St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, in Wakulla County,

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...

, is one of the oldest wildlife refuges in the United States. Established in 1931 as a wintering ground for migratory birds, it encompasses 68,000 acres (280 km²) spread between Wakulla, Jefferson, and Taylor Counties in the state of

. The refuge includes several

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United ...

coastal habitats, such as saltwater marshes, islands, tidal creeks, and the

estuaries An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environme ...

of seven north Florida

river A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of ...

s. It is home to a diverse range of

plant Plants are predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all current definitions of Plantae excl ...

and

animal Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the biological kingdom Animalia. With few exceptions, animals consume organic material, breathe oxygen, are able to move, can reproduce sexually, and go through an ontogenetic stage ...

life and also has a long history of human use, including structures such as the St. Marks Lighthouse, the second oldest

lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Lighthouses m ...

in Florida. The refuge is a 'gateway site' for the

Great Florida Birding Trail Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail (''GFBWT'') is a 2,000 mile (3200 km) long collection of more than 500 locations in the U.S. state of Florida where the state's bird habitats are protected. The trail promotes birdwatching, environment ...

. The refuge is inhabited by black bears, bobcats, otters, raccoons, foxes, coyotes, amphibians, alligators, snakes, and many different species of birds including wading birds, shorebirds, waterfowl and raptors. During migrations, bird species and numbers dramatically increase. There are numerous fishing venues and many different freshwater and saltwater fish for fishing enthusiasts. A boat ramp near the lighthouse offers direct access to the

St. Marks River The St. Marks River is a river in the Big Bend region of Florida. It has been classified by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection as an Outstanding Florida Water, and is the easternmost river within the Northwest Florida Water Man ...

and subsequently, the

. The boat ramp is subject to tidal influence and low tides may affect launching and retrieving abilities. Kayakers have direct access to the Gulf from the Lighthouse parking lot. Hikers and cyclists have their choice of miles of impoundments and trails to traverse through widely varied habitats and ecosystems. There is a biking trail that runs about 20 miles from south side of Tallahassee all the way down to the nearby town of St. Marks following an old railroad corridor. The St. Marks NWR also offers a wide range of subjects and settings for artistic expression via sketching and drawing, painting and photography. The refuge has a large Visitors Center with maps and brochures to help the visitors enjoy their trip. Inside the Visitors Center is a bookstore offering a wide variety of books and merchandise for sale. Next door to the Visitors Center is the Education building offering comfortable meeting facilities in one half of the building and facilities and staff devoted to education in the other half. The refuge attracts a large volunteer base that assists the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service by volunteering for research projects, outreach, and public events such as educational field trips, festivals, and historical celebrations. St. Marks NWR has a friends group in the St. Marks Refuge Association and a photography club, and the two organizations are prolific suppliers of volunteers for the refuge. The St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge is home to a wintering site for the endangered whooping cranes that are led south by the ultra-light aircraft of Operation Migration. Operation Migration begins training whooping crane chicks with the aircraft shortly after birth and continue to the time of migration when they act as surrogate parents leading the birds south and imprinting their first annual migration. The refuge is also a stopping point for the yearly

monarch butterfly migration Monarch butterfly migration is the phenomenon, mainly across North America, where the subspecies '' Danaus plexippus plexippus'' migrates each summer and autumn to and from overwintering sites on the West Coast of California or mountainous sites i ...

. A festival is hosted annually around the time of the migration each October to educate people on the practice of tagging monarchs as they continue through their migration. The St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge also served as the inspiration for the setting of author

Jeff VanderMeer Jeff VanderMeer (born July 7, 1968) is an American author, editor, and literary critic. Initially associated with the New Weird literary genre, VanderMeer crossed over into mainstream success with his bestselling Southern Reach Trilogy. The t ...

's '' Southern Reach Trilogy''.

Wilderness

Designated in 1975 by the U.S. Congress as part of the

National Wilderness Preservation System The National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS) of the United States protects federally managed wilderness areas designated for preservation in their natural condition. Activity on formally designated wilderness areas is coordinated by the Na ...

, the St. Marks Wilderness makes up 17,350 acres of the refuge. The

Florida National Scenic Trail The Florida Trail is one of eleven National Scenic Trails in the United States. It currently runs , from Big Cypress National Preserve (between Miami and Naples, Florida along the Tamiami Trail) to Fort Pickens at Gulf Islands National Seashore, ...

traverses the refuge for 41 miles including through a portion of the

wilderness area Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plural), are natural environments on Earth that have not been significantly modified by human activity or any nonurbanized land not under extensive agricultural cultivation. The term has traditionally re ...

.St. Marks Wilderness
- Wilderness Connect

Access

Public accesses to the refuge are located at: *Panacea Unit :Otter Lake, in

Panacea In Greek mythology, Panacea (Greek ''Πανάκεια'', Panakeia), a goddess of universal remedy, was the daughter of Asclepius and Epione. Panacea and her four sisters each performed a facet of Apollo's art: * Panacea (the goddess of univers ...

: Bottoms Road, in Panacea :Skipper Bay Road, south of Medart (may be closed) *Wakulla Unit :Purify Bay Road, in Medart : Shell Point Highway, north of Shell Point :Wakulla Beach Road, east of Shell Point *St. Marks Unit : Lighthouse Road, the main entrance, in Newport :Mandalay Bay Road, just east of the

Aucilla River The Aucilla River rises in Brooks County, Georgia, USA, close to Thomasville, and passes through the Big Bend region of Florida, emptying into the Gulf of Mexico at Apalachee Bay. Some early maps called it the Ocilla River. It is long and h ...

in Taylor County. There is no paved public access to the refuge in Jefferson County.

References

External links

St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge
{{authority control Protected areas of Jefferson County, Florida National Wildlife Refuges in Florida Protected areas of Taylor County, Florida Protected areas of Wakulla County, Florida Protected areas established in 1931 Wetlands of Florida Landforms of Jefferson County, Florida Landforms of Taylor County, Florida Landforms of Wakulla County, Florida