Enjoy lovely antique and heritage roses along the city of Foley’s rose trail which winds through downtown Foley, one block east of Highway 59. The gracefully landscaped trail showcases hundreds of disease-resistant heritage roses of all sizes and colors. The beauty and fragrance of antique roses combine in an amazing display along a scenic walk that is always open.

The trail is almost a mile long. Most folks access the trail at East Violet Street, just north of the pavilion in Heritage Park, where there is plenty of parking. City gardeners estimate there are more than 500 roses along the trail.  The trail currently stretches as far north as East Section Street, near the Justice Center. The city owns the property to eventually take the trail north to Berry Avenue.

Many folks don’t realize that there is a two-block section of the trail that extends south of the Post Office to East Myrtle Avenue. This section holds many roses and also has a gazebo that is surrounded by Japanese Magnolia Trees, which bloom in the very early spring, creating a beautiful setting for an intimate wedding.  The trail has gained in popularity and it is not unusual to see weddings or couples with entourages having wedding photos taken along the trail in the springtime. It is also a great place to make family photos any time of year.

Most roses along the trail continue blooming until frost. During the warm weather last year there was something blooming somewhere along the trail for most of the year. The trail is beautifully landscaped and tucked back behind buildings, so it is a peaceful, lovely place to walk any time of year . . . but is a must-see during peak bloom season, which usually falls around the first two weeks of April.

Hundreds of lovely roses line the Wilbourne Rose Trail, a public walking trail that winds through the heart of Foley following the path of the old railroad line. Antique roses, which are disease resistant and well suited to our subtropical climate, are presented in chronological order with interpretive signage that identifies each plant species and the year it was propagated.  The trail is recognized by the National Parks Service as a National Walking Trail.

For more information, visit www.visitfoley.org or call the Visitor Center at 251-943-1200.