Fort Mose adds crushed coquina trail to improve access

Florida State Parks Foundation and Athletic Brewing Co. have added crushed coquina walkways to Fort Mose Historic State Park in St. Augustine, improving access to the Flight to Freedom Trail and the 1738 fort site. The project is part of the Foundation’s Access for All campaign and builds on new accessibility features planned across the historic park.

Why it matters: - The crushed coquina trail makes Fort Mose Historic State Park easier to navigate for more visitors. - The upgrade supports access to a site that tells the story of one of the earliest free Black communities in what became the United States. - The change also strengthens the park’s goal of pairing accessibility with historical authenticity.

What happened: - Florida State Parks Foundation and Athletic Brewing Co. partnered to install crushed coquina walkways on the Flight to Freedom Trail at Fort Mose Historic State Park in St. Augustine. - The trail materials were funded by a $10,000 grant from Athletic Brewing’s Two for the Trails program. - The new walkways were installed a little more than a year after the park unveiled a full-scale reconstruction of the 1738 Fort Mose in May 2025.

The details: - Crushed coquina is a porous limestone made of ancient seashells and native to St. Augustine. - The material replaces the original dirt trail on the three-quarter-mile loop. - Park officials say the new surface makes the route more stable and accessible. - Fort Mose’s Flight to Freedom Trail debuted in 2022. - During Flight to Freedom events, visitors encounter historic reenactors portraying 18th-century life at Fort Mose. - The trail includes educational signage and QR codes that link to video reenactments. - The fort reconstruction includes ramps for mobility assistive devices. - Tactile panels, accessible viewfinders and lowered railings for the park’s nature trails and boardwalks are in development.

Between the lines: - The project fits the Florida State Parks Foundation’s Access for All campaign, which is aimed at expanding accessible experiences in state parks. - Disability Pride Month, observed each July, adds extra visibility to the accessibility push. - Athletic Brewing has become a repeat funder at Florida parks, including support for the Fort Mose reconstruction and trail renovation projects at Sebastian Inlet State Park and Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park. - The partnership shows how private grants can help fund park upgrades that are both functional and interpretive.

What's next: - Fort Mose Historic State Park is continuing to expand accessibility features across the site. - Park visitors will see additional improvements as tactile panels, viewfinders and lowered railings move from development to installation. - The Foundation said the new trail will help more people experience the Fort Mose story and surrounding landscape.