Popped by Big Tree Park this past weekend, and what a nice little park. It is located within the Spring Hamock Preserve. The park is home to The Senator, a large cypress tree that was 3,500 years old (sadly, it was mostly burned down in a fire), and Lady Liberty, aged 2,000 years (to name a few). While the trees themselves are the lure, the park does have some amenities like a playground, public restrooms, and areas to sit down, eat, and relax. The park has raised walkways, and the canopy of overhead tree coverage creates a cool escape from the Florida sun. Just come prepared with some bug spray - the mosquitoes are at play with all the humidity. Also, they have a handful of plaques throughout the park that provide a brief history of the trees and the park itself. All in all, it was a quick little side quest with a nice little history lesson infused. There is a good amount of parking, and it is truly a quiet and peaceful little park. If you are in the area, it's worth the detour. read more

See all

Big Tree Park is located in a corner of Spring Hamock Preserve. The park is famous for having the The Senator, a champion bald cypress that was 3,500 years old. The tree was named for State Senator Moses Overstreet, who owned the land around the tree and donated it to the county in 1927 for use as a park. In 1929, President Calvin Coolidge visited the Senator for the park's dedication. The Senator was a popular tourist stop for many years. The Seminole Tribe of Florida used the tall cypress as a landmark, and in the 1800's sightseers paid for buggy rides through the swamp, then hopped a series of logs to make it to the tree. A boardwalk was added to make it easier to access The Senator. Sadly it burned down in 2012 in an arson fire caused by a drug addict. Visitors to the park can see the remains of The Senator along with some informational signage. Big Tree Park is also home to Lady Liberty, a 2,000 year old historic Bald Cypress, and the Phoenix, a genetic clone of The Senator. While the trees are the real draw to the park it also has a cute playground in the center island, which lets kids play inside a replica of a cypress trunk. There is a picnic pavilion and restrooms if you want to bring a lunch. Big Tree Park is a stop on the Cross Seminole Trail used by cyclists and runners. read more

See all

Big Tree Park is a bit out of the way, but it's worth the trip. The raised walkways make it easy to see the massive, historic trees up close, and it's a peaceful place to wander. The playground is decent, though it could definitely use a little more shade on hot days. read more

Big Tree Park - Raised walkway on the path to the big tree - Parks Near Me - Longwood, Florida

See all

Sad that the main tree visitors come to see was burned down, but it is something worth checking out if you are in the area. The walkway is available to walk on and gives you a small history lesson regarding the "senator". There is a playground up at the front for the littles and the bathroom is decent for a public area. read more

The history at Big Tree Park is mind blowing. When I explained the age of The Senator at 3,500 years old to my kid he understandably couldn't get his head around it. Tragically The Senator was burned to basically ashes in an act of arson but the pieces recovered were given to local artists to create new art and are on display at the history of Seminole county museum. They also took a sapling and planted it by the playground so the Senator lives on through its offspring The Phoenix. Great playground and nice bathrooms right next to it. They also have great workout stations for adults to use right next to the playground so you can actively watch your kids while you work out. There are covered pavilion picnic tables and ample trash cans available as well. We love Big Tree Park! read more

See all

They have such a nice running trail here as well as a hike that has some nice water fall creeks I really need to do next. I saw they have tour guides that do the hikes through seminole county so going to try to wait on that to do it with my little one. Lots pre historic trees here and good learning opportunities for our kiddos to take in. We did some nature journaling and recording. I appreciate the town for trying to acknowledge everything that happened and trying to do more right by it. We def need more of that happening. I found out about "The Senator" very randomly by my phone giving me of spots to go see.. Who would have known one of the world's oldest trees was just next door to me. The things people take for granted now a days frustrate me. I would have loved to see it (RIP). read more

Big Tree Park is a park set around "The Senator," a huge Cypress tree that was estimated to be 3,500 years old and sadly, was burned and destroyed by arson on January 16, 2012. The stump of the tree still remains and there is also "The Phoenix," which scientists cloned from branches of The Senator. It is a wonderful smaller park and I would definitely a visit here to embrace the winder and strength of nature and perhaps offer a prayer that we humans be free of the pettiness and selfishness that allowed someone to burn a 3,500 year old tree. read more

See all

Big Tree Park has restrooms,picnic tables and a playground for the kids. The boardwalk in the park leads you to the The Lady Liberty tree.This is a perfect spot to walk, hike, picnic and ride bikes. The park is pet friendly.Our dog truly enjoyed her long nature walk at Big Tree Park.Love it. read more

