Explore easy trails “fit for a princess” on the oldest homestead in Flagler County, Princess Place.

At the confluence of Pellicer Creek and the Matanzas River, Princess Place Preserve is a Flagler County park protecting the oldest homestead in the county, Cherokee Grove. In 1791, this land grant from the King of Spain was quickly planted in orange groves. By 1886, it passed into the hands of Henry Cutting, who constructed an Adirondack-style hunting lodge on the shores of the Matanzas River using local materials—pink coquina, cedar trunks, and cabbage palm trunks. He also built Florida’s first in-ground pool, fed by an artesian spring. Cherokee Grove became a popular stop for New England socialites. After Henry died, his widow Angela married an exiled Russian prince. Together, they lived in Cherokee Grove, entertaining royalty in a royal setting, leading to the name Princess Place. The homestead became a park in 1993.

There are four hiking loops at the park, all gentle and relatively easy to follow. The Red/Orange Trail provides your choice of a long (2.2 miles) or short loop; the Blue Trail runs 1.1 miles along the estuarine fringe; and the Green Trail has a 0.8-mile loop around an artesian spring. A fourth, the Yellow Trail, was not open at the time of my visit but is now. All trails are shared with horse and bikes, so keep alert while hiking.

Guidebooks
50 Hikes in North Florida
Hiker's Guide to the Sunshine State
North Florida & the Florida Panhandle: An Explorer's Guide