Dunns Creek State Park

Dunns Creek State Park is a Florida State Park, located approximately 15 miles south of Palatka, on US 17. The park is named for John Dunn,^[1] a lawyer and coffee planter. He received a grant in 1765 that allowed him to farm an area “between the two lakes” in Putnam County.

Dunns Creek State Park
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)
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Location	Putnam County, Florida, USA
Nearest city	Crescent City, Florida
Coordinates	29°28′28″N 81°35′27″W
Governing body	Florida Department of Environmental Protection

History

Native Americans used this site as evidenced by the fairly widespread burial mounds. During the 1920s, a steamboat stop provided wood and water to citrus loaded ships. The area was also used as a post office for the towns of Pomona and Sisco. The 6,302-acre property was the site of turpentining, logging, cattle ranching and farming operations within the last century. Dunns Creek provides outflow from Crescent Lake to the St Johns River. The state park is located south of a sharp bend in the St. Johns River along Dunns Creek. While the park was added to the state park system in October 2001,^[2] just north across the creek lies the 6,302-acre Dunns Creek Conservation Area, purchased in 1992 by the St. Johns River Water Management District.^[3] Together they provide large floodplain areas and water storage, helping protect about five miles of shoreline on Dunns Creek with a buffer area shielding the aquatic systems from adverse impacts.