$1000 a month for washed out unpaved roads, no amenities, and worse customer service than AT&T. The laundry machines are constantly broke, the gate to the dog park has a gap large enough for my 60 pound dog to get through, and management thinks it's perfectly ok to turn off water and electricity with less than 12 hours notice. Don't get trapped here. There is a reason for all of the for sale signs and empty lots. read more

I am an avid State Park fan here in Fl, so it's no surprise that this is a 5 star review! Once inside the park, there is a view of the intercoastal waterway, where the breeze was glorious. I did bug spray up as soon as I exited the car- which I highly recommend if the bloodsuckers like you. There is a screened in pavilion you can normally rent for events- closed right now due to Covid. There is a little dock a family was fishing from and a small watercraft launch, I can only imagine kayaking from here would be beautiful. Plenty of trails including a 7 miler to the next state park. We hiked back to the site of slave cabins- all that was left was the stone base of what was a hearth and fireplace. This site is a previous plantation. My heart aches when I see that they had slaves to run their sugar mill and also grew and processed indigo- which was highly poisonous to those working directly with extracting the dye from the plant. A death sentence for those assigned that job. I know this from a previous tour at another plantation. I am happy that that part of our history is in the past and I hope we continue to learn from those times and never repeat the mistakes of the past. The ruins are further down the road, the hiking trail back was closed (probably due to high water levels). This area was swarming with mosquitos- I reapplied bug spray for good measure- just dip me in deet. This however was my favorite part~ my inner-artist took hold and I ran rampart taking pictures. We were lucky that we toured the ruins by ourselves. No one else was out there while we explored. I easily spent 45 minutes just snapping pictures. Probably more than you would need. The average person would probably only spend 15-20 minutes walking around and reading the information boards. There is a building off to the side that has tools and things recovered from the area. I love that you can walk through the ruins on a sidewalk that is chained off from you entering into any of the structures- preserving what remains, but allowing you a special glimpse from "inside" the ruins. I recently visited another park that had the large ruins completely closed off- only external views. So this was a treat. You could spend as little as 45 minutes going through this park or spend the day hiking and picnicking. Go visit and enjoy the history and views. read more

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I posted a trail map. Route A is accessible from ruins park. It is 1/4 mile from the entrance to park. It is a 2 mile walk. Route B is accessible from bulow creek state park. It is a 1.5 mile walk. You can bike or walk from A to B and it is 6 miles each way. Free parking at Bulow Creek park. $4 donation fee at ruins park. read more

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Came here to see the ruins. This was a nice little journey. The hike it self was really short. Why? Because we were on the wrong side of the park. I found this park to have some issues with labeling. I walked across ruins that were unlabeled. The trail itself was not labeled either. We looks at the map and the map was unclean. As we left the park we finally found the trail because it was before the entrance of the main park. There Is a boat launch here so you can do some kayaking or paddle boarding up the river. The park also offers some kayak rentals however finding where to rent them was an utter joke. The park has a nice place to have a picnic or a little party. Very shady park to walk around in. You do get to travel down about a 1 mile dirt road. Overall it's a cool park and if you are in the area worth a visit. read more

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This place is very interesting. It cost $4.00 to enter I was a bit confused on what we were paying for ?? Also saw a park worker assisting and helping explain to a family but he did it speak or say anything to our family which I felt was rude. I also was under the impression that someone would be around to explain things " monitoring the area ". The area is very beautiful and I could feel the energy of the ancestors. I think they should offer have a bit more or maybe have someone there to explain for a time frame because the buttons on the machines weren't working. It's also crazy that right outside this piece of land the home subdivisions are called " plantation " this must be a Florida thing , because I felt bothered by that. read more

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This was a fun walk through and little history lesson of an old sugar mill plantation. The ruins are still in place, and there is a pathway to walk around them with signs and really interesting information along the way. Really glad they preserved this historic site and it makes for a pleasant stop! You really don't need to spend too much time here but it is worth the trip. On the way to the park, you drive on this really narrow (one car's width) road which we learned was also the road to leave the park! So be careful because it's a two-way road! read more

Bulow Plantation - Road to the state park - Parks Near Me - Flagler Beach, Florida

