Controversial Claim of Garden of Eden Location in Florida
A former lawyer and Baptist minister claimed that Torreya State Park in Florida was the literal site of the Garden of Eden from the Bible's Book of Genesis. He believed the geographical features matched the description in the Old Testament, including the Apalachicola River and the Torreya tree. The park later became a 'Garden of Eden' tourist attraction with a hiking trail. The minister passed away in 1981, and the trail is now part of the Nature Conservancy's preserve.