Sights To See in the Greater Red Hills Region Thomas Co. 19 Designated Scenic Roads National Register Leon County, FL Historic Districts & Sites 122 Sunny Hill Road (partially paved) 8 Metcalfe Historic District Old Centerville Road (partially paved) 9 Miccosukee Historic District 84 Become a member of Tall Meridian Road (paved) 10 Tallahassee Historic Districts Centerville Road/Moccasin Gap Road (paved) Timbers Research Station 11 Thomasville Historic Districts 14 Miccosukee Road (paved) 2 3 12 Thomasville Visitors Center 13 & Land Conservancy St. Augustine Road (paved) 93 15 12 13 Hardy Bryan House 84 Old Bainbridge Road (paved) 11 14 Lapham-Patterson House Northern all Timbers relies on the generous support of our donors Bobwhite Quail Thomas County, GA 15 Thomasville’s Black Heritage Trail Tour Tto help sustain the important ecological research and Lower Cairo Rd. Gopher Tortoise New Hope Road (unpaved) (Colinus virginianus) conservation programs within the organization. 16 Pebble Hill Plantation (Gopherus polyphemus) Mill Pond Road (unpaved) Beyond general membership, donors can make a contribution 17 Tall Timbers Research Station & Land Conservancy 319 Glasgow Road (unpaved) to the Tall Timbers Land Conservancy. Since its inception 18 Bradley’s Country Store Grady Co. New Hope Rd. in 1990, our Land Conservancy has saved tens of thousands Twelve Mile Post Road (unpaved) 19 Lake Jackson Archaeological Mounds of acres, protecting the Red Hills’ beautiful rivers and lakes 16 Mill Pond Rd. and our rural countryside. The public benefi ts from these Museums Public Recreational Sites easements which protect the region’s water quality, clean 1 Tallahassee Museum of History 20 Phipps-Overstreet-Maclay Greenway air, and wildlife. We are also actively engaged in promoting and Natural Science Brooks Co. responsible growth by helping communities plan for develop- 21 Miccosukee Canopy Road Greenway 2 Thomas County Museum of History . Glasgow Rd. ment rather than being overwhelmed by it. This two-pronged d 22 Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad Trail R 3 Thomasville Cultural Center alf effort of land conservation and community planning will etc 23 Lake Jackson Aquatic Preserve ensure that the Red Hills will be conserved for this and future 4 Mission San Luis n/M 8 hto . ac d generations. 5 Goodwood Museum & Gardens Be 6 Twelve Mile Post Rd. Public Boat Landings Ochlockonee River R

e The Red Hills is noted for its large “disappearing” lakes and l l Help us save the Red Hills! beautiful rivers, including the Ochlockonee and Aucilla Rivers. i Enjoy the region’s waterways through its many public landings. v Become a member of Tall Timbers and make Nature Centers Rd. r Major landings are located on the map with this symbol: ill e 6 Birdsong Nature Center t H n 59 a program-specifi c donation to our Land Sunny e 17 C Conservancy by calling (850) 893-4153 x 343, River Aucilla d

Cocroft Rd. 19 or visiting us online at www.talltimbers.org/ Gardens l Lake Rd. O membership.htm. 7 Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park Lake Iamonia 18 9 ap O 319 n G asi ld cc Lake B o Miccosukee a /M in le b il r rv Gadsden Co. id e g t e n . 90 R e d d C R . Lake Madison Co. Meridian Rd. Meridian 20 kee 16 Jackson 23 osu icc Jefferson Co. 7 M 19 21 10 of north Florida and southwest Georgia

4 5

10 27 Ol LEGEND 1 d St. Augustine Rd. Urban Areas

This brochure was made possible, in 22 Leon Co. Bodies of Water part, through the generous support Eastern Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum) Designated Scenic Roads of the Cherokee Foundation, Inc., Thomasville, Georgia and the Roads and Interstates Georgia Power Foundation, Inc. County Lines

Graphic Design and illustrations by Scott Sanders | Lenz | Decatur, Georgia • Main Photography by Richard T. Bryant Additional photography by K. McGorty, N. Fleckenstein, and T. Engstrom Sights To See in the Greater Red Hills Region The Red Hills The Red Hills Region boasts an abundance of natural and cultural heritage tourist sites. Each is best appreciated in person. elcome to the Red Hills — a fascinating and unique from tobacco barns to cemeteries, from marshes to groves Tallahassee as hunting grounds to take advantage of the * Wregion of golden wiregrass, stately pines, and his- of live oaks. region’s superb quail population. To maintain a proper All sites listed below are open to the public . For more