St. Augustine Historic Hike
St. Augustine, FL
- Distance: 5.0 miles (8.0 km)
- Time: 5 h
- Difficulty: Easy
- Loop
- Free
- 21 stops
A hike through the highlights of the St. Augustine historic area, concluding in the Castillo de San Marcos, a 17th century Spanish fort. Along the way you'll see old Spanish buildings, Flagler's Gilded Age structures, and evidence of over 400 years of habitation of the ancient city.
Stops
Beginning the Hike
Park in the parking garage by the visitor center. It costs $10 per vehicle. The visitor center hours are 8:30am - 5:30pm. It is recommended that you get there early. CoSA: Visitor Information Center, St. Augustine and St. Johns County. The visitor center has some items on display that may help to…
Huguenot Cemetery
This burial ground was in use from 1821-1884 for non-Catholic citizens of St. Augustine. The cemetery was created by the new American authorities after Florida was acquired from Spain in 1819. During this period St. Augustine was a primarily Catholic city and its main cemetery was reserved for…
Redoubt and the Oldest Drugstore
Before heading to the drugstore, check out the recreation of the defenses of St. Augustine. Head across the street to the old building. This building was built in 1739 and sold medicine and remedies. Like many drugstores in the past they also sold liquor and tobacco. Inside is a small museum…
Tolomato Cemetery
This cemetery served the Catholic residents of St. Augustine from perhaps as early as the first settlers. Expanding on an Indian burial area, the cemetery was in use until 1884. You can find the answer to the challenge without entering the cemetery. Visit www.tolomatocemetery.com for more…
Grace United Methodist Church
This church was built by the American tycoon Henry Flagler. His empire was built from ventures in real estate, railroads and oil. He was key in developing the East Coast of Florida as part of his Florida East Coast Railway. He founded Palm Beach and Miami and represents the most significant…
Memorial Presbyterian Church
Memorial Presbyterian Church was built by Flagler in 1889 in honor of his daughter who died as a result of childbirth. The church was designed to resemble St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, Italy. When Flagler died in 1913, his body was interred in a marble mausoleum in this church. Head southeast of…
Ponce De Leon Hotel
This 1888 hotel was Flagler's crown jewel hotel. As a result of this hotel, in the next decade he continued his rail line and built a string of hotels down Florida's coast. His rail line ended in Key West. The hotel is designed in the Spanish Renaissance style. Thomas Edison worked with Flagler to…
Lightner Museum
Originally the Alcazar Hotel built in 1887, this building is yet another Flagler showpiece. Both this building and the Ponce de Leon Hotel are some of the earliest examples of poured concrete buildings. In both they used local crushed shells as aggregate. The hotel closed in 1932 and was later…
St. George Street (South)
St. George Street had many nice homes built along it after Flagler developed the hotels. You will see many old homes from this period that date back to the 1700's and the 1800's. About one block south you'll pass the St. Joseph Convent. After the Civil War, the Catholic Bishop of Savannah made a…
Some Really Old Houses
Take a look at these incredible old houses. The first is the Llambias House (see the marker for details) and past that is the Oldest House Museum complex. If you choose to go in and see the museum, the cost is $4 for students and $8 for adults. The tour takes about 45 minutes. Hours are 9:00am…
St. Augustine National Cemetery
The first burial was in 1828 and the site served the St. Francis Barracks. The three pyramids are the most notable monuments - go take a look and read them. Major Francis Dade of Miami-Dade is buried here. Dade City and other 'Dade' area names in Florida were named after him. Directions to next…
Aviles Street
In addition to its unique narrowness, this street has some items of interest. Take a minute to look around. One block north at the corner of Bravo Lane and Aviles Street is the Old Town Park. 1.5 blocks north of the park is the Ximenez-Fatio Museum. The museum is located inside a coquina house that…
Plaza de la Constitucion & Government House
Founded in 1573, the Plaza served as the center for public activity in the city for many centuries. From the Civil War Memorial, check out the cannons then follow the sidewalk past the gazebo to the southwest. Stop and look at the American Revolution Prisoners of War plaque. It's interesting to…
Wandering the Streets
On previous trips to St. Augustine, we walked down St. George Street and did not notice the depth of the ancient city. Take some time to observe this. On your way to the City Gates, you will meander through some back roads. From the Spanish dragoons sign head north to Hypolita Street and go right…
City Gates
In 1702, the English laid siege to the city and pillaged it. The residents decided to build the redoubt you saw early in the hike to defend the city. The coquina gate posts are from an 1808 improvement of the original wall. After these gates were built, the city withstood repeated attacks until the…
St. George Street (North)
This is the main tourist street in St. Augustine and has many historical sites along the way. Please take your time and check out everything as you walk south. Some highlights: Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse Museum. $3.50 for ages 6-12 and $4.50 for ages 12+. Open 9:00am - 5:00pm daily. Just off St…
Cathedral Basilica
This church is the seat of the Catholic Bishop of St. Augustine. The structure was completed in 1797 after five years of work. The original cathedral on these grounds was burned to the ground during an attack on St. Augustine lead by Sir Francis Drake in 1586. The cathedral was rebuilt and then…
Bridge of Lions
The Bridge of Lions was built in 1925-1927 and was named for the marble Medici lions that guard it. This bridge is often listed as one of America's best bridges. It uses a double leaf bascule (drawbridge) lift in the middle to let boats pass. From the mid point, look north and you will see the…
Castillo de San Marcos - Outside
Before entering the fort, head right and walk along the seawall and continue all the way around the structure to get a feel for the view an attacker would have had. This walk takes about 15-20 minutes. It is recommended to have a person from your group arrange group tickets while the others walk…
Castillo de San Marcos - Inside
Be sure to pick up the informational brochure for the fort; this describes the layout of the fort in amazing detail. The bottom floor is this waypoint; upstairs is the next waypoint. Visit the theater for an interesting 16 minute film. Directions to next waypoint: Head up the stairs.
Castillo de San Marcos - Top Floor
Here's some anecdotal info that would be very relevant to the gunners on the fort: Anastasia Island is .37 miles, 660 yards to the east. To the opening of the pass ENE it is 2000 yards or 1.2 miles; just outside the pass is 2 miles. The lighthouse to the southeast is 1.5 miles away from the fort…
Created by HistoricTrails.org.