This park was nice and had a really great playground for my two year old. Lots of things for them to explore and climb on. A huge perk for parents is that the playground is fenced in and does have nearby picnic tables. The trail is much shorter than I thought it would be but it was fun to learn about the history of The Senator and Lady Liberty. read more

I have been visiting Big Tree Park for many years. It is a small park that you can hike through and has a few amenities like restrooms and picnic tables. Walking through all of the beautiful old trees is so relaxing and feels like old Florida at its best. The heartbreak over losing The Senator in 2012 is still very disappointing. It's the human selfishness and stupidity that continues the feeling of sadness. The Senator was the biggest and oldest bald cypress tree in the world. It was estimated to be 3,500 years old. In a flash it went from a towering and thriving show piece that was visited and enjoyed by millions to a charred mess. A 26 year old women decided to light a fire and end the journey. The Senator was named after Senator Modes Overstreet after he donated the tree and surrounding land to the Seminole County Park in 1927. Big Tree Park is still a beautiful place to visit. If you stop by make sure to visit Lady Liberty a 2000 year old Bald Cypress Tree and a clone of The Senator...named The Phoenix. read more

From the outside looking in; Big tree park might not look like much, but immediately you feel a sense of history here. Once you drive into the parking lot, you'll see the information booth as well as the open gate leading you to that eerie and solitary wooden boardwalk. It was foggy that morning, so it reminded me of the intro of those episodes from the 90's of that show tales from the dark side, remember that show on the scifi channel? Well anyway, the allure of this park use to be a significantly wide and tall tree named 'The Senator' that has been in existence here in Florida for thousands of years until it first was dealt a devastating blow by one of the hurricanes, so the top of it was blown literally off, and then, to make matters worse, some incredibly ignorant, and moronic individual burnt it to a tragic shell of what it once was. When you look at the remains, you can't help but hang your head, not only feeling a deep sadness over the malicious treatment of a once beautiful tree, but also anger over people purposely destroying what is not theirs to take in the first place. Don't be surprised when you see that the distance of the wooden board walk is not much, maybe about a quarter of a mile, if that. There is another trail that leads to a bridge and that's about 3 miles to and from the park. You will happen upon a small brook that is very pretty. You might also happen upon various birds, I can't name them all, but I recognized the hawks perching up on the branches and looking at me like: "what you doin here?" It was very amusing. I find overall it was nice to visit, but I don't know that its a park I'd want to return to. There's really not much to do other than walk, and see the tragic remains of that poor tree. read more

See all

We went out of our way to make a pit stop at this park to see the remains of the Senator and Lady Liberty. If anything, this park is a physical reminder of human stupidity. The Senator was once a huge and majestic Cypress tree that was thousands of years old and then was burned down by a stupid methhead in 2012. Lady Liberty is another big tree in the area but not as impressive as the Senator. It peaked the interest of my wife and children for about five minutes and then we were off to the playground to stretch our legs before we got back into the car. It was neat to read up on some of the history of the area and to see the big trees in their natural habitat but honestly, it is just not the same without the Senator and we were a bit underwhelmed. I did get a laugh at the passive aggressive postings onsite that explained how the Senator withstood everything that was thrown at it except for "human stupidity". So true. I suggest coming here at least once to marvel at the one of the largest stumps in the United States and picturing just what it might have been to stare up at the Senator towering over the local swamp. And for good measure, go down the slide once or twice. read more

See all

This park during fall is beautiful! The playground is big enough to keep an eye on multiple kids. Plus it's fenced in. From there to see the senator, what was America's biggest tree. The. Visit lady liberty. Second biggest tree. Opportunity to teach ourselves and the kids Gods beautiful creations. read more

Big Tree Park - The senator - Parks Near Me - Longwood, Florida

See all

Easy access to the trail and there's a short boardwalk that leads to the remains of the Senator, a 3500 year old cypress tree that was burned down in 2012. Sadly, I never saw this beloved tree. Close by there's the majestic Liberty Tree. This tree and the remains of The Senator are protected by a huge iron fence. There's a children's playground and restrooms. Next to the playground, you will see The Phoenix, a clone of The Senator. Gorgeous park. Perfect for a stroll on a Sunday afternoon. read more

See all

My first time at Big Tree Park in Longwood, FL. The Big Tree Park was home to the Senator tree before it burned down from arson in 2012. The Senator was 3500 years old and was the 5th oldest bald Cypress tree in the world. A clone tree of the Senator named Phoenix was planted. . This park is small but it has the remains of the Senator tree, the Lady Liberty tree, the Phoenix tree, bathrooms, a boardwalk, the trailhead for the cross Seminole trail and a playground. read more