information, including hours of operation and admission fees, call or go online. toric plantations. Bracketed between two southern rivers Driving down the moss draped, oak-canopied scenic quail habitat, careful and attentive land management and straddling the Georgia-Florida border, the Red Hills is dirt roads, travelers will see a great diversity of unusual techniques such as periodic burning have been as geologically, biologically, and culturally distinctive as any plant species which thrive in the clayey sands and loamy practiced now for more than a century. The result is Museums National Register Historic 17 Tall Timbers Research Station & Land Conservancy Public Boat Landings 13093 Henry Beadel Dr., Tallahassee, Florida area in the U.S. soils, which lie on top of dense layers of clay, which lie on the largest collection of undeveloped plantation lands The Red Hills is noted for its large “disappearing” lakes and beautiful rivers, 1 Tallahassee Museum of 32312 (850) 893-4153 Districts & Sites including the Ochlockonee and Aucilla Rivers. Enjoy the region’s waterways Considered to be one of “America’s Last Great Places” top of a limestone base. Water works its way past the clays in the country. www.talltimbers.org History and Natural Science through its many public landings. Major landings are located on the map. by The Nature Conservancy, the rolling landscape is a to the limestone, which dissolves the soft rock to form The maintenance of private “quail plantations” 8 Metcalfe Historic District Tall Timbers is considered one of the premier 3945 Museum Dr., Tallahassee, FL 32310 mosaic of pine parklands, fi ssures and sinkholes where streams will disappear under- made possible the protection of large areas of natural (850) 575-8684 • www.tallahasseemuseum.org The district is comprised of 35 historic struc- research, conservation, and education organi- tures, including the Metcalfe Railroad Depot zations in the nation focusing on fi re ecology, Annual Special Events hardwood forests, grassy habitats such as upland pine forests, lakes, and stream Explore the rich history, native wildlife, and built circa 1887. This little village served as an wildlife management, and land conservation. natural beauty of the Big Bend region. See important railroad hub in the late 19th century, The former antebellum and hunting plantation comprises 4,000 acres on the north Red Hills Horse Trials plains, and natural lakes that watersheds, and hardwood hammocks. Some of the Florida panthers, red wolves, black bears, and more at the natural habitat zoo. exporting the area’s cotton and longleaf pine shore of Lake Iamonia. Tours are offered of the historic Beadel House, the Jones W elcome to the Red Hills — www.rhht.org are rich in biological diversity South’s best remaining examples of old growth long- And step back in time as you tour an 1880s farmstead, historic school and timber to Georgia coastal markets. Family Tenant House, and nature trails. church, and antebellum plantation home. This annual three-day event in March is one and historical signifi cance. leaf pine-wiregrass ecosystems are found on plantation of the most popular attractions in the Red 9 Miccosukee Historic District 18 Bradley’s Country Store Serving as a lifeline a fascinating and unique lands near Thomasville. 2 Thomas County Museum of History Hills Region. The Trials feature a challenging At the crossroads of Moccasin Gap Road and State Road 59 is the village of Mic- 10655 Centerville Rd., Tallahassee, FL 32308, (850) 893-1647 cross-country course designed by Captain between coastal and north- The Red Hills stands apart from other regions 725 N. Dawson St., Thomasville, GA 31792 (229) 226-7664 cosukee. The town was platted in 1908, but its heritage goes back much farther. www.bradleyscountrystore.com Mark Phillips of Great Britain, dressage rings, ern wildlands, the Red Hills region of golden wiregrass, today in part because of human intervention, rather http://home.rose.net/~history/ Near the shores of Lake Miccosukee was the largest of the Seminole Indian and stadium course jumping. Near the intersection of Old Centerville and provides a ‘bio-reserve’ that than in spite of it; for much of the land has retained its Learn why wealthy Northerners fl ocked to towns with an estimated population of 1,000 in the early 1800s. Today, the sleepy Moccasin Gap Roads is the famous Bradley’s Thomasville in the 1880s—a period