The 150 acres of Bulow Plantation Ruins stand as a monument to the rise and fall of sugar plantations in East Florida. In 1836, the Second Seminole War swept away the prosperous Bulow Plantation where the Bulow family grew sugar cane, cotton, rice and indigo. Ruins of the former plantation, a sugar mill, a unique spring house, several wells and the crumbling foundations of the plantation house and slave cabins show how volatile the Florida frontier was in the early 19th century. Today, a scenic walking trail leads visitors to the sugar mill ruins, listed on the National Register of Historic Sites. The park has picnic facilities and an interpretive center that tells the plantation's history. A boat ramp provides access for canoes and small powerboats to scenic Bulow Creek, a designated state canoe trail. Anglers can fish from the dock or a boat.
We hiked from Bulow Woods State Park to the plantation ruins and back. When we got to the ruins, we paid a $2 per person entry fee. We went into the pavilion area to fill up our water bottles- the water coming out of the water fountain was brown- it tasted very salty. I'm sure it was straight from the river that lies behind the pavilion and picnic area. The park ranger lady was very nasty. She didn't want us sitting inside the pavilion because she had it rented out for the next weekend. She was riding around in her little golf cart reminding everyone that there is an admission fee and checking envelope stubs. She was very unpleasant. The sugar mill ruins and the slave quarters were the best part of the trip. A very sad piece of american history.