Lake George State Forest
Encyclopedia
The Lake George State Forest is a designated protected area
and state forest
in the U.S.
state of Florida
. The 21176 acres (86 km²) forest is located in northwestern Volusia County
, Florida
, near Lake George
and the communities of Pierson
, Barberville
, and Volusia
. It is overseen by the Division of Forestry within the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
.
Lake George State Forest is divided into three tracts of land. The northernmost Astor Tract stretches roughly from a point between Pierson and Lake George south to State Road 40 east of the Volusia settlement. South of SR 40 are the Mary Farms and Dexter Tracts, which encompasses land between the St. Johns River
to the west, and Barberville, US 17
, and De Leon Springs State Park
to the east, and south to the banks of Lake Dexter, Spring Garden Creek, and the Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge
.
Lake George State Forest should not be confused with the Lake George Forest, a separate 7858 acres (32 km²) property to the immediate north which is jointly owned by Volusia County and the St. Johns River Water Management District
(SJRWMD), or the Lake George Conservation Area, a 11973 acres (48 km²) site owned by the SJRWMD.
. They left behind a rich archaeological history in the form of large midden
s of freshwater shellfish, which they deposited along the banks of the St. Johns River and Lake George. The Bluffton Mound and Midden
at the Bluffton Recreation Area in Lake George State Forest is one such example.
Lake George State Forest is formed from lands previously resourced for timber, production of naval stores, cattle grazing, and hunting. Cypress
logging, by way of canals dug into the swampland, occurred up until 1910. The 1930s saw much of the land forested with longleaf
and slash pine
, or left in service of the Florida Cracker
cattle industry. After decades of aggressive harvesting, the 1960s saw reforestation efforts again plant slash pine.
Dry conditions brought on by severe drought led to massive wildfires in 1998, which left close to half of the forest charred and damaged. After efforts to salvage the area's timber, restoration again involved planting of pine seedlings.
, the largest lake in Florida after Lake Okeechobee
, and the largest lake of the St. Johns River
system. The river itself bounds a 3.5 miles (5.6 km) section of the forest, offering both a vibrant ecology and a wealth of recreation opportunities. The forest and associated wetlands are located within the Lake George watershed, and as such, serve as an important aquifer recharge area.
The arboreal composition of the Lake George State Forest is primarily longleaf and slash pines, with bald cypress and other bottomland hardwood hammocks found in lowland deposits and along the floodplain.
Lake George State Forest is part of two Wildlife Management Area
s (WMA) managed through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
. The forest's two southern tracts form the Dexter/Mary Farms Unit WMA, while the Astor Tract is grouped with adjacent land (like SJRWMD's and Volusia County's Lake George Forest and Conservation Area) to form the Lake George WMA. The WMAs of Lake George State Forest are part of a network of protected lands forming a wildlife corridor
and roaming habitat which is critical to the survival of the Florida black bear
. Other species of wildlife that call the area home include the bald eagle
, sandhill crane
, white-tail deer, wild turkey
, gopher tortoise
, and bobcat
.
.
No boat ramps are available within the State Forest boundaries, but community boat ramps are found nearby. Small watercraft such as canoes can launch from the river bank.
Visitors may access the forest during daylight hours. Roads, designated trails, and permanent fire lines are available for hiking, bicycling, and horseback riding. Primitive camping, hunting, and vehicle access is also possible by obtaining a permit from the State Forest Service.
Protected areas of the United States
The protected areas of the United States are managed by an array of different federal, state, tribal and local level authorities and receive widely varying levels of protection. Some areas are managed as wilderness, while others are operated with acceptable commercial exploitation. , according to...
and state forest
State forest
A state forest is a forest that is administered or protected by some agency of a sovereign state.The precise application of the term varies by jurisdiction...
in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
state of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. The 21176 acres (86 km²) forest is located in northwestern Volusia County
Volusia County, Florida
Volusia County is a county located in the state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2010 official county's population was 494,593 . Its county seat is DeLand, and its most populous city is currently Deltona....
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, near Lake George
Lake George (Florida)
Lake George or Lake Welaka is a broad and shallow brackish lake on the St. Johns River in the U.S. state of Florida.-Geography:Lake George is six miles wide and eleven miles long, with an average depth of 8 feet . The west side of the lake is encompassed in the Ocala National Forest...
and the communities of Pierson
Pierson, Florida
Pierson is a town in Volusia County, Florida, United States. The population was 2,596 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 2,606 .-About Pierson:...
