| Crooked River State Park | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Sunset, Crooked River State Park | |
  Show map of Georgia Show map of the United States | |
| Type | Public |
| Location | Near St. Marys, Georgia |
| Coordinates | 30°50′35″N 81°33′29″W / 30.84306°N 81.55806°W / 30.84306; -81.55806 |
| Area | 500 acres |
| Operated by | Georgia Department of Natural Resources |
| Website | Crooked River |
Crooked River State Park is a 500-acre (2.0 km) Georgia state park located near St. Mary's on the south bank of the Crooked River, providing an excellent coastal setting. The park is dedicated to the preservation of its natural resources and public education. The park is near the ruins of the McIntosh Sugarworks, built around 1825 and used as a starch factory during the American Civil War. It is the closest state park to Cumberland Island National Seashore and it is adjacent to the Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay.
History
The earliest residents of Crooked River State Park were the Guale and the Timucua Indians who were pushed out and moved southward in the 1700s. Once a Royal Land Grant, Crooked River State Park was confiscated at the end of the revolution and owned by Robert Montfort. In 1792, Alexander Elliot purchased the area of the park known today as Elliott’s Bluff. Records indicate in 1824, John H. McIntosh owned Mush Bluff, south of the park and Elliot’s Bluff. Evidence of this plantation era and earlier times remain on the park’s grounds including old bottles, planted pines, and oyster shell middens found along marsh edge on east side of park. The unofficial opening day of Crooked River State Park was March 27, 1947.
Facilities
- 52 tent/trailer/RV campsites
- 11 Cottages
- 4 Picnic Shelters
- 2 Group Shelters
- 1 Pioneer Campground
- Public access boat ramp
External links
- Crooked River State Park, Georgia State Parks
- Georgia's Coast in photographs and more
References
- Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins (PDF). Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 54. ISBN 0-915430-00-2.
- "Crooked River State Park". State Parks & Historic Sites. October 27, 2016. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
- "History of Georgia State Parks" (PDF). Georgia State Parks & Historic Sites. Retrieved August 11, 2022.