Bottoms Road extends out through salt marsh to a county-owned boat launch on the Gulf. Along the way, watch and listen for Clapper Rails and wading birds in the marsh. The marsh is also a good place to look for Nelson's Sparrow (winter) and Seaside Sparrow (year-round).
Take one of the park's river cruises to get excellent views of Least Bitterns, Yellow-crowned Night-Herons, White Ibises, and wintering Hooded Mergansers. Alligators, Suwannee River Cooters and mullet are commonly seen; manatees are often found in the river and spring as well. The park also features the historic Wakulla Lodge with 27 guest rooms overlooking the springs, as well as a restaurant, soda fountain, and gift shop.
This recreation area in the east portion of the Apalachicola National Forest is different from the lower, longleaf savannah habitats of the tracts closer to the river. Here, higher sandhills of pine and turkey oak are broken by erosion in the underlying limestone, causing deep, dramatic crystal blue sinkholes which are rimmed with hardwoods.
Check the boardwalk and waterfront for night-herons and Prothonotary Warblers, and hike the short trail to the left side of the property upon entering. Along the hiking trail look for Yellow-billed Cuckoos in spring, as well as Mississippi and Swallow-tailed Kites circling overhead in the summer.
Upon entering this state park, ask at the gate for the locations of active Red-cockaded Woodpecker (RCWs) cavities or recent sightings. Head to the parking area at the end of the road, and in the northeastern corner, take the "Scenic Drive" loop road, which you may drive, bike or walk.
Though not as famous as the St. Marks Unit, St. Marks NWR's Panacea Unit offers good birding too. Make a quick trip to the picnic area and boat launch at the end to check the cypress for Prothonotary Warblers and occasional wading birds, or choose to hike one of the longer trails.
This Wakulla County park is worth a quick stop for a picnic lunch and a look for shorebirds. The parking area offers an easy vantage of loafing shorebirds in fall-winter-spring such as Short-billed Dowitchers, Dunlin, Willets, Marbled Godwits, Black Skimmers and more.
Spanning three counties, and with more than 300 recorded bird species, the 68,000-acre St. Marks NWR is a must-see. The St. Marks Unit includes refuge headquarters and the historic St. Marks Lighthouse; it's also the unit most popular with birders and wildlife viewers, for good reason.
Bottoms Road extends out through salt marsh to a county-owned boat launch on the Gulf. Along the way, watch and listen for Clapper Rails and wading birds in the marsh. The marsh is also a good place to look for Nelson’s Sparrow (winter) and Seaside Sparrow (year-round).
Take one of the park’s river cruises to get excellent views of Least Bitterns, Yellow-crowned Night-Herons, White Ibises, and wintering Hooded Mergansers. Alligators, Suwannee River Cooters and mullet are commonly seen; manatees are often found in the river and spring as well. The park also features the historic Wakulla Lodge with 27 guest rooms overlooking the springs, as well as a restaurant, soda fountain, and gift shop.
This recreation area in the east portion of the Apalachicola National Forest is different from the lower, longleaf savannah habitats of the tracts closer to the river. Here, higher sandhills of pine and turkey oak are broken by erosion in the underlying limestone, causing deep, dramatic crystal blue sinkholes which are rimmed with hardwoods.
Check the boardwalk and waterfront for night-herons and Prothonotary Warblers, and hike the short trail to the left side of the property upon entering. Along the hiking trail look for Yellow-billed Cuckoos in spring, as well as Mississippi and Swallow-tailed Kites circling overhead in the summer.
Upon entering this state park, ask at the gate for the locations of active Red-cockaded Woodpecker (RCWs) cavities or recent sightings. Head to the parking area at the end of the road, and in the northeastern corner, take the “Scenic Drive” loop road, which you may drive, bike or walk.
Though not as famous as the St. Marks Unit, St. Marks NWR’s Panacea Unit offers good birding too. Make a quick trip to the picnic area and boat launch at the end to check the cypress for Prothonotary Warblers and occasional wading birds, or choose to hike one of the longer trails.
This Wakulla County park is worth a quick stop for a picnic lunch and a look for shorebirds. The parking area offers an easy vantage of loafing shorebirds in fall-winter-spring such as Short-billed Dowitchers, Dunlin, Willets, Marbled Godwits, Black Skimmers and more.
Spanning three counties, and with more than 300 recorded bird species, the 68,000-acre St. Marks NWR is a must-see. The St. Marks Unit includes refuge headquarters and the historic St. Marks Lighthouse; it’s also the unit most popular with birders and wildlife viewers, for good reason.
The Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail is a network of more than 500 premier wildlife viewing sites across the state. When you want to know where to go in Florida to see native birds, butterflies and more, head for the Trail.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Russell Office Park
1875 Orange Ave. East
Tallahassee, FL 32311