Kingsley Lake

USA / Florida / Lawtey /
 lake, sinkhole
Kingsley Lake was nicknamed “Silver Dollar Lake” by World War II flyers training at Camp Blanding because its almost perfect roundness and crystal clear waters made it look like a silver dollar from the air. It is 2-3/4 miles in diameter and has an 8 mile circumference. It has a surface area of 1,630 acres, and is 176.3 feet above sea level. The North Prong of Black Creek is it's outlet.
Kingsley Lake probably was formed as the result of a sinkhole. The bottom has the characteristic shape that is likely to form when sandy material slumps in a hole. The hole must have been of great depth since it was not filled in by all the earth which settled into it, leaving the long slopes all around the lake which are still visible today
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingsley_Lake
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   29°57'54"N   81°59'56"W

Comments

  • Nearly perfectly 2-miles in diameter. Nearly perfectly round! Not spring fed, but fed by the Fla. aquifer. About 20 ft deep, but I heard it has a few places that are 50ft deep. Fairly clear water. Lots of people water ski here.
  • Looks like a sinkhole. Lots of them in Florida.
  • It is a large sink hole. Spring fed. Florida National Guard, Camp Blanding, surrounds about half of it and private residents control most of the rest. Difficult to gain access if you want to put a boat in.
  • Kingsley Lake was formed as a result of a sinkhole and measures nearly two miles across with a surface area of approximately 2,000 acres. It is one of the deepest lakes in Florida (85 feet on an average) and has crystal clear water, white sandy beaches and a gently sloping sand bottom. The North Fork Black Creek has its headwaters in Kingsley Lake and it joins the South Fork Black Creek at the town of Middleburg to form Black Creek which is a major tributary of the St. Johns River.
  • As the lake is fed by the aquifer, the level is pretty constant throughout the year. The depth of the lake gradually slopes down to about 20-25ft... NOT the 85ft average as stated by a previous reviewer. Strickland’s Landing used to be the only public swimming access to Kingsley Lake but after Mr. Strickland’s passing in 2002, his family chose to sell the property as the upkeep was too costly. The property was sold to developers and now is private access only.
This article was last modified 8 years ago