Established in 1943 for the protection of migratory birds, Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge encompasses more than 31,000 acres along the Gulf Coast.
Managed in tandem with Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge to its north, it is a wintering ground for manatees, an expanse largely only accessible by boat.
Bird’s eye view of islands at the north end of the refugeResources
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Overview
Location: Homosassa
Address: 1502 SE Kings Bay Dr, Crystal River
Fees: Free
Restroom: At Visitor Center and Dog Island Recreation Area
Land manager: U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Phone: 352-563-2088
Open dawn to dusk. Visitor Center and headquarters co-located with Crystal River NWR in Crystal River, Mon-Fri 10-4, Sat 10-3.
Fishing permitted with a Florida saltwater license. Seasonal duck hunting within specified zones in the refuge managed by FWC under Chassahowitzka WMA.
Directions
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1502, Southeast Kings Bay Drive, Paradise Point, Crystal River, Citrus County, Florida, 34429
About the Refuge
Spanning from the Homosassa River to the Chassahowitzka River, it is a landscape of shallow bays, needlerush marshes, and scattered islands.
Mangroves top the outer islands, while dense coastal hammocks heavy with cedar trees edge the wild coastline.
Coastal hammock fringed with salt marshAdjoined by Chassahowitzka WMA to the south and Crystal River NWR to the north, it is part of a vast conservation complex defining the Nature Coast.
Boaters can access the refuge via ramps on the Homosassa River, the Chassahowitzka River, and Mason Creek in Homosassa.
Along the edge of the refuge on the Homosassa RiverPaddling
The popular springs nourishing the Chassahowitzka River are outside the boundary of the refuge, but the river enters the refuge near Johnson Creek, 2.3 miles from the launch.
Paddlers who wish to visit Dog Island Recreation Area, 3.8 miles downriver, must put in at the river’s source in Chassahowitzka at the end of Miss Maggie Drive.
Chasshowitzka Spring pool near the head of the riverRemote Dog Island is a paddler’s destination with a pier boardwalk, picnic shelter, and composting toilet.
Any trip into the refuge necessitates paddling over and past showy springs in the upper river basin, with worthwhile side trips up the side channels.
Chassahowitzka River Trail Wildlife abounds within jungle-like landscapes along the spring-fed Chassahowitzka, a remote river on Florida’s Nature Coast.At the Salt Marsh Trails in Homosassa, a relatively flat central trail leads two tenths of a mile to a hand launch for paddlers.
The waterway meanders downstream towards Battle Creek and Mason Creek.
Hand launch adjoining the towerOnce you’re sitting at water level in the marsh, the walls of needlerush all look the same.
Consult tide charts and fix a GPS point of the launch location. Paddle out and back for your chosen distance or duration. Powerboats share the channel.
Winding channel through marsh near the launchSixteen miles of the Nature Coast segment (Segment 7) of the Florida Saltwater Circumnavigational Trail pass through the refuge.
Leaving the Homosassa River, the paddling trail heads south through Battle Creek along Tiger Tail Island, once part of David Yulee’s coastal sugar plantation.
The remains of Yulee’s sugar mill, interpreted in HomosassaThe route uses Mason Creek, Seven Cabbage Cutoff, and Dog Island Recreation Area as waypoints to aim for on the way to Ten Palms, a camping area on an island just south of the refuge boundary.
A tide chart is a must. No camping is permitted in the refuge but there is a campground near the head of the Chassahowitzka River
Open waters of the Chassahowitzka RiverHiking
The Salt Marsh Trails in Homosassa is the only location in the refuge where you can hike. A loop trail circles the peninsula, with a broad linear trail down the middle.
At the far end of the mile loop, the highlight an observation tower two stories above the marshes, adjoining the hand launch for paddlers and a small picnic area.
Picnic pavilion along the trailTrail Map
Explore More!
Video
Hiking the Salt Marsh Trails at Chassahowitzka NWR
Slideshow
Our photos of Chassahowitzka NWR
Nearby Adventures
Chassahowitzka WMA Protecting more than 34,000 acres of coastal habitats along Florida's Adventure Coast, Chassahowitzka WMA offers extensive exploration on its network of limerock roads.
Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins Historic State Park A set of interpreted ruins almost two centuries old sits under a dense canopy of ancient live oaks shared by a pretty picnic area in Old Homosassa. 
Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park A former roadside attraction at the source of the Homosassa River, this Florida State Park showcases native Florida wildlife.
Crystal River Preserve State Park Crystal River Preserve State Park spans 20 miles of the Gulf Coast between Yankeetown and Homosassa, protecting key manatee habitats along estuaries of the Gulf.
- Hal Scott Yellow Trail - November 3, 2026
- Hal Scott Preserve - October 28, 2026
- Tradewinds Park - October 27, 2026