Kudos for Crooked River State Park

Crooked River State Park (at the end of Spur 40 AKA Charlie Smith Sr. Hwy beyond and beside the Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base) received the GA Department of Natural Resources most outstanding park operation award. The regional manager for the GA State Parks and Historic Sites in region 2 says, “Crooked River is a park that does all things well.” On that I must agree. They manage and maintain the grounds, save money by doing things that might be done by outside contractors in other parks, and keep and maintain equipment that is shared among other parks in the area. They assist local law enforcement in training and search and rescue operations.

In previous blog posts I have mentioned the park’s miniature golf course and gopher tortoises. Crooked River State Park also plays an important role in the setting in my book, Play on Words, and again in the setting of another project I have in the works.

The article in the Georgia Times Union mentions that Crooked River State Park is known for its nature center, bird blind, birding and other nature programs, and guided kayak trips but there is much more to enjoy there. The park has several trails, two favorites of mine are the Semper Virens and marsh trails. Hiking in through the woods deep into the canopy where you are surrounded by the sounds of nature, transports you away from civilization where and you can discover shell mounds of earlier native cultures and trees that have survived from those times to the present. Depending on the tide you can find fiddler and Dungeness crabs and an occasional fisherman sitting on a cooler along with a beautiful view of the marsh grasses and the wildlife that frequents the marsh and spy dolphins in the river and an occasional manatee. The camp grounds, cabins, and pavilions screened or open, and the playgrounds round out the experience with plenty of paved and unpaved places for bicycling too.

Crooked River State Park is also a partner in education to the public and the schools in our county. They organize and host educational experiences for visiting school groups on field trips through-out the year and take their expertise on the road to the schools bringing animals and artifacts out to the schools when asked.

So kudos to Crooked River State Park, another part of what makes St. Marys a great place, a quiet treasure well deserving of this award.