known as hamlet is a good place to stop en route to nearby beautiful Lake Miccosukee at Country Store, which has been selling its Thomasville Rose Show & Festival ensures habitat corridors and stately pines, and historic pristine beauty by virtue of this unique pattern of land the great Winter Resort Era. And fi nd out how Reeves Landing. renowned sausage since 1927. A great pit (229) 227-7020 genetic diversity, necessary ownership and management that developed during the Thomas County’s antebellum cotton plantations stop on any day, travelers can enjoy a fresh www.downtownthomasville.com/RoseFest06 were transformed into magnifi cent quail hunt- 10 Tallahassee Historic Districts sausage sandwich while sitting on the front for the survival of far-rang- plantations. last 100 years. ing retreats. Tour a pioneer log house, a mod- porch with the Bradley family. The City of Thomasville planted and maintains est Victorian home, a 19th century courthouse (850) 488-7100 • www.taltrust.org more than 7,000 rose bushes located through- ing mammals and migratory Today and into the future, the greatest threat facing and a bowling alley built in 1893. Tallahassee boasts three National Register out the city. Now more than 80 years old, this Turk’s Cap birds. The decades of ac- ground not to reappear for miles. the region is urban sprawl. 19 Lake Jackson Archaeological Mounds Grand Dame of festivals is one of the oldest Historic Districts in or near downtown. The Cal- tive land management have Naturally occurring fi res historically have had the great- 3 Thomasville Cultural Center houn Street and Park Avenue Historic Districts (850) 922-6007 in the South. The Festival is held annually on contain some of the fi nest Territorial Period www.taltrust.org/lkjacksn_htm the fourth Friday in April. Festival activities provided local settings for such rare species as the feder- est infl uence on the ecosystem’s plants and animals, which 600 East Washington, Thomasville GA 31792 (229) 226-0588 • www.tccarts.com architecture found in the state of Florida. The Ancestors of the Apalachee Indians began include special rose displays, parades, historical home and museum tours, street ally endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker, the gopher have adapted or become dependent on periodic burns for The Center is located in a 40,000 square foot 1915 Italianate building listed Magnolia Heights Historic District refl ects the developing the Lake Jackson Mounds around AD dances, arts and crafts shows, nursery vendor displays, lectures, garden tours, Red-cockaded Woodpecker on the registry of Historic Places. Inside, the Center reveals galleries, dance architecture of Tallahassee’s fi rst suburb. In the downtown area, visitors can 1000 as a religious and administrative capital for foot races, food, and fun. tortoise and associated animals and native plants; at least their survival, including longleaf pine, wiregrass, bobwhite studios, classrooms, a fi ne arts library, and a beautifully restored 500-seat enjoy a wealth of museums, art galleries, and fi ne restaurants. this region. Some 500 years later, for reasons still 64 threatened species are currently documented in the Red quail and the endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker auditorium. Throughout the year, the Center features art exhibitions and offers unknown, they abandoned this ceremonial center, Springtime Tallahassee special events.Nature Centers and relocated to other parts of the province. Visi- Hills region. which is found in greater numbers on private lands in the 11 Thomasville Historic Districts 209 East Park Ave., Tallahassee, FL 32301 tors can climb to the top of the mounds, as well as hike a quarter mile nature trail past (850) 224-5012 A satellite photograph of the area reveals a clearly Red Hills than any other area of the country. There are eight National Register Historic Districts in the City of Thomasville, remains of a grist mill dam and earthen dyke from an antebellum cotton plantation 4 Mission San Luis www.springtimetallahassee.com which is noted for its fi ne Victorian architecture and has one of the best Main once located here. identifi able triangular patch of green dominated by natural In prehistoric times, Native Americans farmed the 2021 West Mission Rd., Tallahassee, FL 32304 (850) 487-3711 Street programs in the nation. Here are a few district highlights: This annual event features