, Barberville
Barberville, Florida
Barberville is an unincorporated community in Volusia County, Florida, United States. It is located at the intersection of State Road 40 and US 17.-Geography:Barberville is located at ....
, and Volusia
Volusia, Florida
Volusia is an unincorporated community in Volusia County, Florida on the eastern shore of the St. Johns River, about three miles south of Lake George and across the river from the town of Astor in Lake County...
. It is overseen by the Division of Forestry within the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is an executive department of the government of Florida.The Commissioner of Agriculture is the head of the department...
.
Lake George State Forest is divided into three tracts of land. The northernmost Astor Tract stretches roughly from a point between Pierson and Lake George south to State Road 40 east of the Volusia settlement. South of SR 40 are the Mary Farms and Dexter Tracts, which encompasses land between the St. Johns River
St. Johns River
The St. Johns River is the longest river in the U.S. state of Florida and its most significant for commercial and recreational use. At long, it winds through or borders twelve counties, three of which are the state's largest. The drop in elevation from the headwaters to the mouth is less than ;...
to the west, and Barberville, US 17
U.S. Route 17
U.S. Route 17 or U.S. Highway 17 is a north–south United States highway. The highway spans the southeastern United States and is close to the Atlantic Coast for much of its length. The highway's southern terminus is at Punta Gorda, Florida, at an intersection with U.S. Route 41...
, and De Leon Springs State Park
De Leon Springs State Park
De Leon Springs State Park is a Florida State Park in Volusia County, Florida. It is located in De Leon Springs, off CR 3.-Geology:The park covers 611 acres of Volusia County, built around a natural sulfur spring, flowing at a rate of about a day, that remains 72 degrees Fahrenheit year-round and...
to the east, and south to the banks of Lake Dexter, Spring Garden Creek, and the Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge
Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge
The Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge is part of the United States National Wildlife Refuge System, located in north central Florida, twenty-five miles west of Daytona Beach, off U.S. Highway 17 in DeLeon Springs....
.
Lake George State Forest should not be confused with the Lake George Forest, a separate 7858 acres (32 km²) property to the immediate north which is jointly owned by Volusia County and the St. Johns River Water Management District
St. Johns River Water Management District
The St. Johns River Water Management District is one of five Florida water management districts that is responsible for managing groundwater and surface water resources in Florida. SJRWMD covers an 18-county region in northeast and east-central Florida...
(SJRWMD), or the Lake George Conservation Area, a 11973 acres (48 km²) site owned by the SJRWMD.
History
Prior to European settlement, the area had for thousands of years been the home to native American tribes like the extinct TimucuaTimucua
The Timucua were a Native American people who lived in Northeast and North Central Florida and southeast Georgia. They were the largest indigenous group in that area and consisted of about 35 chiefdoms, many leading thousands of people. The various groups of Timucua spoke several dialects of the...
. They left behind a rich archaeological history in the form of large midden
Midden
A midden, is an old dump for domestic waste which may consist of animal bone, human excrement, botanical material, vermin, shells, sherds, lithics , and other artifacts and ecofacts associated with past human occupation...
s of freshwater shellfish, which they deposited along the banks of the St. Johns River and Lake George. The Bluffton Mound and Midden
Midden
A midden, is an old dump for domestic waste which may consist of animal bone, human excrement, botanical material, vermin, shells, sherds, lithics , and other artifacts and ecofacts associated with past human occupation...
at the Bluffton Recreation Area in Lake George State Forest is one such example.
Lake George State Forest is formed from lands previously resourced for timber, production of naval stores, cattle grazing, and hunting. Cypress
Taxodium distichum
Taxodium distichum is a species of conifer native to the southeastern United States.-Characteristics:...
logging, by way of canals dug into the swampland, occurred up until 1910. The 1930s saw much of the land forested with longleaf
Longleaf Pine
Pinus palustris, commonly known as the Longleaf Pine, is a pine native to the southeastern United States, found along the coastal plain from eastern Texas to southeast Virginia extending into northern and central Florida....
and slash pine
Slash Pine
Pinus elliottii, commonly known as the Slash Pine, is a pine native to the southeastern United States, from southern South Carolina west to southeastern Louisiana, and south to the Florida Keys....
, or left in service of the Florida Cracker
Florida cracker
Florida cracker refers to original colonial-era English and American pioneer settlers of what is now the U.S. state of Florida, and their descendants. The first Florida crackers arrived in 1763 when Spain traded Florida to Great Britain...
cattle industry. After decades of aggressive harvesting, the 1960s saw reforestation efforts again plant slash pine.
