Ravine Gardens State Park
Encyclopedia
Ravine Gardens State Park is a 59 acres (238,764.7 m²) Florida State Park
Florida State Parks
The Florida State Parks encompass the majority of the lands that fall under the authority of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. There are 160 such entities, including nature reserves, recreation areas, and historic sites, which can be found in every corner of the state...

 located in Palatka, Florida
Palatka, Florida
Palatka is a city in Putnam County, Florida, United States. The population was 10,033 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 10,796. It is the county seat of Putnam County and includes East Palatka. Palatka is the principal city of the Palatka...

. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

.

The park was constructed by the Works Progress Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...

, with cypress buildings, rock gardens and fieldstone
Fieldstone
Fieldstone is a building construction material. Strictly speaking, it is stone collected from the surface of fields where it occurs naturally...

 terraces. Near the park entrance is The Court of States and a 64 feet (19.5 m) obelisk dedicated to Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...

.

Recreational Activities

Activities include viewing the thousands of plants and shrubs, picnic
Picnic
In contemporary usage, a picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors , ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape such as a park, beside a lake or with an interesting view and possibly at a public event such as before an open air theatre performance,...

king, jogging
Jogging
Jogging is a form of trotting or running at a slow or leisurely pace. The main intention is to increase fitness with less stress on the body than from faster running.-Definition:...

, hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...

 and biking. Amenities include interpretive exhibits, picnic areas, gardens, hiking trails, a 1.8 miles (2.9 km) paved perimeter loop road, and a parcours
Fitness trail
A fitness trail consists of a path or course equipped with obstacles or stations distributed along its length for exercising the human body to promote good health. The course is designed to promote physical fitness training in the style attributed to Georges Hébert...

 trail. Visitors can rent a large covered pavilion, auditorium, and meeting rooms.

Special events

The park is part of the annual Florida Azalea Festival
Florida Azalea Festival
Dating back to the 1930s, the Florida Azalea Festival in Palatka, Florida is one of the state's oldest festivals. The festival, coinciding with the blooming of the azaleas, takes place every year on the first weekend of March. Most of the festivities take place in Downtown Palatka, but a large...

the first weekend in March, when the nearly 100,000 plants that the WPA planted decades ago bloom.
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