The Goethe State Forest is in the
U.S.
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
state of
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
. The forest is located near the
gulf coast
The Gulf Coast of the United States, also known as the Gulf South, is the coast, coastline along the Southern United States where they meet the Gulf of Mexico. The list of U.S. states and territories by coastline, coastal states that have a shor ...
, north of
Dunnellon
Dunnellon is a city with the unique feature of sitting in 3 counties in Marion, Levy & Citrus counties in Florida, United States. The predominant part falls in the Marion county. The population was 1,928 at the 2020 census, up from 1,733 in 20 ...
. Four trailheads are located on
County Road 337. The main trail usage is
equestrian
The word equestrian is a reference to equestrianism, or horseback riding, derived from Latin ' and ', "horse".
Horseback riding (or Riding in British English)
Examples of this are:
* Equestrian sports
*Equestrian order, one of the upper classes i ...
, both riders and carts. Goethe is known for its population of
red cockaded woodpeckers, a rare bird
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...
to the
longleaf pine
The longleaf pine (''Pinus palustris'') is a pine species native to the Southeastern United States, found along the coastal plain from East Texas to southern Virginia, extending into northern and central Florida. In this area it is also known as ...
forests of the
southeastern coastal plain.
The forest was established in 1992 and named for James Tillinghast Goethe (1897-1993), a local lumber company owner who donated most of his land to the state for preservation. Other tracts of the land were purchased separately in 2010.
The main tract of the forest is also co-owned by the
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is a Florida government agency founded in 1999 and headquartered in Tallahassee. It manages and regulates the state's fish and wildlife resources, and enforces related laws. Officers ar ...
, which declares it the Goethe Wildlife Management Area. The Watermelon Pond tracts were purchased by the FWC in 2007 and merged with the forest in 2010.
Watermelon Pond Wildlife and Environmental Area (FWC)
/ref>
Gallery
Image:Goethe State Forest Florida sign01.jpg, Eastern entrance
Image:Goethe State Forest Florida01.jpg, SR 326 into the forest
Image:Goethe State Forest Florida02.jpg, SR 326 into the forest
See also
*List of Florida state forests
Florida's state forests are state forests overseen by the Florida Forest Service. There are 35 state forests in Florida covering more than 1,058,000 acres.[List of Florida state parks
There are 175 state parks and 9 state trails in the U.S. state of Florida which encompass more than , providing recreational opportunities for both residents and tourists.
Almost half of the state parks have an associated local 501(c)(3) non- ...]
References
External links
Florida Forest Service- FDACS
Florida state forests
Protected areas of Alachua County, Florida
Protected areas of Levy County, Florida
{{LevyCountyFL-geo-stub