Trail Overview
Petersen Road takes you from west to east through the Astor Tract in the northern part of Lake George State Forest and connects Riley Pridgeon, Big Pond Road, and Crooked Road. The road gives you access to a few trails in the area. The road conditions are a mixture of packed sand, loose sand, and some deep holes that can turn into 2-foot deep mud holes after rainy days. Some sections might require 4WD. The trail is not always wide enough for two vehicles to pass. Off-Highway Vehicles (OHVs) are only permitted in designated areas and require proper titling and a State Forest OHV Permit. Please be aware that the cellphone reception is weak. Lake George State Forest is part of an extensive wildlife corridor that provides a crucial habitat and roaming area for the survival of the area's Florida black bear population. Lake George State Forest is one of several publicly owned tracts of land encircling Lake George, the second-largest lake in Florida. The St. Johns River borders 3.5 miles of the forest and provides a wealth of ecologically valuable communities as well as river-based recreation. The forest contributes to water resource protection of the Lake George watershed and aquifer recharge. Wildlife found in the forest includes the bald eagle, sandhill crane, white-tailed deer, wild turkey, and bobcat. A Daypass or Annual Pass is required.
History
The Bluffton Mound and Midden at the Bluffton Recreation Area illustrate the rich archaeological history of the St. Johns River and Lake George area. For thousands of years, indigenous peoples inhabited the area. Explorers of the 18th and 19th centuries first noticed the large mounds of freshwater shellfish that were created by these early inhabitants. Later, the shell mounds attracted some of Florida's earliest archaeologists. Today, little is left of the mounds because most were excavated for material to build roads.
