Kingsley Lake


Kingsley Lake is a nearly circular freshwater sinkhole lake located in Clay County, Florida. Covering approximately, it is among Florida's most distinctively shaped lakes, often nicknamed the "Silver Dollar Lake" for its near-perfect roundness. The lake sits atop Florida's ancient Trail Ridge at approximately above sea level, among the state's highest natural elevations.

Geological formation

Kingsley Lake occupies a steep-sided sinkhole formed by the dissolution of underlying limestone bedrock, a process characteristic of Florida’s extensive karst topography. Composed primarily of calcium carbonate, the limestone readily dissolves when exposed to slightly acidic rainwater and groundwater, creating depressions and caverns that can collapse into sinkholes. Kingsley Lake’s sandy bottom slopes gently along its perimeter before dropping sharply into a central basin reaching deep.
The lake lies within a low point on the Trail Ridge, a Pleistocene-era coastal dune system that forms one of Florida’s oldest emergent landforms.

Hydrology

Kingsley Lake is classified as an Oligotrophic lake, characterized by very low nutrient concentrations, high water clarity, and minimal algal growth. The lake sits on a perched aquifer system within the sandy Trail Ridge formation, receiving recharge primarily from rainfall and shallow surficial aquifer seepage through its sandy bottom. No significant spring inflows exist. Outflows occur primarily through limited seepage into underlying aquifers and seasonal discharge into the North Fork Black Creek, which ultimately joins the St. Johns River.
Seismic reflection studies by the USGS confirm that Kingsley Lake occupies a solution-collapse sinkhole within the Trail Ridge sands, with underlying limestone karst features. While some potential subsurface breaches exist, current hydrologic assessments indicate that the lake bottom remains largely sealed by sand, limiting any active connection with the deeper Floridan aquifer system.
Hydrologic monitoring data demonstrate Kingsley Lake’s unusual long-term stability, with only minor water-level fluctuations recorded from 1945 to 1995. The St. Johns River Water Management District continues periodic monitoring today.
2024 water quality data include:
  • pH ≈ 5.9
  • Dissolved oxygen ≈ 8.5 mg/L
  • Secchi depth ≈ 7.2 ft
  • Turbidity ≈ 0.9 NTU
  • Trophic State Index: 35

    Ecology

Aquatic vegetation is sparse except near the shoreline. The deeper basin lacks vegetation due to light limitation, steep bathymetry, and low nutrients.
Fish include largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, and catfish. Animals include alligators, turtles, ospreys, herons, egrets, kingfishers, gopher tortoise, indigo snake, Red-cockaded woodpecker, and Florida black bears. The Kingsley Lake watershed includes designated critical habitat for the federally protected Black Creek crayfish, which inhabits nearby tributaries and is highly sensitive to water quality degradation.

Human history

The Kingsley Lake basin has seen continuous human activity for centuries. The area was inhabited by Timucuan-speaking Native Americans prior to European contact. The lake’s name likely derives from Zephaniah Kingsley, an English-born slave trader and planter active in early 19th-century Florida.
From 1946 to 2002, Strickland’s Landing operated as a popular lakeside resort on the north shore, offering swimming beaches, water slides, boat rentals, bathhouses, and a snack bar. Strickland’s Landing became a major recreational attraction for Clay County and Jacksonville residents until closing in 2002 due to rising insurance costs and declining attendance.

Recreation and access

Public access is very limited. Roughly half the shoreline lies within Camp Blanding, a Florida National Guard installation; the remainder consists of private residential properties with ~180 private docks. There are no public boat ramps or beaches. A small Clay County park offers a playground and basketball courts but no water access. Because of its restricted public access and protective management, Kingsley Lake remains one of Florida's few large natural lakes to avoid significant shoreline development or nutrient impairment.
Military lodging and recreation within Camp Blanding include:
  • , a hotel-style facility with standard rooms and suites.
  • , offering full hookup RV sites on-post.
  • Additional MWR-managed sites offering RV pads, cabins, primitive camping, boat launches, pavilions, and picnic areas.

    Camp Blanding

Since 1939, Kingsley Lake has been integral to the development of Camp Blanding, which occupies approximately of uplands surrounding the lake. During World War II, Camp Blanding expanded to nearly and trained approximately 800,000 soldiers as one of the Army's major infantry training centers. During World War II, Kingsley Lake hosted officer housing, hospital facilities, and parade grounds along its western shoreline.
Today, Camp Blanding remains the primary training site for the Florida National Guard, hosting Army and Air National Guard units, U.S. Army Reserve, ROTC, and allied military training missions. Specialized schools include air assault, counterdrug operations, leadership development exercises, and joint interagency training. Kingsley Lake continues to support limited water-based military training and serves as a recreational resource for authorized military personnel.

Research and monitoring

Kingsley Lake has been studied for its geology, hydrology, and ecology:
  • Geophysical surveys: High-resolution seismic profiling by the USGS.
  • Hydrology: Long-term water quality monitoring by USGS and Florida LAKEWATCH.
  • Fisheries research: Telemetry and population studies by FWC.
  • Water management: Designated high-quality water body under St. Johns River Water Management District basin classification.