Wildlife Refuges in Florida

 

As one of the top vacation destinations, Florida offers much more than just beaches and theme parks. Explore these places to experience Florida’s wildlife in the Wild Refuges in Florida.

Because of its mass development, Florida is a supremely wild US state. The outdoor life shows full diversity and surprises. Especially for wildlife enthusiasts, it offers a wealth of opportunities to see animals in their natural habitat.

Wildlife refuges in Florida cover almost everything from beachfront to drylands, swamp hammocks to deep woods, and Everglades’s habitat. While manatees, sea and box turtles, pink flamingos, and giant alligators are the state’s natural beauties, digging a little deeper will bring a whole new and colorful world of animal species.

In addition, Florida is home to the inception of the US wildlife refuge system. The very first wildlife refuge was established in Florida in 1903. Today, Florida boasts 29 refuges, making it the third most US state, behind only North Dakota and California. Also, the majority of these wildlife refuges were established to protect threatened species of birds and mammals, while some areas are reserved to protect plant species.

Many state parks in Florida are a haven for wildlife, like Blue Springs State Park. Human swimmers aren’t allowed to swim in winter, allowing manatees to roam freely and enjoy warm waters.

From wildlife refuges to national parks and remote islands, below are Florida’s best destinations to observe wildlife.

 

 

1.      Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge

Official URL: http://archiecarr.fws.gov

Established in 1991 and encompassing about 248 acres, Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge also includes a 20 miles stretch of the Atlantic coastline, running between Wabasso and Melbourne Beach. The refuge in Florida was established mainly to protect Loggerhead and green sea turtles.

However, the refuge also offers essential habitat for various other endangered and threatened species, such as southeastern beach mouse and Florida’s scrub jay. With a partnership between Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge and Caribbean Conservation Corporation, the wildlife refuge is under the administration of Archie Carr Working Group.

Moreover, there’s a total of 900-acre of prime dune habitat has been set aside for maintaining these incredible animal species. The area features beautiful sandy beaches with minimal artificial light – necessary for the survival of these turtles.

Wildlife Watching

If you want to observe sea turtles in their natural habitat, you should plan a visit in June and July. Moreover, the nighttime turtle watch programs are excellent. You will have the chance to see a loggerhead sea turtle nesting on the beach. Sea turtle watch programs take place throughout the day. You can either make a reservation from Barrier Island Management and Ecosystem Center of Sebastian Inlet State Park or Fishing Museum.

For Barrier Island Management and Ecosystem, you can make a reservation on the phone from Tuesday to Sunday. While for Sebastian Inlet State Park, you can call the State Park. In addition, these programs are free and conducted under the provision of State Park rangers.

In addition, there are four trails on the west of Highway A1A: Coconut Point Trail, Maritime Hammock Sanctuary Trail, Barrier Island Sanctuary Trail, and Lagoon Kayak Hammock Trail. All these trails provide outstanding wildlife watching opportunities.

 

 

 

2.      Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge

www.fws.gov/refuge/cedar_keys

Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge is among the best wildlife refuges in Florida. Located beside the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, the refuge is composed of 13 islands. It was designed in 1929 to protect endangered native and migratory bird species when their plums were heavily in demand for ladies’ hats.

According to lists, tens of thousands of pelicans, egrets, cormorants, herons, and roseate spoonbills nest in the refuge. Also, there’s only one way to access the National Wildlife Refuge – by boat. So, when planning a visit to Cedar Keys, make sure to pick up a map to find the closest boat or kayak launch within the town of Cedar Keys.

You can easily find rental boats and kayaks, as well as restaurants and hotels. The town itself is a fantastic destination and worth visiting.

Among the most prominent islands in the Cedar Keys is the Atsena Otie Muscogean phrase, which means Cedar Island). There you will see plenty of beaches to walk to, an information kiosk, broad walking across the marsh, restrooms, and an information desk.

Moreover, Seahorse Key is another famous island in the area. Constructed in 1850, it is a historic island and features Cedar Key Light Station.

Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge protects egrets, white ibis, night herons, and cormorants. The Seahorse Key rookery is an excellent nesting place for roseate spoonbills and reddish egrets.

 

 

 

3.      St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge

https://www.stmarksrefuge.org/

St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge is another excellent wildlife refuge in Florida. It is located in southern Wakulla along the Gulf of Mexico, extreme northwestern Taylor County, and extreme south Jefferson County. The refuge was constructed in 1931 for migratory waterfowl to provide wintering habitat. It has four units that include Panacea, Aucilla River, Wakulla, and St. Marks.

The refuge also features a historic lighthouse that was built in 1831 and about 40 miles of coastline. Receiving more than a thousand hunters and 250,000 recreations annually, it is one of the best places in Florida to observe wildlife. The refuge is also famous for supporting various aquatic birds, such as waterfowl, wading birds, and shorebirds. Since the salt marsh is among the most biological habitats on the planet, St. Mark’s wildlife refuge is a great place to observe this profusion of life.

If you are lucky enough and observe closely, you might see some alligators as well. The refuge is an excellent spot to experience wildlife and the nearest inhabitants.

 

 

 

4.      Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

www.fws.gov/refuge/Merritt_Island/

Located near Canaveral, it is another excellent place to observe wildlife. Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge owes its immaculate natural state because of the sensitive space program near the Kennedy Space Center; the refuge has been protected for decades.

