Savannas Preserve State Park is a 5400 acre park home to the largest freshwater marsh system on Florida's southeast coast. The park extends from Jensen Beach Blvd in the south to Midway Road in the north (the savannas north of Midway Road are a St Lucie County Recreation Area). The first recorded use of the term "savanna" to describe the area was in the late 1830s during the Second Seminole War by Lt. Col. Benjamin Pierce (namesake of Fort Pierce and brother of later president Franklin Pierce). Land acquisition for the park began in 1977 with management by the State Parks system beginning in 1993.
There are several access points to the park including Jensen Beach Blvd just east of Green River Parkway, Hawks Bluff off Savannah Road, and the main access on Walton Road. All three access points have several geocaches which I have compiled into a handy bookmark list. Please use the self-pay stations where appropriate or display your Florida State Parks annual pass in your windshield.
The park has several miles of multi-use trails, a canoe/kayak launch (when the savannas marsh isn't dry), and is a designed stop on the Great Florida Birding Trail. Parking and restrooms are located at both the Education Center and the Canoe/Kayak Launch.
The trails and park road are not paved. Portions may become muddy or have standing water during the rainy season. Beware of all the usual Florida wildlife. Leashed dogs okay, except in buildings. Bring water and wear sunscreen.
Final is located at:
N 27° 1A.BCD
W 80° 1E.FGH
A-E can be answered by visiting the Education Center. If you have trouble finding a display to answer your questions, just ask the ranger on duty.
A) There are 4 color-coded trails at Savannas Preserve, marked with colored blazes along their routes. Which is the longest?
Blue = 6
Red = 7
White = 8
Yellow = 9
B) In the past, the area around the Savannas was most notably used to grow what fruit?
Bananas = 2
Grapefruit = 3
Oranges = 4
Pineapples = 5
C) According to the park brochure and a display in the Education Center, how many types of biological communities are there in the Savannas?
C = # of communities + 3
D) The Changing Landscape: there are a group of aerial photos on the wall showing the encroachment of development on the Savannas area in different decades. How many decades/photos are displayed?
D = # of photos - 2
E) There is display prominently titled "The Role of..."
Draining = 4
Farming = 5
Fire = 6
Flooding = 7
Proceed north on the main park road to the parking area near the canoe/kayak launch. At the boardwalk there are two signs not far apart - one referring to a law regarding alligators and one titled Wildlife Watch.
F) What kind of animals does the "Wildlife Watch" sign on the boardwalk tell you about?
3 = alligators
4 = birds
5 = snakes
6 = turtles
G) There is a sidewalk between the canoe launch and a picnic pavilion with three small signs along it. What is the middle sign about?
3 = ducks
4 = otters
5 = sawgrass
6 = waterlilies
A short distance west of the canoe launch area is a kiosk, gate, and the white trail.
H) Ups and Downs of the Basin Marsh: According to the kiosk here, ##% of the acreage of the park is wetlands.
H = second digit of the %
Continue along the white trail to reach the Final.
You can verify your final coordinates with Geochecker, but none of the stages are intended to be difficult.
Congrats to Groupertoes for FTF!