one of the fi nest areas where more than 300 miles of paved and unpaved region until European settlers arrived to establish cotton www.missionsanluis.org parades in the South, the best possible collec- Modern day visitors to Mission San Luis 12 Thomasville Visitors Center Public Recreational Sites tion of artists and artisans in its jubilee festival, public roads wind their way through the quail hunting plantations. After the Civil War, the region prospered when discover a re-created community where delicious food, great entertainment, and a kid’s 401 S. Broad St., Thomasville, GA 31799 (located in the Thomas County Chamber of plantations of the Red Hills. Travelers experience close-up the great plantations evolved into winter retreats and bob- Apalachee Indians and newcomers from Spain park that will delight children of all ages. Commerce Building) (229) 228-7977 or (866) 577-3600 • www.thomasvillega.com 20 Phipps-Overstreet-Maclay Greenway lived in close proximity drawn together by reli- glimpses of an American landscape that has remained virtu- white quail hunting plantations. (850) 891-3866 gion as well as military and economic purpose. The Center provides self-guided walking and driving tours, as well as resources www.fl oridastateparks.org Plantation Wildlife Arts Festival ally unchanged since the late 1800s. The landscape unfolds In the late 1800s, landowners from the North, together Visitors can tour the Apalachee village, the for locating and enjoying Thomasville tourist attractions. council house, and the mission church built It’s Tallahassee’s largest greenway, connecting Maclay Gardens, Lake Over- (229) 226-0588 • www.pwaf.org on these winding roads as a sequence of visual experiences, with their relatives, friends, and business associates, under the supervision of Franciscans. 13 Hardy Bryan House street, and the Elinor Klapp Phipps Park. The greenway includes miles of hiking With a reputation for providing outstanding hospitality and attracting unparal- from wildfl ower laden pine parklands to vast open fi elds, acquired vast amounts of land between Albany and and equestrian trails. leled talent, the Plantation Wildlife Arts Festival has become one of America’s 312 N. Broad St., Thomasville, GA 31792 (229) 226-6016 5 Goodwood Museum & Gardens premier wildlife and sporting arts festivals. The Thomasville Cultural Center The Hardy Bryan House is the headquarters of Thomasville Landmarks, Inc., a 21 Miccosukee Canopy Road Greenway presents a juried wildlife arts show each fall featuring the fi nest in original paint- 1600 Miccosukee Rd., Tallahassee, Florida 32308 (850) 877-4702 non-profi t, historic preservation organization with about 700 members. ings, sculpture, and photography. Visitors can enjoy lectures, demonstrations, 2280 Miccosukee Rd., Tallahassee, FL 32308 www.goodwoodmuseum.org children’s activities, and related wildlife exhibits. (850) 488-0221 • www.dep.state.fl .us/gwt/ Situated on sixteen acres of sprawling lawns, 14 Lapham-Patterson House guide/regions/panhandleeast/trails/miccosu- gardens and centuries old live oaks, the Main kee_canopy_rd.htm House and thirteen outbuildings provide a 626 N Dawson St., Thomasville, GA 31792 (229) 225-4004 glimpse to a rich past. Begun in the 1830s as http://gastateparks.org/info/lapham/ This Greenway parallels six miles of Tallahas- one of the fi nest antebellum plantations, Good- Visit one of the most outstanding architectural see’s historic canopy roads through 500 acres wood evolved at the turn of the 20th century landmarks in Thomasville. The house was of mixed hardwood and pine forests, inter- into one of the stylish manors of the Country built between 1884-85 as a winter cottage for spersed with several large pastures refl ecting The Aucilla River Estate era. prosperous shoe merchant C.W. Lapham of its agricultural background. Along the trail, you may observe more than 46 bird Chicago, who like many northerners, seasoned species, including ibis, egret, and heron, Sherman’s fox squirrel, and a variety of at Thomasville during the Gilded Aged. Main- plants and wildfl owers. Nature Centers tained by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the house is open for public tours. 