Dunns Creek State Park protects sandhills and scrub along a sharp bend in the St. Johns River. It is home to at least eight healthy populations of rare Etonia rosemary (Conradina etonia), the only other occurrence on public land outside Etoniah Creek State Forest, and has a steephead ravine at one end of the park. A 1.5-mile nature trail and numerous forest roads provide access from a trailhead along US 17 just north of Crescent Lake.
Resources
Overview
Location: Crescent Lake
Length: 1.5 miles
Lat-Long: 29.520800, -81.625200
Type: loop
Fees / Permits: none
Difficulty: easy to moderate
Bug factor: low to moderate
Restroom: Yes
There is a privy and picnic tables at the parking area
Directions
Along US 17 between Pomona Park and Crescent City in Putnam County
Hike
Starting from the kiosk (check the map), follow the yellow blazes to hike the 1.5-mile loop. It traverses a hardwood forest that intersects patches of high, dry scrub. There are numerous forest road intersections; stick to the blazed path. The sand becomes soft after 0.5 mile. The trail divides into a loop. Keep to the right and you’ll pass a prairie framed by saw palmetto and oaks before looping around through the scrub. All of the roads are open for exploration, but stick to the yellow-blazed route if you’re looking for a short hike.