Morgan Writes

The first hidden gem I want to share with you all, as a kickstart to this new blog project, is Cedar Lakes Woods & Gardens in Williston, Florida. It’s up near Gainesville, in a comfortable suburban area surprisingly enough. If you know about Devils Den, this gigantic botanical park is quite literally right down the road. Even better? I found it with my partner by pure accident.

The Cedar Lakes & Gardens has a rich history, and is a beautiful environment to meditate, relax, explore, and of course, take a million photographs.

My partner is cited and most likely will continue to be for most of my photography, of which he is deserving of all credit.

That being said, Cedar Lakes & Gardens is massive. It has waterfalls, over 50 various garden displays, and koi ponds! Not to mention some of the oldest and rarest plants I personally have ever seen.

The entire property was originally an abandoned limestone quarry. After being purchased, through 20+ years of dedicated work, founder Raymond Webber restored it to what it now is today. The property was privately owned for decades, and was just recently opened up to the public in 2014.

I don’t want to spoil too much, but if you find genuine interest in nature and are looking for some cool surprises, this place is a must-check-out for you. Trees that are centuries old live on the property, along with a friendly garden cat and tons of fish and birds. It’s an absolutely glorious and lovely surprise to walk into.

For anyone interested in checking out Cedar Lakes & Gardens…

Cedar Lakes & Gardens is open from 9:30 – 5:00 every day except for Wednesday. Their rates, according to their website, are $12 for adults, $7 for children, free for children under 5, and $6 for military active-duty and veterans, in honor of Webber’s own military service.

To contact Cedar Lakes & Gardens, call (352) 529-0055 or check out their website at https://cedarlakeswoodsandgarden.com/visitor-information