Unfortunately couldn't actually enjoy the park when I tried. I had my dog with me but this park does not allow pets. We didn't see any rules posted for no pets prior to coming when we looked online...pretty disappointing. read more

Great trees and bad people The 'Senator" was a 3,500 year old cypress tree, one of the very largest and oldest cypress trees in the world. An incredible piece of nature that just took your breath away to look at. It withstood hurricanes and everything time and the world could throw at it. However it could not withstand the stupidity and arrogance of one woman. On Jan 16th, 2012, a young fool decided the venerable old tree would be a pleasant place to smoke some methamphetamine. She decided to build a little fire to better see what she was doing and ended up burning down the great old tree. Instead of doing the sensible thing of calling 911, she took pictures of the poor tree burning and sent them out to her friends, bragging about how she burned down a tree older than Jesus. Fortunately one of her meth head buddies did have a conscience and reported her to the police. Of course she is pleading innocent and her trial is still pending. The park was closed for over a year but reopened on March of 2013. The tree is just a burnt stump now but the "Lady Liberty", a youthful 2,000 year old gigantic cypress is still there and worth a trip to see. Fortunately the grand old tree was cloned before it was destroyed and one of the young and relatively tiny clones of The Senator is now standing in the park. It made me so sad to see the great old tree now just a stump, destroyed by some thoughtless fool with a meth pipe but it was nice to see the little cypress clone reaching for the sky. All we have to do is wait another couple of thousands years for it to reach it's full glory. I wonder if the meth head is still bragging about her accomplishment. read more

See all

My husband and I stopped by the park one Sunday after lunch with friends. I thought "Hey, let's go see one of Earth's oldest trees." so in a snap decision we swung in. The park itself is pretty small and the tree is near the end of the wooden path about 600ft in. I've gotta say it was pretty darned impressive. Even the sister tree "Lady Liberty" at 2000 yrs old is kinda awesome as well. If you're into nerdy science-y Earth stuff, this is certainly a fun way to waste a half hour or so on your way in or out of Sanford. Stop by and say "HI" to the Senator, for he is old and wise ;) read more

Big Tree Park - The Senator - Parks Near Me - Longwood, Florida

Nice little park to visit now and then. It's a trailhead for Cross Seminole Trail. This is usually my turning/break spot on the trail when I go for a bike ride. I would bring my own water and snacks and sit at one of the picnic tables. Nice relaxing park to take a walk through an unwind or get away for a bit. Park has been closed since the burning of the senator. It was one of the oldest cypress tree in the US. read more

Big Tree Park - Park is trailhead for Cross Seminole Trail - Parks Near Me - Longwood, Florida

See all

So disgusted that our 3,500 year old cypress tree - fourth oldest In the WORLD was burned down by a crack addict. You can't make this shit up. Someone needs to burn her down. Lady Liberty - young and spry at 2,000 years old, still stands. I lived in Longwood for over ten years and kick myself that I only stopped by a couple times. I implore you to stop by here occasionally and pay your respects to the Senator, who made it thru every storm and natural event just to be disrespected by humanity. I am furious that people do not appreciate the natural beauty God surrounded us with. Please stop and spend a moment in silence or prayer and absorb what happened here..andy offer an wholehearted apology for me. read more

Interesting park with some cool history. Also a great spot to bring your kids. This place is great to take a walk through nature and see some of the tallest trees in Central Florida. Although it's not the same with the Senator (thanks arsonist. Not!), the park still has some great scenery. As another review mentioned, you are still able to see The Phoenix (though behinds some pretty hefty fencing) which was grown from a part of the senator, so that's some cool history there. In addition to the scenery, there is a great playground for your kids to burn off energy. Swings, playsets, etc. I think the playground is a bit more appropriate for older kids, so if you have a toddler you might be stuck just using the swings. read more

This is a lovely park to take a stroll in and get out and enjoy the outdoors. Unfortunately, the park just isn't the same without The Senator. It breaks my heart that we lost such a national treasure to some a-hole arsonist. The park does have some other lovely features such a nice park for kids to play and a lovely boardwalk to walk on (great for strollers and kids). You can see The Pheonix there (made from branches from The Senator) as well as the sister tree, Lady Liberty. The trunk of The Senator is still there and you can marvel at how big it once was. Honestly I wish the trail were longer... it isn't very long and as I mentioned above the main attraction is pretty much gone. There is a good amount of birds flying around so that's nice to see. read more

