Price's Scrub State Park

Price's Scrub State Park
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)
Pine flatwoods at Price's Scrub State Park, July 2020
Map showing the location of Price's Scrub State Park
Map showing the location of Price's Scrub State Park
Map showing the location of Price's Scrub State Park
Map showing the location of Price's Scrub State Park
LocationMarion County, Florida, US
Nearest cityMicanopy
Coordinates29°27′49″N 82°16′40″W / 29.46361°N 82.27778°W / 29.46361; -82.27778
Area962 acres (3.89 km2)
Governing bodyFlorida Department of Environmental Protection

Price’s Scrub State Park is a 962-acre Florida state park located in Marion County, Florida.[1] The park has relatively high biodiversity with several natural communities, including its scrub, and is important in the proposed regional connection of conservation lands.[1] The park is a part of the proposed Northwest Marion Greenway.[2][3] This corridor would connect Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park to Goethe State Forest and could be used for recreational activities, particularly horseback riding.[4][5]

Location

The location of the park is along Interstate 75.[4] Micanopy is one mile north, Ocala is 21 miles southeast, and Gainesville is 12 miles north, approximately.[6] Although it is located in Marion County, the park is contiguous with and south of Alachua County.[6]

History

The park lands were acquired by the state in 2002.[1] The purchase contract was negotiated for $1.97 million.[4] The purchasing funds came from the Greenways and Trails Florida Forever program.[6] The Department of Environmental Protection's Office of Greenways and Trails manages the land under a lease that expires after 50 years, in May 2053.[6]

Activities

Trail in the park

The park has a 9.5-mile trail network.[2][3] The trails in the north are more shaded with rolling hills, and the trails in the south are more sandy and open.[2][3][7] Possible activities include horseback riding, hiking, birdwatching and cycling.[2] Bicycling may be difficult in the sandy areas.[7] Amenities include a grassy parking lot, picnic tables, portable toilets, and a watering trough for horses.[2][3][7]

Ecology

The ecosystems are diverse,[4] containing at least fifteen natural communities including upland mixed forests, depression marshes, scrubs, scrubby flatwoods, wet flatwoods and sinkhole lakes.[1][6] In the northern part of the park, there is a moderately large sinkhole lake, called Water Lily Pond.[1]

There are canopies of sand pines and pond pines and has an understory of saw palmetto, fetterbush, gallberries, broom sedge, and saltbush among other flora.[5][7] Almost 70 species of birds have reported at the park.[7]

Archaeological significance

Additionally, there is archaeological significance at the park as it contains part of a stagecoach route that went from Ocala to Micanopy in the 19th century.[4] It also contains prehistoric archaeological sites.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f State Of Florida Department of Environmental Protection: Division of Recreation and Parks (September 2018). Price's Scrub State Park: Advisory Group Draft Unit Management Plan (PDF) (Report). Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Price's Scrub in Micanopy, FL". Visit Florida. March 3, 2017. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d "Price's Scrub State Park". Florida State Parks. July 2, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d e Arndorfer, Bob (June 16, 2002). "State Cabinet to consider purchase of Price's Scrub". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  5. ^ a b "Price's Scrub". Conservation Florida. December 7, 2014. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  6. ^ a b c d e Muller and Associates, Inc. with the Office of Greenways and Trails (June 14, 2004). Price's Scrub Greenway: Land Management Plan (PDF) (Report). Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  7. ^ a b c d e "Price's Scrub State Park". Outdoor Project. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
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