Near the mouth of the Suwannee River along the Gulf of Mexico north of Cedar Key, the Dennis Creek Trail interprets both landscape and history.
Along this easy interpretive loop, explore a landscape where aquaculture reigned supreme more than 6,000 years ago, as evidenced by Shell Mound.
Coastal pine flatwoods along Dennis CreekResources
Resources for exploring the area
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Overview
Location: Cedar Key
Length: 1 mile loop
Trailhead: 29.208192, -83.062787
Address: 17650 SW 78 PL, Cedar Key
Fees: Free
Restroom: At Shell Mound Boat Ramp
Land manager: U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Phone: 352-495-0238
Open dawn to dusk. Expect mosquitoes and sand fleas except in winter.
Directions
From the intersection of US 19/98 and SR 24 in Otter Creek, north of Inglis, follow SR 24 west towards Cedar Key for 18.8 miles, passing Cedar Key Scrub en route. Turn right on CR 347. Drive 2.3 miles, passing a second trailhead for Cedar Key Scrub. Turn left on CR 326. Follow it a mile to the campground at Shell Mound County Park (the address provided). The pavement ends. Continue less than a quarter mile to the trailhead parking on the left under the oaks. The trailhead is shared with the Shell Mound Trail.
Hike
Follow the footpath from the “Dennis Creek Loop Trail” sign into a coastal hammock between a corridor of saw palmetto under the tightly- knit canopy of windswept oaks.
Through the trees on the right is the sweep of the tidal marsh, the open coastal savanna that characterizes the Gulf Coast up through the Big Bend.
Trailhead kioskBlack needlerush sticks its spiky points through the footpath. A worn path comes in from the left from the campground.
Turn right at this trail junction to cross a boardwalk over the salt flats. This side of the crossing to the island sometimes has no water under it, but the flats may be mucky.
Long boardwalk over the flatsTo the right, the expanse of marsh is broken by channel markers in the distance, indicating how close the trail is to the Gulf of Mexico where the Suwannee River pours into it.
The boardwalk leads the trail to an island topped with slash pine and cedar. At a sharp turn, make a left to visit a scenic overlook.
Observation deck on the islandThis shaded deck offers benches and an outstanding view of a large lake that makes up the center of the island.
It’s an excellent stop for birding. The trail continues past it beneath cedars and palms to a wrack line on the island.
Saltwater pond in the middle of the islandA boardwalk stretches across this needlerush marsh to the next island in the chain, which is topped by pine flatwoods.
Gnarled live oaks form a canopy along the tidal flow of Dennis Creek, edged by a sandy shoreline. A bench sits in the shade of an oak hammock at a half mile.
Bench on Dennis CreekContinue a little farther along the trail for an expansive view, where water moves swiftly between what remains of the pilings of a dock.
Oyster beds are visible in the muck of the marsh at low tide.
Path through the scrub forest on the loopTurning away from the creek, the trail rises into an oak scrub and scrubby flatwoods topped with tall slash pines.
Cross a short boardwalk edged with midden material, mounds with dried oyster shells. An interpretive sign calls your attention to the habitat.
Short boardwalk connecting islandsAfter the next stretch of pine flatwoods, another boardwalk bridges the gap to the mainland. Off to the right is a ribbon of waterway in the distance.
The narrow trail straight ahead leads to the campground at Shell Mound County Park. Turn left.
Dennis Creek as seen from the last boardwalkPassing the start of the loop out to the islands, continue straight ahead, paralleling both marsh and access road.
Reaching the parking area after a mile, take the time to visit the adjacent Shell Mound Trail, which showcases one of Florida’s largest remaining coastal middens.
Trail Map
Explore More!
Learn more about Lower Suwannee NWR
Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge
One of Florida’s more remote National Wildlife Refuges, the Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge spans two counties, protecting a sweep of more than 53,000 acres and 30 miles of coastline along the Big Bend
Slideshow
See our photos of the Dennis Creek Trail
Nearby Adventures
More worth exploring while you’re in this area.
Cedar Key Scrub Reserve
Along a gradient of habitats from scrub to coastal salt marsh, Cedar Key Scrub Reserve provides two loop trails open to hikers, cyclists, and equestrians.
River Trail
Immerse in the massive floodplain forest surrounding the Suwannee River as it nears the Gulf of Mexico, on the the River Trail at Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge, a boardwalk to the river’s edge
Atsena Otie Key
The original Cedar Key isn’t where you think it is. It’s offshore, within sight of the current historic waterfront, an island called Atsena Otie Key, part of Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge.
Cedar Key Museum Historic State Park
A museum started by seashell collector St. Clair Whitman also honors the legacy of John Muir’s travels through Florida on foot at Cedar Key Museum Historic State Park.