Well shaded and nicely kept when I visited. Although like most parks, the bathrooms are in dire need of an upgrade...that's probably the worst complaint I can muster up...of course next to the upset I felt when I saw poor Old Senator nothing but a 3,500 year old charred, wasted tree. I can't even tell you the sheer sadness I felt to know this tree survived wars, droughts, mother nature, was visited by a president, viewed and loved by soooo many....to go down in flames at the ignorance and negligence of one human in our day and age! I digress... The playground is great, the boardwalk is new and stroller friendly. What a lovely place to have a picnic, a walk, relax, and appreciate nature. read more

Big Tree Park - Shady and picturesque park with some really great history about a 3500 yr old bald cypress tree and it's 3000 yr old sister! - Parks Near Me - Longwood, Florida

"Of all man's works of art, a cathedral is greatest. A vast and majestic tree is greater than that." - Henry Ward Beecher And what a majestic tree The Senator was! It towered more than 129 feet tall, making it the biggest and oldest pond cypress tree in the world, which makes its demise even more unfortunate. I never got to see The Senator in person as I am over 3 years late, but can only imagine how awe-inspiring it was. I read an article that stated it was the Orlando area's most visited tourist site, before Walt Disney World. Just to give you an idea of what a veteran this tree was, this tree witnessed the Magna Carta being enacted, saw the destruction of the ancient city of Pompeii, Christ's birth, Cleopatra's reign, and was a sapling at the time of Stonehenge's construction. It was also a regional landmark for the Seminole Indians and other settlers in the area. If this tree could talk, what stories it would tell! The Senator was the 5th oldest tree in the world. People from all over the world came to see it. It was named for Senator Overstreet who donated the cypress and land around it to the people of Seminole County. On January 16, 2012, The Senator was burned down by a drug addict that was seeking some light in order to light up her meth pipe. The park was closed to the public while a memorial was built and a clone, named The Phoenix, was planted. They also rebuilt the boardwalk. It reopened on March 2, 2014. The charred remains of the tree now stand only 20 to 25 feet (6.1 to 7.6 m) tall. Since admission is free and you can still see The Senator's companion tree named Lady Liberty, it's still worth going. You can see the charred remains and try to imagine what The Senator looked like in its grandiosity, while taking a moment of silence in its memory. You can also check out The Phoenix clone, and Lady Liberty which is 89 feet (27 m) high 10 feet (3.0 m) in diameter, and is estimated to be 2000 years old; another one of the oldest trees in the world. There is a small boardwalk that takes you through the trees, and there is also a children's playground. Bike trails are also available, though they can be muddy depending on the time of year. While some might find it depressing to look at a burned stump, I think it'd be a great place to take kids, not only to enjoy nature and the playground at the park, but also to teach them a lesson about the dangers of drugs. People think the only ones they are affecting by using drugs are themselves, but as this story proves, that is not true. By following the example of Sara Barnes and vandalizing nature for selfish means, you're robbing the world and future generations of a majestic sight. read more

See all

Big tree "Senator" is almost gone. Only a little root. Lady Liberty is there. You only can watch her from the trail. Park is small. read more

See all

Very clean park, nice playground too. Only problem they have been working on general Hutchinson for seems like 2yrs. So their is construction work around. But the park it self is nice walking/bike trails are nice. Entrance right by playground. read more

Its beyond sad that some meth head took out the senator who survived through hurricanes, the logging industry and probably even lightning strikes. The charred remains are still there, fenced off with an intimidating looking security fence. Although the senator is no longer with us, the park looks better than ever. The park has new fencing, new decking, and the new tree, the Phoenix, a clone of the senator. Lets not forget about lady liberty. She's still there and still an impressive old tree. read more

Big Tree Park is a great place to bring the family. It's big, has plenty of places to run around, and, best of all, a 3,000 year old tree! Awesome! The Good: See The Senator: The Senator is a 3,000 year old cypress tree that is in the center of the park. It's a pretty amazing tree, and the marshland surrounding it is truly beautiful. It's a great place to bring the kids, and there's plenty of stuff to learn about this old tree! Bring a Lunch: There are plenty of places to picnic, and packing a lunch makes a nice day out of this otherwise short trip. The Bad: Not very big: big tree park is one of the smaller parks to go to, and there aren't many facilities except for the picnic tables. Big tree park is a great place to go to see the oldest tree in florida and take in some history. But there really isn't much to keep you coming back... Overall 6.7/10= Big Tree Fun! read more

Weird moment in my life. My dad and I are driving to sanford and he says "hey you wanna see a big tree." I say " sure." Then he wips into a little park takes me on a walk down a boardwalk and I say "wow that's a big fricken tree." This is a real simple story see. The park is just what I said. It has (I believe) the two oldest and tallest cedar trees in the world, a few little historical signs, and a playground for kids to play. Worth the stop if you want to enjoy a very random moment with your freinds. Did I mention there was a big tree. read more

