Bulow Creek State Park in Florida, USA - map and visitor information

Research checked: 2026-11-01. Check linked official notices before travel.

Bulow Creek State Park in Ormond Beach, Florida, centers a visit on the Fairchild Oak and a surviving live-oak forest. Plan a picnic or a walk on an open trail. Portions of Bulow Woods Trail are closed after storm damage, so do not plan on an uninterrupted hike to the plantation ruins.

Start beside the Fairchild Oak

The lawn and shaded picnic area sit within view of the Fairchild Oak. This is a useful starting point for a short visit before deciding whether to explore farther. The wider park protects nearly 5,600 acres, including more than 1,500 acres of submerged lands.

Know before you go

Fees, hours, and seasonal access

Plan for closures and marsh navigation

Stay out of closed trail sections. Rattlesnakes occur in the park, so watch where you walk and give wildlife space. For a paddle, the channels between Walter Boardman Bridge and High Bridge Road can be difficult to navigate. The official paddling guide calls for a GPS, map and compass. If leaving a car at Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park, return before its gates lock at 5 p.m.

Protect the oak and its woodland setting

Use the designated picnic facilities for your meal. Watch birds and other animals without approaching them. Respect closure signs even when the next stretch of path looks passable.

Arrange pavilion use with staff

For a gathering that depends on the pavilion, call before choosing a date and confirm the rental. Free park entry does not include a private pavilion booking.

Use different arrivals for the oak and the creek

The main visitor address is 3351 Old Dixie Highway, Ormond Beach, FL 32174. Paddling access is on Walter Boardman Lane at the bridge over Bulow Creek. From I-95, the paddling guide directs drivers east on Old Dixie Highway, then left onto Walter Boardman Lane. This is a separate choice from parking for the oak.

Two other state parks along the local roads

Tomoka State Park lies south along Old Dixie Highway. Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park is reached from Old Kings Road, about 2.5 miles north of Old Dixie Highway. The plantation park is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays and locks its gates at 5 p.m. Visit it by road rather than relying on the partly closed connecting trail.

Keep the outing suited to the open access

• Use the Fairchild Oak picnic area for a short stop.
• Choose an open section of Bulow Woods Trail after checking the notice. Its complete mapped route is 6.8 miles one way, so an out-and-back requires a separate distance plan.
• Look for wading birds at Walter Boardman Pond.
• For paddling, use the Walter Boardman Lane access and carry the navigation equipment described above. Plan a return or a separate pickup rather than assuming the launch and takeout share a parking area.

Accessible picnic and interpretive amenities

The park amenities page lists accessible picnic facilities with tables and grills, interpretive exhibits and restrooms. Restrooms are near the picnic area and Fairchild Oak. Service animals are welcome throughout Florida State Parks. This amenity listing does not establish that the entire hiking trail is accessible.

About the creek and oak forest

A creek with a long human history

Indigenous people lived along Bulow Creek before European settlement. Middens occur near the middle section of the paddling trail. Nearby plantation ruins record another part of the area’s history, including destruction during the Second Seminole War in 1836.

Watch the pond and woodland

Walter Boardman Pond attracts wading birds and waterfowl. Great blue herons, wood storks, egrets and wood ducks are among the possible sightings. The woods also support white-tailed deer, barred owls and raccoons.

Contact

Call 386-676-4050. Consult the official park page for the current trail notice and pavilion information.