Florida State Parks Foundation, Athletic Brewing Co. Partner To Expand Accessibility At Fort Mose Historic State Park

~Crushed coquina trail enhances accessibility, historical authenticity at America’s First Site of Freedom~

ST. AUGUSTINE, FL, UNITED STATES, July 14, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Visitors to Fort Mose Historic State Park in St. Augustine — America’s First Site of Freedom — are now free to explore the park’s Flight to Freedom Trail on walkways made of crushed coquina rock that expand accessibility and enhance the immersive experience of visiting a 1700s-era Spanish fort and surrounding community.

Funded by a $10,000 grant from Athletic Brewing Company’s “Two for the Trails” program, the crushed coquina walkways are the latest elements of the Florida State Parks Foundation’s Access for All campaign, which seeks to create or expand accessible experiences and amenities in Florida’s award-winning state parks. Disability Pride Month is observed each July and commemorates the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act on July 26, 1990.

The new trail materials were officially installed a little more than a year after the park debuted a full-scale reconstruction of its namesake, the 1738 Fort Mose, in May 2025. A porous limestone material made of ancient seashells and native to St. Augustine, crushed coquina will replace the original dirt trail and make the three-quarter-mile loop more stable and accessible for all visitors.

“The crushed coquina trail helps ensure that the important story of Fort Mose is told as far and wide as possible,” said Julia Gill Woodward, CEO of the Florida State Parks Foundation. “The trail expands the experience at Fort Mose Historic State Park, from the breathtaking 1738 fort reconstruction to the surrounding natural environments that are both historically significant and naturally beautiful.”

Originally established under Spanish rule in 1738, Fort Mose, on the northern end of St. Augustine, was the site of the first legally sanctioned free Black community in what would become the United States.

Historians estimate that approximately 100 formerly enslaved men, women and children made their homes there after fleeing the British Carolinas.

Fort Mose Historic State Park’s Flight to Freedom Trail debuted in 2022 and has quickly become one of the park’s signature experiences. During Flight to Freedom events, park visitors embark on a short journey where they encounter several historic reenactors representing 18th-century life at Fort Mose.

The trail also features educational signage and QR codes that lead to video reenactments.

The crushed coquina trail is one of several new or planned accessible experiences and amenities at Fort Mose Historic State Park. The historic fort reconstruction includes ramps to accommodate mobility assistive devices, while tactile panels, accessible viewfinders and lowered railings for the park’s nature trails and boardwalks are currently in development.

Athletic Brewing previously contributed to the 1738 historic Fort Mose reconstruction project and has also joined the Foundation to fund trail renovation projects at Sebastian Inlet State Park in Melbourne Beach and Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park in the Florida Panhandle.

“We are incredibly grateful to Athletic Brewing for their years of outstanding partnership and support,” Woodward said. “Athletic Brewing has made a real, tangible impact at parks across the state, and we are especially excited for park visitors to experience this new trail that came to fruition thanks to Athletic Brewing’s generosity.”

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The Florida State Parks Foundation, founded in 1993 as Friends of Florida State Parks and renamed in 2018, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation whose mission is to support and help sustain the Florida Park Service, its award-winning parks and trails, local Friends groups and more than 20,000 park volunteers.

It does this through programs that preserve and protect state parks, educate visitors about the value of state parks, encourage community engagement and active use of state parks, and advocacy. All projects are completed by the Florida State Parks Foundation Services LLC, which is a limited liability company affiliate of the Foundation. The volunteer Board of Directors represents private and public sectors as well as local and statewide interests.

About Athletic Brewing Company:
Athletic Brewing Company is America’s largest dedicated non-alcoholic brewer. Athletic is revolutionizing how modern adults drink by crafting game-changing NA brews that can be consumed anytime and anywhere. Launched commercially in 2018, Athletic is the number one non-alcoholic beer brand in America and a top 20 U.S. brewing company. Its award-winning brews are available nationwide at over 75,000 retail locations. Athletic operates custom breweries in Connecticut and California and donates up to $2 million annually to protecting and restoring outdoor spaces across the globe via its Two For The Trails program. Athletic is proudly a Certified B Corporation™. Learn more and shop at www.athleticbrewing.com.

Tim Linafelt
Florida State Parks Foundation
+1 8505598914
email us here

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