Florida Hikes
Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides
19.5 miles. The Florida Trail on the eastern side of St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge provides what most refuge visitors come for: sweeping, unobstructed views of coastal marshes and the wildlife that migrates through them.
Nearly all of the hiking in this part of the refuge is on levees and forest roads, with a network of paths called the St. Marks Wilderness Trails interconnecting with the Florida Trail to the east of Lighthouse Road to form some loops for day hiking.
Access to this portion of the trail is limited to three points: a small, remote trailhead at the eastern end in Aucilla WMA; pulloffs along Lighthouse Road; and parking at the Visitor Center. To connect the eastern and western sides of the refuge on foot, it is necessary to flag down a boat or call one to pick you up to take you across the St. Marks River at the north end of the Port Leon section.
14.3 miles. Hugging the Big Bend coastline, this hike through Aucilla WMA and St. Marks NWR offers some of the most breathtaking panoramas you'll find along the Florida Trail, and a profusion of wildlife.
Built in 1842, the St. Marks Lighthouse played a pivotal role during the Civil War. Despite its light being quenched during the war, it remains a working lighthouse marking the location of the St. Marks River.
