Historic Bok Sanctuary (Blog Hike #39)

Trail: Pine Ridge Nature Trail

Hike Location: Historic Bok Sanctuary

Geographic Location: north of Lake Wales, FL (27.93728, -81.57601)

Length: 1.5 miles
Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)

Date Hiked: May 1999

Overview: An interesting, fairly easy walk through a splendid, cultivated garden.

Sanctuary Information: http://boktowergardens.org/
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=940593
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: From the intersection of US 27 and SR 60 in Lake Wales, take US 27 north 1.8 miles to Mountain Lake Cutoff Road.  Turn right on Mountain Lake Cutoff Road.  Take Mountain Lake Cutoff Road 0.7 miles to Scenic Highway (CR 17) and turn right on CR 17.  Take CR 17 0.8 miles to Burns Avenue and turn left on Burns Avenue.  Follow Burns Avenue 1.4 miles to the garden entrance on the left.  Turn left to enter the garden.  Follow the garden road to its end at a large parking lot beside the Visitor Center.  The hike begins at the Visitor Center.

The hike: Believe it or not, the name Mountain Lake Cutoff Road accurately describes the area featured by this hike.  Though only 298 feet above sea level, Historic Bok Sanctuary stands on the highest point of Lake Wales Ridge, a large knob that sits in the center of the Florida peninsula.  Indeed, several points in the garden give commanding views of the surrounding orange groves and residential communities in the lowlands below.

Historic Bok Sanctuary is the legacy of Edward Bok. An immigrant to America from the Netherlands in 1863 at the age of 6, Mr. Bok quickly became a successful publisher with a winter home at the nearby mountain lake.  In 1922, Bok created a bird sanctuary on these grounds.  Not content just to preserve birds, fertile dirt was brought in by the truckload to create a world class garden that was dedicated in 1929 as Bok Tower Gardens.  Since renamed Historic Bok Sanctuary, the centerpiece remains a beautiful 205 foot marble tower.  Though not open to the public, the tower’s carillon regularly plays beautiful melodies that can be heard throughout the sanctuary.

Surrounding the tower sits a gorgeous flower garden and a short 0.75 mile Pine Ridge Nature Trail. The gardens also have an extensive trail system, so many routes are possible.  This hike gives you a tour of all major points in the garden as well as a trip along the nature trail.

Grove of trees near trailhead

            Start from the back of the Visitor Center and begin hiking uphill through the gardens on the blacktop trail.  This trail passes the sanctuary's dedication plaque and several benches as well as some colorful flowers, all of which are well-shaded by some mature trees.  Once atop the hill, the blacktop trail turns to mulch as the trail approaches a reflecting pool that sits in front of the tower.  This is a very scenic spot on the trail, as the pink marble tower and beautiful surrounding flowers reflect in the pool. 

White Garden

            Go to the left and detour through the white and round gardens before taking a right to approach the tower from the east.  Turn left and follow the trail around the tower, possibly stopping at a bench in the oak grove to listen to the carillon in the tower, which plays every half hour. 

Singing Tower

            Where the trail forks on the west side of the tower, go to the left and soon arrive at the Exedra, a peaceful memorial where some of Bok's relatives are buried. Opposite the Exedra is Sunset Overlook, which provides a broad view of the Florida plains to the west.

Sunset Overlook

            Continue straight back to the blacktop trail, begin following it downhill, and take the first mulch trail on the left.  This trail takes you into the more remote section of the garden and to the beginning of the nature trail.  Still in deciduous woodland, the trail goes downhill, passing a trail that joins from the right.  Take the next trail to the right, which passes by a primitive restroom set in the middle of the forest. 

            Turn on the first trail that goes off to the left and take it a short distance to Window By The Pond, which is a shelter house with a large glass window overlooking a duck pond.  When I was here, I saw three different kinds of ducks, several blackbirds, some cranes, some turtles, and an alligator.  This terrific spot is worth a few minutes of your time, and the chairs make for a nice rest during your hike.

Window by the Pond (flash reflecting in glass)

            Exit the shelter and turn right.  This is the start of the Pine Ridge Nature Trail, a guide pamphlet for which is available at this point.  Follow the trail as it curves to the right through a longleaf pine forest.  Notice the occasional palmetto tree, which is actually a slow-growing palm tree, in the understory. 

After crossing a red clay service road, the trail enters a small sandhill forest community, a very endangered ecosystem.  This area is dominated by longleaf pines and some oaks, neither of which provide a thick canopy from the sun.  Along this section of the trail, you can look to the left to see the orange groves for which Florida is famous.  Also, you can see some areas where controlled burning has been utilized to protect the sandhill forest community. 

View at end of Pine Ridge Trail Extension

            Where the trail forks, continue straight on a trail marked "Pine Ridge Trail Extension."  The trail to the right is a shortcut to the parking lot.  The trail goes downhill and crosses the paved entry road before forking again near a flagpole.  Turn left here for a short uphill hike through sunny grassland to a knoll that offers a great view of the tower to the west.  When done admiring the tower, retrace your steps to the main trail and turn left.  From here, only a short, level hike remains through the pines to the parking lot to complete the hike.