Ever wanted to visit the Garden of Eden?

Well, you may not be able to visit the original Garden of Eden, however, you can visit Eden Gardens State Park and experience a little slice of heaven. The experience of a visit to this park feels surreal and almost like traveling back in time to see how it may have been to live in the past. You might have visions of horse trotting up or even a horse-drawn carriage driving up to the front door of the homestead. This tranquil setting is ideal to have a picnic with the many picnic tables that are available right near the water’s edge. This is such a romantic and gorgeous setting that is a popular place for weddings and professional photo shoots. Eden Gardens State Park is the first three-time winner of the National Gold Medal for state parks in America. This park is situated on a total 163 acres of land. These acres feature a fantastic two-story home with a picturesque view overlooking the Tucker Bayou. This beautiful park features many ancient centuries-old sprawling live oak trees covered in moss and ferns that reach out in all directions creating a striking canopy of shade over the main grounds of the park. Depending on the time of year, the main grounds also features many hundreds of blooming camellia and azalea flowers of various shades of pink, red, and white. Other trees and plants that can be viewed on the “Living Shoreline Trail” including: Red Buckeye, Kissing Tree, Gingko Tree, Wedding Tree (which has been documented to be over 600 years old), Devils Walking Stick, Japanese Plum Yew, Slash Pine, Sabal Palms, Southern Red Cedar, American Sycamore, Southern Magnolia, Pignut Hickory, Spanish Moss, and many more. The park is well maintained with a large grass field that sprawls in front of the parks main structure that continues all the way to the water’s edge of the inter-coastal bayou. There are many benches and gazebos to sit and enjoy the beauty of this park. There is a large reflection pond with a water fountain, lily pads, and koi. The koi are very large with some easily measuring two feet or more in length splashing in the water often making appearances near the surface. The park also houses a seasonal butterfly garden and a heritage rose garden to enjoy. The parks main structure is the white two-story home originally built in 1897 making it over 130 years old. The home is called the Wesley House. Large elegant columns and a wide porch wrap almost entirely around the building surrounding the Wesley House. On this porch, overlooking the fountain and the Tucker Bayou, are many rocking chairs to sit in and soak up the beauty and tranquility of this site. The Wesley house received its name from the man that originally had it built in 1897. This property was once the main hub of the Wesley Lumber Company. This company stayed in operation from 1890 all the way through World War I. The lumber company had a dock that shipped lumber in barges down the Tucker Bayou. Other structures included a plane mill, sawmill, and a dry kiln to prepare the wood. Wesley and his family lived in the home until his wife, Katie Strickland Wesley passed away in 1953. The house and ten acres were then sold. In 1963, Ms. Lois Maxon fell in love with the house and the property. She converted the house to display her family’s antiques and heirlooms. She was the driving force behind the creation of the beautiful ornamental grounds. In 1968, Ms. Lois Maxon donated the property to the State of Florida, and now we have Eden Gardens State Park to enjoy. Eden Gardens State Park is a short drive West of Panama City Beach on Highway 98. The park is located at 181 Eden Gardens Road, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459. The cost for a vehicle to enter the park at the time of this writing is $5.00. The Wesley Hour offers a guided tour for an additional nominal fee. The tours are only offered hourly Thursday through Monday. Pets are allowed as long as they are on a leash and are well behaved. Eden Gardens State Park opens 8:00 AM every day and closes at Sundown. The park is open to the public year round, 365 days a year. The best time to view the blooms of the camellias and azaleas range from October to May, although, the peak blooming season is in March. This fantastic state park is worth a visit. The park features many hiking trails to explore on the property. There are several well-maintained restrooms throughout the park. It is an ideal place for a picnic with many pavilions and tables. Fishing is permitted on the Bayou, if the people fishing have the appropriate fishing license. On one of the trails, there is a sandy beach that would make a great canoe or kayak launch to venture up and down the Tucker Bayou.