Dry conditions brought on by severe drought led to massive wildfires in 1998, which left close to half of the forest charred and damaged. After efforts to salvage the area's timber, restoration again involved planting of pine seedlings.
Natural features
Lake George State Forest is named for Lake GeorgeLake George (Florida)
Lake George or Lake Welaka is a broad and shallow brackish lake on the St. Johns River in the U.S. state of Florida.-Geography:Lake George is six miles wide and eleven miles long, with an average depth of 8 feet . The west side of the lake is encompassed in the Ocala National Forest...
, the largest lake in Florida after Lake Okeechobee
Lake Okeechobee
Lake Okeechobee , locally referred to as The Lake or The Big O, is the largest freshwater lake in the state of Florida. It is the seventh largest freshwater lake in the United States and the second largest freshwater lake contained entirely within the lower 48 states...
, and the largest lake of the St. Johns River
St. Johns River
The St. Johns River is the longest river in the U.S. state of Florida and its most significant for commercial and recreational use. At long, it winds through or borders twelve counties, three of which are the state's largest. The drop in elevation from the headwaters to the mouth is less than ;...
system. The river itself bounds a 3.5 miles (5.6 km) section of the forest, offering both a vibrant ecology and a wealth of recreation opportunities. The forest and associated wetlands are located within the Lake George watershed, and as such, serve as an important aquifer recharge area.
Lake George State Forest is part of two Wildlife Management Area
Wildlife Management Area
Wildlife Management Areas are protected areas set aside in for the conservation of wildlife and for recreational activities involving wildlife.-United States:In the U.S., WMAs exist in the following states:* Alabama* Florida* Georgia* Louisiana...
s (WMA) managed through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is a Florida government agency charged with managing the state's fish and wildlife resources, regulating Florida's fisheries and wildlife, and enforcing related laws...
. The forest's two southern tracts form the Dexter/Mary Farms Unit WMA, while the Astor Tract is grouped with adjacent land (like SJRWMD's and Volusia County's Lake George Forest and Conservation Area) to form the Lake George WMA. The WMAs of Lake George State Forest are part of a network of protected lands forming a wildlife corridor
Wildlife corridor
A wildlife corridor or green corridor is an area of habitat connecting wildlife populations separated by human activities . This allows an exchange of individuals between populations, which may help prevent the negative effects of inbreeding and reduced genetic diversity that often occur within...
and roaming habitat which is critical to the survival of the Florida black bear
Florida Black Bear
The Florida black bear is a subspecies of the American black bear that has historically ranged throughout most of Florida and southern portions of Alabama and Georgia. The large black-furred bears live mainly in forested areas and have seen recent habitat reduction throughout the state...
. Other species of wildlife that call the area home include the bald eagle
Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
, sandhill crane
Sandhill Crane
The Sandhill Crane is a large crane of North America and extreme northeastern Siberia. The common name of this bird references habitat like that at the Platte River, on the edge of Nebraska's Sandhills in the American Midwest...
, white-tail deer, wild turkey
Wild Turkey
The Wild Turkey is native to North America and is the heaviest member of the Galliformes. It is the same species as the domestic turkey, which derives from the South Mexican subspecies of wild turkey .Adult wild turkeys have long reddish-yellow to grayish-green...
, gopher tortoise
Gopherus polyphemus
The gopher tortoise is a species of the Gopherus genus native to the southeastern United States. The gopher tortoise is seen as a keystone species because it digs burrows that provide shelter for 360 other animal species...
, and bobcat
Bobcat
The bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family Felidae, appearing during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago . With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States...
.
Recreation
Numerous recreation opportunities are found at Lake George State Forest, including fishing (on the river, lake, and at Jenkins Pond), picnicking, and an interpretive nature trail three-quarter mile (1.21 km) in length. The fall and spring months bring great opportunities for migratory bird-watching, as the forest is part of the Great Florida Birding TrailGreat Florida Birding Trail
The 2000 mile long Great Florida Birding Trail is a collection of more than 400 locations in the U.S. state of Florida...
.
No boat ramps are available within the State Forest boundaries, but community boat ramps are found nearby. Small watercraft such as canoes can launch from the river bank.
Visitors may access the forest during daylight hours. Roads, designated trails, and permanent fire lines are available for hiking, bicycling, and horseback riding. Primitive camping, hunting, and vehicle access is also possible by obtaining a permit from the State Forest Service.