area ranges from 112 to 163 cm (44 to 64 in). The driest months average no less than 50 mm (2.0 in). The normal temperatures in January within
615-531: The Piedmont and Atlantic Coastal Plain from southeastern Virginia southwest across North Carolina , South Carolina and Georgia , as well as into the Florida Panhandle. The range goes farther west across Alabama , Mississippi , Louisiana , into eastern Texas , and north through Arkansas and into eastern Oklahoma . The species also occurs in several isolated locations roughly halfway down
656-579: The United States Forest Service , and Wilbur H. Duncan and Marion Duncan's Trees of the Southeastern United States , published in 1988. However, recent examination by D. B. Ward has shown that they are typical Acer saccharum after all, and not A. floridanum as Fernald had thought without examination, and thus Michaux's name is correctly a synonym of A. saccharum . The distribution is discontinuous in
697-405: The state legislature to increase conservation land, said: "Our vision did not contemplate the addition of golf courses and hotels, which in my view are not in-line with the peaceful and quiet enjoyment of nature. From what I know at this time, the proposal should not move forward in its current form." Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, said that he had learned from media reports about
738-668: The Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression. The park was named for the Florida tree Torreya taxifolia. Due to the river's importance during the Civil War , a six- cannon battery was placed on a bluff to prevent the passage of Union gunboats . These cannons never saw combat action at this location. The gun pits' remains can still be seen in the park. Prior Native American inhabitation has been confirmed by archaeological discoveries in
779-542: The Florida Department of Environmental Protection announced plans to build golf courses and 350-room lodges on state park lands. In statements to the Tampa Bay Times and in posts to social media, the agency claimed that the construction of a golf course on vulnerable scrub habitat will be done in a way to "minimize habitat impacts". A spokesperson for Governor Ron DeSantis, Jeremy Redfern, defended
820-473: The Florida maple in 1945, based on his interpretation that Michaux's samples, which he only knew through notes (Michaux's collections were in Paris, inaccessible as World War II had not yet ended), corresponded more closely to Florida maple than to sugar maple. Since the oldest given name takes precedence, he used the name A. barbatum for the Florida maple. Many subsequent authors accepted this judgement, such as
861-596: The area. In 1818, General Andrew Jackson and his army crossed the Apalachicola here during the First Seminole War . Ten years later, the first government road to cross the new Territory met the river here. In 1849, Jason Gregory built a plantation house at Ocheesee Landing, across from the park's current location. After the Civil War, like most plantations, it fell into disuse. Not long after
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#1732772174101902-542: The construction of disc golf courses, pickleball courts, and cabins. Three of the affected parks are in the Panhandle district in Panama City represented by state senator Jay Trumbull (R). He wrote on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, that he remains in "strong opposition" and exhorted other lawmakers in the legislature to follow suit. Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, who has lobbied in
943-725: The crushed leaves. Many animals can be seen in the park. Some of the mammals there include deer , squirrel , raccoon , opossum , fox , skunk , rabbit , bobcat and black bear . Dozens of species of birds can be viewed. Numerous species of amphibians and reptiles exist there as well, such as the Eastern Hognose Snake , gopher tortoises , and the rare Apalachicola dusky salamander . Hazardous fauna include alligator , copperhead , cottonmouth , rattlesnakes , and ticks . The park has such amenities as birding , boating , hiking , picnicking , wildlife viewing and full camping facilities. It also has concessions ,
984-518: The densely forested hammocks of Florida, hence its alternative common name hammock maple. It is most often confined to the understory. While not an overwhelmingly popular tree in cultivation, it is sometimes employed in the Southern United States as a shade tree due to its round crown and its greater resistance to heat than that of its more showy relative the sugar maple. Several species of birds and especially squirrels make use of
1025-521: The director of Florida's state parks between 2017 and 2021, stated that it appeared that the agency sidestepped the legal process. The Times also noted that Albert Gregory, the former state chief of park planning, said the state was "hop-scotching some important steps". Note: The table of contents only applies when the list is sorted by park name. Acer floridanum Acer floridanum (syn. Acer saccharum subsp. floridanum (Chapm.) Desmarais, Acer barbatum auct. non Michx. ), commonly known as
1066-416: The flowers of Acer saccharum . The tree is generally diecious , though they are often also polygamous, that is having bisexual and unisexual flowers on the same individual. The fruit is a paired samara 1.5–3 cm long. Acer floridanum can easily be confused in the field with the closely related Acer leucoderme and Acer saccharum . It can be best distinguished from A. saccharum by noting
1107-463: The governor and the accelerated process driving state plans to develop golf courses at Jonathan Dickinson State Park . The park, on the Atlantic coast of Florida, contains the largest area of protected scrub jay habitat in southeast Florida. An unusual bipartisan showing of elected officials in the state Legislature, Cabinet and the US Congress expressed opposition to the plans, which include
1148-615: The last ice age , when its range shrank due to cooler temperatures. Another critically endangered species found within Torreya State Park is the Florida Yew ( Taxus floridana ) . Also endemic to the east bank of the Apalachicola River, the Florida yew has a similar appearance to the Florida nutmeg. The yew can be differentiated by the shorter, blunt-tipped (not spine-tipped) leaves and the less strong smell of