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This is a great HIDDEN find. The Bulow Plantation Ruins state park is centered around an old sugar plantation from the 1820's. The Seminole Wars of 1836 caused the plantation destroyed. The ruins are very nice to walk around. The park is massive and has a 6 mile hiking path from the fairchild oak tree to the south and the ruins to the north. Parking is 4$ and you place your money in an envelope provided and slide it in a lock box (honor system) The entrance is challenging to find but YELP has the correct location off the road. GOOGLE will actually end yo in a private gated community. It is a long bumpy road (watch it if you have a low sports car) so take it slow. When you get to the end there is a parking area by the water with restrooms. Beautiful from there on. read more

Bulow Plantation - Long drive from the road - Parks Near Me - Flagler Beach, Florida

$4 admission at the entrance. Cash only. Tons of houses and places to explore. Slave quarters worth going to. Lots of hiking opportunities. The Mill is wonderfully organized with a sidewalk winding you through the different buildings and easy to read plaques. It is ADA accessible. The road you drive in on is prone to potholes from heavy summer rains so if you're in a car be prepared to go slowly and around large puddles. There are restrooms at the ruins and half a dozen parking spots, or you make your own spot if you need to. Went on a Sunday afternoon and it wasn't crowded at all. Some of the ruins are shaded, others not, so dress for hot sun. Wear sunscreen. Bring bug repellent. The mosquitos can be extreme in summer and fall. Children 5+ might enjoy this. It'd be a good reading exercise and there's a lot of objective information about the role of slaves, and how the Native Americans were done so wrong in the 1800s when this mill was operational...land grabs and broken promises and all that, among other things. It was a tumultuous time. This is a phenomenal historical site and you can easily spend a couple hours here exploring the trails, marveling at the ruins, contemplating history and times past (1800s). Bring water. It's hot out here! read more

Bulow Plantation - Parks Near Me - Flagler Beach, Florida

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Well I don't know if this is the right road, but I think so referred to as the Old Dixie trail. It's beautiful and worth the drive by...lots of restaurants. read more

Bulow Plantation - Parks Near Me - Flagler Beach, Florida

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Ruins trails and water The Bulow Plantation Ruins is a very cool state park that is centered around the old sugar plantation that was started by Major Charles Bulow back in 1821. He bought thousands of acres of land that he cleared by the use of slave labor and then started growing sugar cane, cotton and other crops. The plantation grew until Bulow became one of the largest sugar cane producers in all of Florida. Unfortunately for the Bulow family the Seminole Wars were brewing and in 1836 the plantation had to be abandoned and was later destroyed. The sugar producing facilities today are just ruins but it is a fascinating glimpse into the past. Just one look gives even the most casual observer a taste of just how horrible it must have been to labor in one of these places. The ruins are indeed mesmerizing but the park is more than just a bunch of old ruins. Several very cool hiking trails are in the park, as well as a display of old artifacts and even a nice area to launch a small boat. An absolutely wonderful place to see, explore and ruminate over. A wonderful park that demonstrates quite vividly that the production of sugar was anything but sweet.. read more

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It's a nice place for a quick stroll back in local history. Never underestimate quiet, scenic nature though...caution for tics as well

I picked a clear Friday afternoon to go hiking at Bulow. The actual park is $4.00 a vehicle/ $2.00 a person self-pay. The park itself has a few very short trails and access to the creek that runs by the plantation. A circular road runs through the park from the creek where the plantation house was, to where the remains of the sugar mill which is the main attraction for the park. It did not disappoint. I hiked the short trail that cut through where the slave quarters were which was a direct line to the mill. The mill remains were much more impressive than pictures I have seen of them. There is also a display of recovered artifacts that were recovered from the park. The mill was burned by the Seminole Indians almost 200 years ago during the Second Seminole War. The remains are remarkably in good condition especially after exposure to natural disasters and time. Well worth the visit. At $4 to see an important, well preserved, vital piece of Florida history, Florida State Parks continue to the best value in the state. On the outside of the park gates its free to hike Bulow Woods Trail. If you hike from one end to the next it can be over 13 miles of hiking ending at the venerable Fairchild Oak (and back). This is an awesome hike, going through woods and marsh, huge trees, and various streams. Sadly there were dozens and dozens of downed trees from the recent hurricanes. I highly recommend bringing insect repellent. Mosquitos and ticks are prevalent. I found a few ticks and I did not sit down during the hike or stand still for very long. read more

