Torreya State Park Florida Video

High bluffs overlooking the Apalachicola River make Torreya one of Florida's most scenic places. The park is named after an extremely rare species of Torreya tree that only grows on the bluffs along the Apalachicola River. Developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, Torreya is popular for camping, hiking and picnicking. Bird-watching is also a popular activity. Over 100 species of birds have been spotted in the park. Forests of hardwood trees provide the finest display of fall color found in Florida.

Today, the park plays a critical role in preserving unique plant and animal species and natural communities that are of regional importance and protecting the water quality of the Apalachicola River, which feeds the productive Apalachicola Bay. The park’s high plateaus, steep bluffs, and deep ravines are covered with rich forests that harbor a variety of rare and endemic plants and animals, many of which are more common further north than this location. As in the past, the park continues to provide the public with exceptional scenic vistas and challenging hiking terrain as well as attractive camping and picnicking areas.

The park offers 29 campsites, 1 Cracker Cabin, 1 YURT, 3 Primitive Backpack sites, 2 Youth Camps, Picnic Area with Pavilions and 16 miles of hiking trails.  Tours of the Gregory House are offered at 10 a.m., EST on weekdays and 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., EST on weekends and state holidays.

For many visitors, the focal point of Florida's Torreya State Park is the Gregory House. A beautiful Southern mansion built in 1849, the house is open to the public on a daily basis.

The house was built by Jason Gregory, a prominent Calhoun County planter, in 1849. The home originally stood across the river from the state park at Ocheesee Landing, but was moved here and restored during the 1930s.

It originally stood atop five-foot high brick pillars, an architectural feature that kept the interior of the home safe from the annual floods of the Apalachicola River. Dr. Charles Hentz, who lived for a time at the Gregory Plantation, describe drawing a boat up to the house during one such flood.

During the Civil War, Confederate army and navy officers visited the home from time to time. Some of the victims of the explosion of the ill-fated Confederate gunboat C.S.S. Chattahoochee were brought there for care until they could be carried upriver to Columbus, Georgia.

The war, however, spelled the doom of Gregory's plantation. He moved away and the house fell on hard times. Although one of his daughters moved back for a time and restored the home, it had fallen into disrepair by the time Torreya State Park was created during the 1930s.

In a gesture of support for the new park, the Neal Lumber Company donated the Gregory House to Torreya State Park. It was carefully taken apart and moved across the river to the park site for reconstruction atop the bluff there.  The project was meticulously done and took three years to complete. Even the original wood pegs (used instead of nails) were saved and used to put it back together.

The Gregory House today occupies one of the most picturesque settings in Florida. The front of the house offers a commanding view of the Apalachicola River and Calhoun and Jackson Counties beyond.

Tours are provided on weekdays at 10 a.m. and on weekends at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. (Eastern time).

One of the world's rarest and oldest known Gadsden and Liberty Counties, Florida.

The Florida Torreya (Torreya taxifolia) was discovered here in around 1835 by Hardy Bryan Croom, an early botanist. He named it in honor of Dr. John Torrey, a well-known 19th-century scientist.  Local settlers were already familiar with
Croom's rare tree. They called it the "stinking cedar" because of the strong odor it gave when cut or bruised. Despite its smell, however, they used it for a wide variety of purposes ranging from fence posts and shingles to Christmas trees and riverboat fuel.

The tree's popularity almost spelled its doom. It is estimated there were 600,000
Torreya trees living in the Apalachicola River Valley during the early 1800s. Only around 200 survive today.

Modern scientists report that the Torreya once lived across North America and is one of the oldest known tree species on earth. This is interesting in light of local legend that the Florida Torreya was the Biblical "gopher wood" from which Noah built the ark.

Because the Torreya is one of America's most endangered trees, a major effort is underway to save it. The Florida Park Service is working with the Atlanta Botanical Garden in a commendable effort to grow new Torreya trees. Using seed obtained from living trees, the agencies are growing seedlings that are beingplanted in the ravine habitat at Torreya State Park. Perhaps over time, the Torreya will once again thrive along the Apalachicola.

The trees are extremely rare today, but they are very easy to see. Two nice plantings can be found at Torreya State Park along the brick walkway leading to the historic Gregory House. Other live Torreya can also be seen along the nature trails in the park.