A Fairytale(ish) Experience At Cedar Lakes Woods And Gardens

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A couple of months before we went, I saw Cedar Lakes Woods and Gardens on Instagram and wondered how I had never heard of it.

Obviously then, I had to visit myself! So, while my parents were visiting, we made the short drive down from High Springs.

Cedar Lakes Woods and Gardens is essentially a botanical garden in Williston, Florida, not far from the Devil’s Den Spring.

We didn’t go to that though, just the garden. It was fairly busy when we went, not packed but busier than I expected for never having heard of it.

I wasn’t really sure what to expect going here. All I knew was it was touted as like being in a fairytale.

Maybe that made my expectations a little high, but I was a little disappointed by it?

I’m not even entirely sure why though. It was nice. It looked good. I liked the plants.

The only words I can think of to describe it are “too manufactured.”

I generally like botanical gardens to be more natural and while this one was, it also wasn’t. Maybe it was the color of the water. I don’t know.

All that to say, I didn’t dislike it but I didn’t love it either. If someone else wanted to go back (and was paying for it) I would go again but I wouldn’t go back on my own.

Anyway! I feel like they kind of guide you through the gardens and we started out going around the right side of the pond (if you’re looking out at it from the top).

It starts with a brief descent, not all the way to the bottom, as you cross to the opposite side of the pond.

The views from up here are pretty nice. Once you’re on the other side you’ll see a Japanese shrine, a waterfall, and almost a treehouse type thing.

There is a lot of up and down (not ALL the way down to the pond and up, but just a bit) as you make your way around the pond.

It’s pretty easy to follow the path but it does involve a little bit of back tracking for some parts. And some of it once you’re at the bottom was a little confusing.

But it’s nothing too egregious and we managed to make it out of there.

At the bottom we got to see some swans up close which is always exciting.

You can also go in the gazebo at the bottom and see some small little waterfall type things.

The whole way around the path, of course, there are beautiful plants and flowers.

After we finished the main path, we went through the greenhouse with desert plants and got to see a variety of cactus which I really liked.

There is also a tortoise in a fenced in enclosure near the beginning area of the path that we stopped to see.

I know this isn’t the most glowing review but I wouldn’t say it’s bad or not worth visiting, it was just more.. artificial than I was expecting I think.

If you like botanical gardens, are in the area, and want to do something a little less known, this is a great stop.

I did enjoy our visit and I am glad we got to see it because I would have wished we went if we hadn’t.

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