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This is a fantastic and secluded state park. It never gets super busy and its absolutely gorgeous. The sugar mill ruins are wonderful to look at and the history here is amazing. There is a small covered pavilion with restroom facilities. They have kayak and canoe rentals ($40 for a whole day), geocaching and some great trails and view of the creek here. Not too far from some other awesome parks too (Fairchild Oak, Tomoka). read more

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Rented two cabins. They where in a disgusting state of dis-repair, black mold growing in the corners of the cabins, spray foam was used to patch holes all over the cabins. The bathrooms that where closets to us had every single toilet clogged. When I asked the front desk to clean it they gave me a plunger. Pool smelled more like warm piss than chlorine. Won't be back read more

Doesn't take a ton of time. Maybe 30-35 min. Interesting to read and look at ruins. Beautiful scenery.

We visited Bulow Plantation Ruins as well as several other area parks in one day. They are all located along the loop, which is a nice scenic drive. When we arrived at Bulow Plantation there was a box at the entrance with a sign stating that the entry fee was $4 per car. Not having exact change on us, and just having left another one of the parks where we had paid admission and had a hang-tag we figured we were OK and proceeded onward. There is a lot as soon as you enter with what looks like a park ranger's house and a cluster of oak trees inside a rectangle. Since this didn't look like much we drove past and continued to the parking area for the sugar mill ruins. We walked around the sugar mill, which had interactive information signs throughout the site. We saw a sign for a trail to the spring house so we decided to check that out. The trail leads to a short stone walled rectangular structure full of water. It might be a spring, but it looked pretty murky. Oddly the structure was covered by a metal frame and tarp roof, at a pretty low height. I suppose they don't want water getting into the spring? This made absolutely no sense. There was no sign at this location to explain what this building was, so that is a complete mystery to me. To continue around the building on the path was difficult because of the metal frame around the building, but we made it past and continued on the path, which looped back around to the sugar mill. Near the restrooms was an interesting display of artifacts from the mill. It was in a small glass-walled building that you could walk around to see the displays, but couldn't enter. When we were finished at the sugar mill we got back in the car and continued down the road, which looped us back to the entrance. Now, having read the information at the sugar mill site we realized that the front of the park was actually the location of the plantation house. We decided to park the car and check out the plot around the oak trees we had noticed earlier, which turns out to be the spot where the house once stood. So, this is where things got strange. As soon as we parked the car a ranger walked up to us and questioned whether we had paid the entry fee. Evidently she had just checked the box at the front and found it empty. My friend, who was driving, explained that we thought the tag from the other park would be good here too and about us not having change. Well, she was insistent that we pay and took him to get change (I guess from the ranger building) so he could pay the $4. Once she was done with him she went up to other park guests and gave them the same talk. I fully want to support the state parks, but there needs to be a better way of doing this. Maybe we could have the option of making the $4 donation online? It just seems like a waste of the ranger's time, and kind of ended our visit on a bad note. As for the park, this was my least favorite of all the ones we visited, I would avoid the entry fee hassles and skip this park. read more

If you are ever on old Dixie Highway this a must stop and see! It's tiny, but to see the history of the Plantation ruins is awesome!!!

First, I must warn you about the road to the site. It is a dirt, one-lane, country road. There are places where you can pass an oncoming car (these places aren't marked) and the road is fairly straight but for the first time it was kinda scary because I didn't know how long the road was (maybe a mile+). It's not a road I would take a jacked up truck or an RV down! Though, it is a lovely drive. There is an honor pay system and I did see the ranger check the box on my way out. You can either park by the water or drive up to the ruins and park. I parked and hiked the short 1/4 mile trail through a patch of woods to the site (Bug spray!). On this hike I saw a turtle and a doe and her fawn. There's also a marker for some slave quarters (stones only) and it's interesting to imagine that this was an everyday walk for them. The ruins are wonderful. There is a path around it and through it. Informational stations are placed periodically and explain how the factory worked. Lots of shady picnic areas available so you can munch and sketch. There is also an informational center a very short walk from there that contained artifacts and information about the time period. There is a screened in pavilion available and canoes to rent. The water is relatively clean (I live on the St. Johns so take that as you will). I would swim in it. Overall a great place to go as adults or to take kids. I went on a Thursday at 2pm and only saw three other couples. read more