Fairchild Oak in Bulow Creek State Park, Ormond Beach, Florida

 

“A forest of these trees is a spectacle too much for one man to see.”

David Douglas

We drove on ‘The Loop’, the 34 mile scenic loop called Ormond Scenic Loop and Trial, that winds through a wild and untouched section of Florida. On the ride to this beautiful park, we drove down High Bridge Road, a gorgeous road with ancient live oaks offering a beautiful shaded canopy, and marshy areas along the Tomoka River where people were fishing and crabbing. We passed beautiful white cranes standing in the water and groups of pelicans flying in formation overhead.

We drove till we saw that sign that said, Bulow Creek State Park – Majestic Fairchild Oak and pulled in. There is no cost to get into this area of the park. This state park is five miles north of Ormond Beach and has 5,600 acres with beautiful ancient oaks, hardwood swamps, historic ruins, trails, salt marshes, and tidal creeks. We parked and saw the historic and gorgeous Fairchild Oak which is said to be between 400 and 600 years old. It has one of the oldest live oaks of its kind in the southern United States.

We walked over to the huge ancient tree and as we got closer to it we felt the true size of the tree. It stands over 70 feet tall and the branches spread out about 300 feet. The trunk is over 30 feet in diameter. Standing beneath it, we looked up to see all the beautiful Spanish moss and Resurrection ferns covering the strong, sprawling limbs. No picture can truly do this tree justice. While standing looking at this great tree, we realized how much history has passed since this tree was just a sapling. Wouldn’t I love to be able to hear what this tree has witnessed over its lifetime.

The Harwood House, owned by Norman B. Harwood who was a wealthy businessman, was built close to the Fairchild Oak. Harwood bought 7000 acres and used his house overnight accommodations for travelers. He had financial issues and when his creditors finally caught up with him, he was found dead a couple days later from possibly falling off a horse in 1895. It was a suspicious death  and was rumored he may have hung himself from one of the branches of this tree since he had taken out a 200,000 life insurance just before that time. The house later fell into disrepair and was torn down in 1987.

After enjoying our time at the tree, we walked down the Wahlin Trail, which is a short loop around a ground water spring. This trail is an interpretive nature trail and was named after Ronald J. “Skip” Wahlin, who was an active worker here and had a love of the forest. After his death, his family and friends donated money for the building of this picturesque trail. As we we headed into this gorgeous, tropical forest we felt as if we were in a jungle. In this peaceful area, we heard many unusual bird noises such as barred owls and enjoyed the true feel of a Florida tropical forest. In this forest is one of the largest and best areas of a southern live oak forest along Florida’s east coast. There is also a fabulous 6.8 mile hike that goes from the Fairchild Oak to Bulow Plantation Ruins State Historic Site and through all kinds of gorgeous terrain. There are many other trails to explore including a great birding trail.

This park was acquired in 1981. The majestic tree was dedicated to Dr. David Fairchild, who was an America Botanist who introduced soybean as well as many other valuable plants. This park offers great hiking, primitive camping, a nice pavilion for picnicking, great wildlife viewing, and wonderful areas for canoeing.

We enjoyed our walk through this picturesque Florida Jungle and visiting this grand old tree. This is beautiful park and well worth your time to visit. The park is open between 8 am and sundown, 365 days a year. It is located at 3351 Old Dixie Hwy, Ormond Beach, Florida. Check it out at: www.floridastateparks.org.

Till next time. Bye for now.