Etoniah Creek State Forest - Florahome, FL
N 29° 45.797 W 081° 50.815
17R E 418122 N 3292856
Etoniah Creek State Forest is a 8,679-acre (35 km2) forest located in North Central Florida, near Palatka.
Waymark Code: WM4W8E
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 10/05/2008
Views: 12
From the
Etoniah Creek State Forest website:
Etoniah Creek State Forest contains 8,679 acres of various natural communities. The forest was acquired as part of the Etoniah/Cross Florida Greenway Conservation and Recreation Lands (CARL) project. Etoniah Creek State Forest is named after Etonia Creek, a stream which travels 2.5 miles through the eastern portion of the forest.
Location
Etoniah Creek State Forest is located in northern Putnam County in northeast Florida. The forest headquarters is located northeast of Florahome. From Florahome, go 2 miles east to Holloway Road. Go north on Holloway road 2.6 miles to the second forest road on the right (Fieldhouse Road). The office is 1/2 mile down Fieldhouse Road.
Natural Features
Several of the streams found in Etoniah Creek State Forest, including Etonia Creek, Rice Creek and Falling Branch drift through scenic bottomland hardwoods lined with steep sloping banks, flowing out of George's Lake which has 491 feet of lake frontage along the state forest boundary.
The forest is home to a variety of wildlife and is part of a wildlife corridor that offers the black bear a vast roaming area, a necessity for their existence. Other types of wildlife which are commonly found on the forest include: white-tailed deer, bobcat, fox squirrel, wild turkey, eastern diamondback rattlesnake and great horned owl. Species found on the forest that are listed as endangered, threatened or species of special concern include eastern indigo snake, gopher tortoise, Florida scrub jay and red-cockaded woodpecker.
Recreation
Recreational activities on the forest include hiking, fishing, canoeing, hunting, nature study, wildlife viewing and photography. There are two designated trails for horseback riding and trails for bicycling will be established in the near future.
Etoniah Creek State Forest contains a hiking trail, the Longleaf Pine Trail, that is included in the Florida Division of Forestry's Trailwalker Program. The trailhead for the Longleaf Pine Trail is located 200 yards off Coral Farms Road on Tinsley Road. This trail is marked in blue. Information on the Trailwalker hiking program is available at the Hollister Work Center which is located 7 miles east of Interlachen on Hwy. 20, the forest headquarters which is located 10 miles west of Palatka on Hwy. 20, the trailhead kiosk, or by telephoning 850/414-0871.
Etoniah Creek State Forest is managed as a Wildlife Management Area by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Hunting is permitted only during designated seasons. Visit MyFWC.com/hunting for information.