East end of the ravine

Suspension bridge at the east end of the ravine

It’s the part of the park I love the most, since there are wild and untamed niches of natural steephead amid the profusion of blooms. Sticking to the main footpath as it tempts you up or down at several intersections, you pass through tall azalea bushes and round a bend in the ravine to the landing of a second swinging bridge! Continue straight to follow the Azalea Trail. It’s a rugged footpath clambering up and down the ravine slope, and when you get to the far end of the ravine, it drops down through a riot of ferns—netted chain, sword, cinnamon, and the giant southern woods ferns that thrive in the dampness of a seepage slope. Each fern’s fronds are large enough to be a fern itself.

Climbing back up the slope, the trail gets more severely pitched downhill—watch your footing. Banana trees and coconut palms peep out of the more common undergrowth below. Cross the suspension bridge to enjoy the view of the pond below, and walk down the stairs at the other end to take in the cypresses and ponds. From this picnic spot, you have several choices to return to the parking area. You can walk up the road, you can walk up the wide limestone path on the bottom of the ravine, or you can seek out more sinuous trails that start at the far end of the pond and rise up to follow the contour of the ravine back to the formal gardens.