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| Torreya State Park | |
|---|---|
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape) | |
 View of the Apalachicola River from bluffs in Torreya State Park | |
   | |
| Location | Liberty County, Florida, United States |
| Nearest city | Bristol, Florida |
| Coordinates | 30°34′08″N84°56′53″W / 30.56889°N 84.94806°W /30.56889; -84.94806 |
| Area | 13,735 acres (55.58 km2) |
| Governing body | Florida Department of Environmental Protection |
| Designated | December 1976 |
Torreya State Park is a 13,735 acres (55.58 km2)Florida State Park, United StatesNational Natural Landmark andhistoric site thirteen miles (21 km) north ofBristol. It is located north ofS.R 12 on theApalachicola River, in northwesternFlorida (Florida Panhandle), at 2576 N.W. Torreya Park Road.
It was named for theFlorida Nutmeg (Torreya taxifolia) trees, a rare species ofTorreya treeendemic to the local east bank of the Apalachicola River's limestone bluffs.
With riverswamps and high pinelands, extensiveravines and highbluffs 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.[citation needed]
Torreya State Park is one of the original Florida state parks developed by 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 theCivil War, a six-cannon battery was placed on a bluff to prevent the passage ofUniongunboats. These cannons never saw combat action at this location. The gun pits' remains can still be seen in the park.[1]
PriorNative American inhabitation has been confirmed by archaeological discoveries in the area.[2]
In 1818, GeneralAndrew Jackson and his army crossed the Apalachicola here during theFirst Seminole War. Ten years later, the first government road to cross the newTerritory met the river here (see theBellamy Road).[additional citation(s) needed]
In 1849, Jason Gregory built aplantation 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 theCivilian 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.[3]
On October 10, 2018, the eye ofHurricane Michael tracked a few miles west of the park, producing sustained winds over 130 miles per hour. Catastrophic damage occurred within 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 theFlorida nutmeg trees under park protection survived.[4]
The park is one of the few places in Florida where the endangered speciesFew-flowered croomia (Croomia pauciflora) can still be found.[5][6] Otherendangered species of Florida in the park include thefeathery false lily of the valley (Maianthemum racemosum),Canadian honewort (Cryptotaenia canadensis), andbloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis).[7]
The varieties of hardwood trees includeSouthern 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), andSweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua). Species of softwood trees include the variety of bothNeedle palm (Rhapidophyllum hystrix) andDwarf palmetto (Sabal minor),Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda),Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris), andRedbay (Persea borbonia).American Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) andMagnolias are also found here.[8]
The endemicFlorida Nutmeg (Torreya taxifolia) trees are restricted to thelimestone bluffs and their ravines within Torreya State Park, along the east bank of the Apalachicola River in northern Florida and southern Georgia. It was one of the first federally listedendangered plant species in the United States in 1984. It is aCritically endangered species on theIUCN 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).[9] The Apalachicola valley served as arefugium forT. taxifola during the lastice age, when its range shrank due to cooler temperatures.[10]
Another critically endangered species found within Torreya State Park is theFlorida Yew (Taxus floridana).[11] 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 the crushed leaves.
Many animals can be seen in the park. Some of the mammals there includedeer,squirrel,raccoon,opossum,fox,skunk,rabbit,bobcat andblack bear. Dozens of species of birds can be viewed. Numerous species ofamphibians andreptiles exist there as well, such as theEastern Hognose Snake,gopher tortoises, and the rareApalachicola dusky salamander. Hazardous fauna includealligator,copperhead,cottonmouth,rattlesnakes, andticks.
The park has such amenities asbirding,boating,hiking,picnicking,wildlife viewing and fullcamping facilities. It also hasconcessions, amuseum and interpretive exhibit.
The Apalachicola River Bluffs Trail, a National Recreational Trail, is part of the park.
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