22 Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad Trail 6 Birdsong Nature Center 15 (850) 245-2052 2106 Meridian Rd., Thomasville, GA 31792, (800) 953-BIRD or (229) 377-4408 Thomasville’s Black Heritage Trail Tour www.dep.state.fl .us/gwt/guide/regions/panhandleeast/trails/tallahassee_st- www.tfn.net/birdsong (229) 228-7977 • www.thomasvillega.com/html/black_heritage.htm marks.htm Birdsong spans 565 acres of lush fi elds, for- This self-guided tour will introduce you to 68 historical sites signifi cant to The 16-mile trail runs from Florida’s capital city, past the Apalachicola National ests, and swamps, providing a pristine haven Thomasville’s African American history, complete with pictures and an easy-to- Forest, and ends in the coastal community of St. Marks. Through the early 1900s, for birds and other native wildlife. Visitors are follow map. this historic railroad corridor helped provide cotton from the plantation belt to the encouraged to explore its 12 miles of nature coast for shipment to textile mills in England and New England. Today, as a paved trails and visit its Bird Window, which offers a 16 Pebble Hill Plantation trail, it provides an excellent workout for street bikers, walkers, and skaters. The wonderful opportunity to observe an array of adjacent unpaved trail also provides space for horseback riding and access to resident and migratory bird species. 1251 US Hwy. 319 South, Thomasville, GA 31792 (229) 226-2344 the Munson Hills Off Road Trails in the National Forest. St. Marks offers seafood, www.pebblehill.com fi shing, and San Marcos Apalache Historic State Park to top off your journey. Gardens Prepare to be amazed and captivated while touring the South’s premier hunting plantation, 23 Lake Jackson Aquatic Preserve covering more than 3,000 acres. The only one 7 Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park of its kind open to the public, it stands as testi- (850) 245-2094 • www.dep.state.fl .us/coastal/sites/lakejackson/info.htm A longleaf pine forest 3540 Thomasville Rd., Tallahassee, FL 32309, mony to the sporting life during the early 1800s, The Lake Jackson Aquatic Preserve is comprised of the Lake Jackson, Carr Lake, (850) 487-4115 featuring a stately main house with more than and Mallard Pond ecosystem, which are valuable biological, aesthetic, and recre- www.fl oridastateparks.org/maclaygardens/ 40 rooms, 18 bedrooms, and 21 bathrooms. ational resources of Leon County and the State of Florida. The Preserve was created Thomasville, GA default.cfm primarily to preserve and maintain biological resources in their essentially natural The gardens are open year-round, featuring a condition. The expansive freshwater marshes and native submerged vegetation secret garden, refl ection pool, and hundreds provide exceptional fi sh, waterfowl, and wading bird habitat. Lake Jackson is inter- Tall Timbers Land Conservancy (TTLC) of camellias and azaleas. In addition to the nationally known for sport fi shing and its trophy largemouth bass. gardens, the park provides opportunities for he TTLC is dedicated to conserving the ecological, Responding to that threat, the TTLC pro- swimming, fi shing, canoeing, kayaking, and picnicking. And hikers, bicyclists, and equestrians can enjoy fi ve miles of multi-use trails. *Please note that some sites are adjacent to scenic, and historical resources of the Red Hills Re- vides services to local communities to private property and take care to avoid trespassing. gion and its traditional rural land uses, and other strategic help them plan for new growth rather properties in the Southeast Coastal Plain that further Tall than being consumed by it. Mean- Timbers’ mission. The TTLC and partner organizations while, our advocacy efforts have have protected more than 100,000 acres through conserva- included protecting the Red tion easements. These easements protect critical upland Hills Region from inappro- wildlife habitat and wetland ecosystems to improve water priate infrastructure proj- quality in our lakes, rivers, and streams. The Red Hills is ects, such as pipelines, not a national park, but a model working landscape in landfi lls, and wastewater which the stewardship ethic of landowners is paramount sprayfi elds that threaten to ensuring the future health of the Region’s forests and to degrade the area’s wetlands. Sustainable forestry, agriculture, and recreational natural resources. Tallahassee, FL hunting are the land use traditions of the Red Hills. These traditions are being threatened by poorly planned growth. Easement and Non-easment Protected Properties Lake Iamonia Non-protected Plantation Lands