Fort Mose Historic State Park
While in the St. Augustine area we highly suggest a stop at Fort Mose Historic State Park, the historic site of a freed slave settlement and a major stop on the Florida Birding Trail.
This state park is a US National Historic Landmark, a spot that preserves both important US history and important natural beauty. The site sits on the edge of a salt marsh on the western side of the waterway and separates the mainland from the coastal barrier islands. It takes up a total of 40 acres.
While here your group will be able to do several things, including;
- birding (Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, White Ibis)
- paddling & kayaking
- geo-seeking
- historic tours
- wildlife viewing
- picnicking
- hiking
You will also have the opportunity to visit the Visitor Center onsite, as well as the Museum. At these buildings, you will be able to learn about the first legally sanctioned free African settlement in the United States, the former slaves that resided here from plantations in the Carolinas and Georgia. Learn about how they lived day to day in the first stop of the Underground Railroad by watching a movie, browsing interactive exhibits and artifacts, and discussing it with the ranger on duty.
