Yes, There Are Hills In Florida. Find Them In Tallahassee’s Torreya State Park
Rolling up and down 150-foot bluffs along the Apalachicola River, this 6.1-mile loop offers a uniquely hilly Florida hiking experience.
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
-Mapped by Christopher Harper
Starting from the Gregory House, a Civil War-era plantation in Torreya State Park (home to the infamous “stinking cedar”), this 6.1-mile trail gives you a bird’s-eye view of the Apalachicola River, a side trip to the trickling Weeping Ridge Waterfall, and a tour of some of Torreya’s unique ravine rock formations.
Park in front of the Gregory House (tours are given daily if you’re interested in an après-hike history lesson). The trail begins just behind the house and rewards you immediately with an overlook of the Apalachicola River and the hardwood forests of the northern panhandle. If you miss it then, don’t worry. There are several spots along this trail where you can peek through trees for stunning river views. Along this trail, you’ll pass several Confederate gun emplacements used during the Civil War.
Several miles into the trail, you’ll reach the Weeping Ridge Waterfall. Here, a small creek flows over the rocks and drops 25 feet into a small pool. The flow of the falls can be heavily impacted by extended drought.
Just past the midpoint of the trail, the forest changes slightly to a pine-hardwood mix, and you’ll encounter the signature ravine rock formations and nearby rock outcropping that juts out 40 to 50 feet over the ravine.
The trail ends at the park road, but to return to the Gregory House, keep hiking north along the road for 1.25 miles. If you want to add approximately 4 miles to your hike, continue across the road and tack on the River Bluff Loop as it heads north, and then hike back to the Gregory House.
From 2023