This little park (and I really do mean little) is worth checking out, but don't expect to spend more than 30 mins here if all you're looking to do is see The Senator (and its "bff" Lady Liberty). I do appreciate the cleanliness and organization of the park, though. I might return some day with a few friends for a nice picnic. Now I'm going to be annoying and say that even though The Senator is impressively tall, I had a little bit of a "wah-wah-waaaaaah" moment when I saw it because I was stupidly expecting it to be as tall the redwoods I'm used to in the West Coast. Nowhere near. At all. But hey, it's the tallest Cypress tree. Just remember that. Cypress does not equal Redwood. And when I got over my disappointment, I actually learned to appreciate it. Think about it...it's been around long enough to see this sad world of ours go through just about the fastest changes ever in terms of technology, environment and population. Moral of the story: don't get your hopes up too high! (Hah!) read more

Big Tree Park - The Senator - Parks Near Me - Longwood, Florida

See all

I'm heading back home today and thought I would take a stop here since it was so highly rated. This is a fun little place to bring your family maybe to have like a little birthday party and get a little history on nature and enjoy it. It wasn't as fun as I thought it would be I like really walking in nature and going on hikes so if I were to say choose between this place are black bear wilderness Park I would say go with black bear the trail was amazing there and it had the same overall feel of this nature. This is a very peaceful place however and I would definitely come back but if I wanted to be active I would be going to Black Bear. The one thing that I find amazing out here is there was a little bike Workshop thing and we could never have anything like that in California people would have used it so much and out here it's nice to know that people appreciate things like that. I'm definitely going to miss Florida! read more

See all

I really want to give this place a rave review, but some drug addict burned the 2000 year old tree down. Still worth a quick stop. There is a nice boardwalk leading to the tree, and we found each marker full of great information. read more

This park is beautiful. It is right near the seminal trail so you could go ahead and bike and rollerblade through the trail. I however did not make it in time to see the Senator but the other trees that are there are gorgeous. The best thing about this park is the stillness and quietness throughout the park. There is a sense of peace and calm which I like. I am sad about the drug addict burning down the tree. But the fact that the cloned it and started anew is great. At this park is a small playground for children and park benches. Just have a peaceful picnic here one day. read more

Big Tree Park - I love how this tree was coined from the last one. - Parks Near Me - Longwood, Florida

Beautiful peaceful setting for some quality meditation time. Read the horrific story about the horror-of-a-human being meth-head Sarah Barnes that burned down the 3,500+ year old Senator Cypress tree from smoking meth inside it and then bragged about it... How incredibly sad and surreal to see this once incredible majestic natural wonder, that had once helped guide the Seminole Indians, that President Calvin Coolidge had once stood in front of, reduced to a depressing, charred stump inside the gated fence. Wish I could have seen it prior to the arson, but everyone has been robbed of that opportunity due to one disgusting and pathetic excuse for a human being. Seems incredibly unjust that all she got was probation for destroying such an incredible piece of history. read more

Now that the Senator burnt down its not the same. Its basically a meeting place for people you wouldnt want your children around. I feel the restrooms and facilities are dirty. Its ok to visit once but I wont go back read more

Park is tiny, yes.....but The Senator & Lady Liberty are very impressive. It's also the trail head for the Cross Seminole Trail, which is an awesome trail. Walk, run, bike, skateboard, however you like, well worth a visit. Bring plenty of fluids, there's no fountains on the trail. read more

Once home to one the oldest and largest Cypress trees in the US, it has since been burned to death by a local yokel. A real shame, considering Seminole County is one of the few areas of the state that respects it's natural beauty and this park is a showcase of that fact. Florida would be the trash can of the nation if it were stripped of it's natural beauty. In essence, everything I love and hate about Florida can be found in a walk down the path at Big Tree Park. read more

This is a trail head for the Cross-Seminole Trail. I am happy I got to see the Senator before it got burnt down. When I am walking or running this is a nice spot to have quick snack or use the clean restroom. read more

Largest cypress tree in the US. Nice park too with new playground.

A well maintained boardwalk essentially takes you from the parking lot into what feels like the heart of a jungle within 1 minute. Continue on the boardwalk for 5-10 minutes until you reach the senators formidable, charred trunk and the sister tree lady liberty which remains. Benches at the end to sit down and chat with your date or contemplate life as you view shades of green and hear birds calling to each other. Two times I went I saw only a handful of people within 30 mins I was there. read more

Big Tree Park - Parks Near Me - Longwood, Florida

See all