Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
You can also scuba dive (bring your own gear and buddy, and register at the office) at
the springhead, which gushes 117 million gallons of water per day, or canoe or kayak
along the spring run (boat rentals $8 to $10 hourly). Scuba diving, canoeing and kayaking
can be organized through the park office. On dry land - which is a uniquely spongy combo
of sand and limestone shaded by tupelo, cypress and pine trees - there's the 8.5-mile-long
North End hiking-cycling trail
on your right as you enter the park. Camping ($2 per site)
is also available at 94 shady spots with picnic tables and ground grills. A highlight here is
the wheelchair-accessible raised timber boardwalk that traces the narrow spring down to
the Suwannee River as it flows to the gulf and out to sea.
Ranger programs include guided canoe journeys, moonlight hikes, nature walks and oc-
casional covered-wagon rides. Contact the park office for details.
Cedar Key
Jutting 3 miles into the Gulf of Mexico, this windswept and isolated island has a bit of a
wild-frontier feel: an enchantingly ramshackle downtown of historic buildings, roadhouses
with parking lots full of Harleys, long stretches of uninhabited bayou, meadows and bay.
The otherworldly landscape sings with marshes that reflect candy-colored sunsets, and tiny
hills offering sweeping island views. Cedar Key is just one of 100 islands (13 of which are
part of the Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge) that make up this coastal community,
which is gloriously abundant with wildlife and friendly, small-town vibes.
As the western terminus of the trans-Florida railroad in the late 1800s, Cedar Key was
one of Florida's largest towns, second only to St Augustine. Its primary industry was wood
(for Faber pencils), which eventually deforested the islands; an 1896 hurricane destroyed
what was left. Consequently, the trees here are less than 100 years old. Aquaculture has re-
cently revived the town's economy: spurred by government subsidies when net fishing was
banned, it's now the largest clam-farming region in the country.
Sights & Activities
Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge
WILDLIFE RESERVE
(
352-493-0238;
www.fws.gov/cedarkeys
;
8am-sunset)
