Princess Place Preserve: an “Off the Beaten Path” Place Worth Visiting!

Princess Place Preserve in the northern part of Flagler County, Florida is rich in history and enjoyed by nature enthusiasts from all over. This beautiful preserve is just a short drive down I-95 from St. Augustine. I highly recommend taking the time to visit if you enjoy hiking, kayaking, fishing, bird-watching, camping, or have horses (as they have an equestrian trail). I have been to Princess Place a few times to enjoy walking the trails as well as take in all the scenery. My husband likes to go there to fish from his kayak. I will share some photos below we’ve taken during our visits, hope you enjoy!

Here is a brief overview of the park according to the Flagler County Government site:

“This beautiful 1,500-acre preserve is situated in the northern part of Flagler County. It was purchased by Henry Cutting in 1886 and passed on to his widow Angela Mills Cutting Worden, who eventually married Boris Scherbatoff, an exiled Russian prince. Angela assumed the title of princess and it was then that the once named “Cherokee Grove” came to be known as “Princess Place.” The original lodge, built by Henry Cutting, stills stands as Flagler County’s oldest intact structure. It is also home to Florida’s very first in-ground swimming pool.” Below are a couple of photos of the first in-ground swimming pool.

Below is a photo of the Trail Map at Princess Place Preserve.

Do you like to walk/hike trails? This place is a great place to hike because the scenery is spectacular and there are multiple trails, so you can choose to walk for a short distance or walk all the trails for a longer hike. There are several trails to choose from ranging from .5 mile to 2.5 miles long. There are over 8 miles of trails and that doesn’t even include the equestrian trails which you can also walk. The other day my husband and I basically walked the perimeter of the preserve … what a great walk! The trails vary from grass to dirt to paved sidewalks … I would say all are easy to moderate for hiking. I definitely recommend wearing good walking shoes. Just look at the beautiful scenery you can view along the way … watch the slide show below.

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Some of the things you will see while exploring Princess Place Preserve include: a covered bridge, an artesian spring, Pellicer Creek, lots of marsh areas, lots of lots of trees including pine, oak, palm, orange trees and more, campgrounds, cabins, an eagle viewing area, and so much more! You might even be lucky enough to spot some wildlife: such as an owl, woodpecker, heron, other birds, a fox, a deer, squirrels, or even a bobcat! On our last visit, we saw a couple of woodpeckers, anhinga, and butterflies.

As I mentioned earlier, my husband likes to kayak at Princess Place to fish. Above are some photos from a couple of times out there. It’s a beautiful place to paddle … so even if you don’t catch any fish, it makes for a peaceful and relaxing day. I hope you enjoyed reading this post and viewing my photos. Be sure to check out some of my other blog posts! If you are in the area, make sure to go visit Princess Place Preserve sometime, you won’t regret it. ~Kristina~