Washington Oaks Gardens State Park
Palm Coast, FL
Washington Oaks Gardens State Park splits into two very different halves on either side of A1A: manicured historic gardens under ancient live oaks on the Intracoastal side, and a rare rocky, coquina strewn beach on the ocean side where the surf has worn the shoreline into boulders rather than sand. It's one of the few places on this coast where the beach itself looks more like New England than Florida.
A genuinely unusual rocky beach paired with real historic gardens gives it more range than a typical state park, though the undertow and rocks mean it rewards a walk and a look far more than a swim.
How we score beachesCome for the gardens and the tide pools among the rocks rather than a swim, the undertow and the boulders make this a look-don't-swim kind of beach. Low tide is when the rock formations and any tide pools show the most.
The entrance fee is 5 dollars per vehicle for two to eight people, 4 dollars for a single occupant, 2 dollars for pedestrians or cyclists, paid into an honor box with exact change. One fee covers parking on both the garden and beach sides.
Paved paths run through the garden side, flat and easy. The beach side has a boardwalk to a viewing area, but the rocky shoreline itself is uneven and not suited to strollers or wheelchairs.
Leashed dogs are welcome on the walking and hiking trails, but not in the formal gardens or on the beach side of the park.
Spring and fall bring the most comfortable weather for walking the gardens and exploring the rocks, while summer's heat and hurricane season, June through November, make the shadeless beach side tougher. The gardens stay shaded and walkable nearly year round.
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