Lake June in Winter Scrub State Park, State park at Lake June in Winter, Florida.
Lake June in Winter Scrub State Park covers 845 acres with three miles of shoreline on the western bank and sandy trails threading through native scrub habitat. The park preserves one of the region's most fragile plant communities in its natural state.
The land bears marks from early turpentine extraction, with scars still visible on pine trunks from that industrial period. These remnants show how human activity once shaped this landscape before it became protected.
The lake's name connects to Melvil Dewey, creator of the Dewey Decimal System, who named the area after his New York resort. This historical link shapes how people understand and remember this place.
The trails and fishing areas open at 8 am and close at sunset each day, with canoe launch spots available for water exploration. Wear sturdy shoes on the sandy paths, as conditions vary across different trail sections.
The park protects one of Florida's rarest plant and animal communities found nowhere else in the world. Species like Florida scrub-jays, scrub lizards, and gopher tortoises depend entirely on these specific sandy conditions to survive.
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