1189-416: The local east bank of the Apalachicola River's limestone bluffs. With river swamps and high pinelands, extensive ravines and high bluffs along the river, the park has one of the most variable terrains of any in Florida. The high elevation of the park is about 300 feet at the top of Logan Hill. Many streams run through the park. Torreya State Park is one of the original Florida state parks developed by
1230-532: The only three-time winner. In 2019, they received the gold medal award again, resulting in them being the first four-time winner. The parks are open year-round and offer diverse activities beyond fishing, hiking and camping. Many parks offer facilities for birding or horseback riding; there are several battle reenactments; and freshwater springs and beaches are Florida's gems. According to the Florida Park Service website, their goal "is to help create
1271-457: The park and its surrounding area. Trees were either felled, snapped, or stripped of branches, so thinning the tree canopy to a high degree. The park was closed for the remainder of autumn and all through winter as staff toiled to cut hazardous trees and clear fallen wood. However, many of the Florida nutmeg trees under park protection survived. Hurricane Helene struck northwestern Florida on September 26, 2024, with its eye tracking just east of
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1312-860: The park. Damage was considerable and the park was closed indefinitely. The park is one of the few places in Florida where the endangered species Few-flowered croomia ( Croomia pauciflora ) can still be found. Other endangered species of Florida in the park include the feathery false lily of the valley ( Maianthemum racemosum ) , Canadian honewort ( Cryptotaenia canadensis ) , and bloodroot ( Sanguinaria canadensis ) . The varieties of hardwood trees include Southern live oak ( Quercus virginiana ) , White oak ( Quercus alba ) , Water hickory ( Carya aquatica ) , Southern wax myrtle ( Myrica cerifera ) , Sourwood ( Oxydendrum arboreum ) , American beech ( Fagus grandifolia ) , Tulip tree ( Liriodendron tulipifera ) , Florida maple ( Acer floridanum ) , and Sweetgum ( Liquidambar styraciflua ) . Species of softwood trees include
1353-668: The plans, saying "it's high time we made public lands more accessible to the public." DeSantis, an enthusiastic golfer, controls the Department of Environmental Protection, and has increased his influence over the agency in comparison to former governors. In an unprecedented move that critics said violated state law, he unilaterally appointed its secretary without approval by other members of the Florida Cabinet. The Tampa Bay Times also reported that US Senators Rick Scott (R) and Marco Rubio (R) joined local officials in criticizing
1394-534: The range vary from 11 to 18 °C (52 to 64 °F) maximum, and from −2 to 7 °C (28 to 45 °F) minimum, whereas in July normal maxima are 29 to 33 °C (84 to 91 °F), and minima are 21 to 24 °C (70 to 75 °F). The tree favours moist, but well-drained fertile soils, especially on stream terrace, in coves, and on adjacent bluffs and ridgetops. It grows best on soils containing calcareous material such as limestone or marl . It also grows well on
1435-420: The smaller leaves with short and acute lobes, the smaller samaras, and the more whitish bark. Several overlaps in genetics between these two species have been found in east Texas and in the zone from Maryland south to northern Florida, despite the fact that Maryland is listed as beyond the natural range of the tree. In light of this information, it can be assumed that the two hybridize . From A. leucoderme , it
1476-530: The state of Florida to preserve their natural environment. These parks include the Silver Springs State Park , Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park , Rainbow Springs State Park , and Weeki Wachee Springs . There are state parks in 58 of Florida's 67 counties . Nine of the 175 parks do not have "State Park" in their name. Four are " conservation areas " (reserve, preserve, or wildlife refuge); three are "Historical/Archaeological sites"; one
1517-441: The state park development plan, and that he has "serious concerns". He issued a statement saying, "(We) have to be really careful when we talk about building infrastructure on state parks. Just because we can do something doesn't mean we should." Environmental groups and former park officials agreed that the agency was trying to limit the public comment-gathering process. The Tampa Bay Times reported that Eric Draper, who served as
1558-623: The state parks have an associated local 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, often styled, "Friends of { park name } State Park, Inc.". In 2015, some 29,356 volunteers donated nearly 1.3 million hours to enhance the parks for approximately 31 million visitors. There is a mostly nominal admission to nearly all Florida's state parks, although separate fees are charged for the use of cabins, marinas, campsites, etc. Florida's state parks offer 3,613 family campsites, 186 cabins, thousands of picnic tables, 100 miles (160 km) of beaches, and over 2,600 miles (4,200 km) of trails. The Florida Park Service
1599-559: The tree as a nesting site and also consume its seeds as a food source. Despite the fact that of itself Florida maple is not employed as a commercial timber species, it is used with associated commercial species when the products are pulpwood , sawtimber, or wood veneer stock. It is considered a hard maple and as high quality individuals are suitable for producing furniture, flooring, paneling, and shoe lasts . However, its relative scarcity, small size, and fairly poor shape generally confine its use to only factory and box lumber, and even this
1640-438: The variety of both Needle palm ( Rhapidophyllum hystrix ) and Dwarf palmetto ( Sabal minor ) , Loblolly pine ( Pinus taeda ) , Longleaf pine ( Pinus palustris ) , and Redbay ( Persea borbonia ) . The endemic Florida Nutmeg ( Torreya taxifolia ) trees are restricted to the limestone bluffs and their ravines within Torreya State Park, along the east bank of the Apalachicola River in northern Florida and southern Georgia. It
1681-540: Was one of the first federally listed endangered plant species in the United States in 1984. It is a Critically endangered species on the IUCN Red List , due to estimated 98% decline in mature individuals within the last three generations. Its total extent of occurrence is estimated to be about only 200 square kilometres (49,000 acres). The Apalachicola valley served as a refugium for T. taxifola during