Wakulla County: St. Marks Wildlife Refuge
There’s many a mile to be explored in this 68,000-acre oasis that actually spans three counties on the Gulf of Mexico. If one were to explore on foot, they could trek 150 miles of roads, trails and levees while taking in the abundant wildlife, but the most popular road, which is in Wakulla County, leads to the lighthouse.
The oldest lighthouse on the Gulf of Mexico, and second oldest in Florida behind the Amelia Island lighthouse, the St. Marks Lighthouse stands 82 feet rising up from where the salt marshes meet the gulf. Built in 1842, it’s undergoing a renovation that looks to restore a light to the tower, and thus not currently open for those who wish to climb to the top. It still makes for a great photo opportunity, whether up closer or from across the marshes after a 15-minute hike up the water’s edge.
The biggest draw for nature lover’s though is the thousands of birds that call the refuge home, either permanently or as a stopover during migration. Bald eagles, white pelicans and flocks and flocks of water-loving birds. The refuge has 278 documented bird species within its borders that also includes longleaf pine and freshwater marsh ecosystems. It’s also home to dolphins, alligators and in the fall, hundreds of migrating monarch butterflies.
It’s about 20 miles from downtown Tallahassee to the visitor’s center, where you can see the lighthouse’s now-removed giant Fresnel lens. It’s another 10 miles from the entrance to the lighthouse.