A Florida Garden of Eden — possibly the original garden from the Bible featuring Adam and Eve, a snake, and some fruit — might be right here in Florida. While we can’t say for sure this is true, a man named Elvin Callaway believed he had found the birthplace of man in the town of Bristol in Northwest Florida. He based his discovery on the fact that the Apalachicola River splits into rivers, like the one described in the book of Genesis that watered the Garden of Eden. He also pointed to the rare Torreya tree, which only grows in a small area along the bluffs of the Apalachicola. The Torreya is also called gopher wood, which is mentioned in the Bible as the wood used by Noah for the Ark. Let’s take a look at this Garden of Eden Florida.

Callaway bought the land and in the early 1950s developed it into a park with trails and signs pointing out the locations of Biblical events.
State Archives of Florida/Florida Memory
In the early '70s, he published a book called "In The Beginning" that explained his theory.
The Garden of Eden Bristol, Florida is now owned by The Nature Conservancy (TNC).
State Archives of Florida/Florida Memory/Red Kerce Photographic Collection
Visitors can still walk The Garden of Eden Trail at the Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve, but the steep ups and downs of the ravine landscape make it one of the most challenging hikes in Florida.
Luckily, the scenic bluffs and interesting history make this hike one of the most rewarding, just as it was back then.
State Archives of Florida/Florida Memory/Red Kerce Photographic Collection
Today this scene paints a picture folks might imagine when visualizing what the Garden of Eden might have looked like.
Chris M Morris/Flickr
Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve is one of four campus preserves under TNC Florida's Center for Conservation. Since 1984, the areas of the preserve containing the steephead ravines have been protected.

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This unique preserve's unusual geologic features provide the perfect conditions for some rare and imperiled plants and animals.
Mary Kelsey/AllTrails
The preserve also protects million-year-old fossils.
The 3.7-mile loop trail is challenging and strenuous at times.
Josh Carney/Alltrails
We like the variety of wooded forests, sand hills, river bluffs, and creeks with three water crossings that offer interesting walkways and bridges. By the way, pets are not allowed on the hike.
Hiking sticks are recommended with some steep inclines, declines, and washed-out areas.
Anthony Butirro/AllTrails
More photos are available of the beautiful gardens in Florida on the AllTrails website.
During the Civil War, the Confederate troops used the bluffs as strategic defense positions used to block Union naval ships from accessing the Apalachicola River.
Jimmy Barranger/Alltrails
Now you can sit and enjoy the lovely overlooks of the Apalachicola River.

The Florida Garden of Eden is an interesting place. You can listen to an interview of the author on the Florida Memory website. Have you ever hiked this trail? What do you think of Callaway’s theory? Please let us know in the comments below.

For more outdoor fun in Bristol with camping, visit Torreya State Park for a night of glamping in a yurt, or bring an RV. If you don’t have one, that is not a problem with RVshare.

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Featured Addresses
The Nature Conservancy Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve (Garden of Eden trail), Garden of Eden Rd, Bristol, FL 32321, USA