Palatka, Florida is a small town in Northeastern Florida situated along the St. John’s River. It’s a true hidden gem filled with small-town charm, kind locals, incredible food, and tons of outdoor adventure and scenic hikes.
Palatka is known as a “trail town” due to the countless trails that travel through the town. We had the most relaxing weekend escape biking, hiking, eating, and shopping.
Being from Florida, we had never heard of Palatka so we weren’t sure what to expect, but this small rural town was a breath of fresh air and we couldn’t believe all of the opportunities for adventures!
We hope you enjoy our guide to the best things to do in Palatka, FL. This post is in partnership with Visit Florida.
Best Things to Do in Palatka, FL:
Eat breakfast at Angel’s Diner
Did you know Palatka is home to Florida’s oldest diner? Angel’s Dining Car has been around since 1932 and is a fun and delicious stop. We’d recommend going for breakfast as they have big portions of all of the classic diner foods. It was a really fun atmosphere with traditional dining car decor!
Walk along the Riverfront
Palatka is located along the St. John’s River so walking along the riverfront is a top thing to do in Palatka. The riverfront is home to beautiful parks, a walking path, and boat ramps. The riverfront is a great place to relax and we loved walking along the path at sunrise.
Waterfront dinner at Corky Bell’s
Corky Bell’s is one of Palatka’s most popular restaurants for good reason, affordable delicious seafood, and waterfront views!
There’s even a tiki bar. We loved sitting outside at dusk, enjoying huge platters of grilled shrimp and pineapple skewers, baked potatoes, and stewed tomatoes and okra over rice.
You’ll be happy to hear crispy hush puppies come with most meals too! Our meal and the views hit the spot for our first night in Palatka!
Explore Ravine Gardens State Park
Ravine Gardens State Park is probably our favorite thing to do in Palatka, FL! This beautiful state park is within 10 minutes of downtown Palatka and is named for the ravine that runs through it.
It’s truly an oasis with lush greenery, moss-covered trees, and gorgeous reflection ponds. We did the scenic Azalea Trail which was 2.5 miles and had two suspension bridges. The suspension bridges were our favorite feature of the hike!
The park is also home to gardens and is the best place to see the blooming azaleas from January – March. The park costs $5 per vehicle to enter and there’s ample parking.
Ravine Gardens State Park is so beautiful that we could have spent all day exploring it!
Bike the St. John’s River to Sea Loop
The 260-mile paved St. John’s River to Sea Loop Trail was the highlight of our trip! The trail runs through 5 Florida counties and offers scenic hiking and biking.
We rode about 17 miles on the Palatka to St. Augustine section and used the County Line Produce Market as our turnaround point. Bring cash and a basket to stock up on fresh fruits and veggies at the market!
These fruits and veggies were some of the most vibrant we’ve seen!
Walk the Florida Trail
The Florida National Scenic Trail is a non-motorized ~1,400-mile trail that spans the entire state. We hiked the part of the trail in the Rice Creek Conservation Area, which is less than a 20-minute drive from downtown Palatka.
We were the only people on the trail when we went and you can hike as little or as far as you want! It’s about a 4-mile round trip hike to the “Rice Creek Hilton” which is an overnight camp for hikers surrounded by beautiful oak trees and ended up being a fun turnaround point.
Drink craft beer at Azaela City Brewing
Azaela City Brewing is named after the azaela flowers that bloom in Palatka from January – March. The brewery has a variety of craft beers on tap from light and dark beers to IPAs.
Azaela City Brewing often has food trucks on Friday nights too. The outdoor patio and large inside space make this a perfect place to hang out!
Dinner at Velchoff’s Corner
Velchoff’s Corner was our favorite meal of the trip! We loved our dinner there so much that we went back to their oyster bar the next night! The first night we sat inside and enjoyed a delicious fish dinner with beignets for dessert!
The next night, the oyster bar was such a fun atmosphere. We watched football, drank martinis, ate steamed oysters, and enjoyed incredible salads for dinner. The outdoor space is really cute too, with beautiful trees and strung lights.
Explore Downtown
Downtown Palatka is extremely charming and walkable with lots of cute shops, restaurants, and over 20 murals. You can even do a mural scavenger hunt and try to find all of the beautiful works of art.
Some of our favorite shops to grab souvenirs and local goods were Lemon Street Market & Mercantile and Lady Bugs Gift Shoppe. We also enjoyed Uncork & Unwind, a beer and wine bar with more options than you can imagine!
Mariachiles was also a favorite for lunch: get the ceviche tacos!
Where to stay in Palatka, FL
We stayed at the Hampton Inn on the Riverfront which was the perfect walking distance from downtown. We also loved being able to roll out of bed, walk outside, and catch the sunrise at the riverfront.
The Hampton Inn also had free daily breakfast which was super convenient before our adventures each day!
How to get to Palatka, FL
Palatka is located in northeastern Florida in Putnam County. The closest airports are Orlando and Jacksonville, less than a 2-hour and 1.5-hour drive, respectively.
Both airports have direct flights from many domestic destinations. We flew into Jacksonville and out of Orlando due to preferred flight times and both drives were seamless.
We hope you enjoyed this list of top things to do in Palatka, Florida for an adventurous weekend.