Manatees graze just a few yards away from rocket launch pads while the sea turtles haul their giant bodies on shore to lay eggs. The refuge expands over 220 square miles. There you will see more than 500 species of wildlife, such as bald eagles, American alligators, manatees, roseate spoonbills, and about 15 rare species, including Florida’s scrub jay.

If you are looking for the most reachable and most accessible wildlife spot within the refuge, we recommend driving along the Black Point Wildlife Drive. This seven miles long route travels through marsh impounds and Flatwoods.

 

 

 

 

5.      Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge

www.fws.gov/refuge/ten_thousand_islands/

Located near southwestern Collier County and about 20 miles of southeast Naples, Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge offers majestic wildlife views. The western part is County Road 92, while the eastern part is west of the Faka Union Canal.

It surrounds Collier Seminole State Park on three sides, and Ten Thousand Islands Aquatic Preserve is west of Everglades National Park. The refuge was established in 1996, and it protects its majestic wildlife resources and subtropical estuarine ecosystem.

As the name suggests, the refuge is a part of the Ten Thousand Islands system. It supports more than 45 species, including six reptiles, one fish, 12 plants, one invertebrate, five mammals, and 21 birds. Additionally, the refuge also supports a vast number of wading birds and a considerable number of mangrove-breeding species.

While many bird species are migratory, you can spot wildlife year-round, including river otters, egrets, bottlenose dolphins, green sea turtles. Moreover, the refuge is also home to many resident birds, such as herons, egrets, ospreys, and cormorants.

If you plan a trip to the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge, October to May is the best time to tour. There will be fewer mosquitoes, more boats, and a lot of camping tours.

 

 

 

6.      Everglades National Park

https://www.evergladesholidaypark.com/everglades-animals/

Seeing a place as wild as Everglades bordering a frenetic metropolis is wonderfully majestic. But heading just south of the city and even remotely urban feels like a universe away. The park expands over 2,500 square miles, with most of its world known as buggy, swampy, alligator, and snake-infested.

However, the Anhinga Trail, with a mile-long journey over paved trails and boardwalks through a part of the Everglades’ saw grass marsh, takes you closer to some of the famous tenants. It includes cormorants and alligators, wading birds, such as egrets, blue herons, etc. For the serious adventurer, visit backcountry outfitters like Backcountry Cowboys which offers great overnight camping and paddling trips.

Since Everglades National Park hosts one of the most diverse ecosystems, visitors often miss some wildlife. While the American alligators are the keystone species, the subtropical wetland ecosystem is home to various animal species and plants. Some wild animals you might see there include crappie fish, coral snake, peacock, Florida panther, largemouth bass, turkey vulture, and alligator gars.

 

 

 

7.      Gatorland

https://www.gatorland.com/

Do you want to observe Florida’s wildlife in entertainment-oriented and controlled settings? Plan a trip to Gatorland. The alligator’s capital of the world was established in 1949 and is located just a few miles from Orlando’s theme park corridor. There, you will see hundreds of alligators dwelling on the land’s tropical acres.

Alligator feeding demonstrations are happening throughout the day. However, for something unique and different, make sure to visit after dark. While walking along wooden boardwalks through breeding mars, the feathers’ splashing, rustling, and grunting will make your day.

 

 

 

8.      Pinellas National Wildlife Refuge

www.fws.gov/refuge/Pinellas/

Established in 1951, Pinellas National Wildlife Refuge is another excellent wildlife refuge in Florida. The refuge preserves over 394 acres of prime breeding habitat for cormorants, egrets, brown pelicans, herons, and other colonial bird species. The leading brown pelican rookery in Florida is in Tarpon Key. The place is one of the many islands making up the NWR.

Pinellas National Wildlife Refuge is located between the Pinellas Bay way and the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Tampa Bay. The whole refuge is within the limits of St. Petersburg. The area around is surrounded by the submerged seagrass that is off-limits to motorized boats. Since the islands there are small and incredibly essential to the wildlife, Pinellas National Wildlife Refuge is accessible to all public use.

Bird species, such as cormorants, herons, brown pelicans, and egrets, nest on the islands. Nearby parks include Egmont Key State Park, Passage Key National Wildlife Refuge, De Soto National Memorial, and Gamble Plantation Historic State Park.

 

 

 

9.      St. Augustine Wild Reserve

https://www.sawildreserve.org/

If you want to closely observe exotic wild animals, plan a trip to St. Augustine Wild Reserve. It is a non-profit sanctuary and was established in 1995 for rescuing and caring for unwanted exotic animals. Bears, mountain lions, leopards, and ligers are some of the animals you will see here. However, significant St. Augustine Wild Reserve residents include an African lion and five arctic wolves – once belonging to Michael Jackson.

The reserve is located northwest of St. Augustine and close to the World Golf Village. Spanning over seven acres and home to more than eighty species, it is one of the best places in Florida to observe wildlife. Wildlife professionals arrange tours which lasts up to two hours. During your trip, you’ll be introduced to various exotic animal species, but make sure to avoid making any physical contact. The reserve cares for different creatures, including orange, white, and tabby tigers, servals, caracals, and coatis.

 

 

 

10.  Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive

https://lakeapopkawildlife.us/

Located just fifteen miles northwest of Orlando, Lake Apopka is the third largest lake in Florida. Also, the north shore serves as a haven for bird watchers, nature lovers, and wildlife photography. The lake hosts six main entrance points, but the main attraction entrance remains Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive.

For wildlife photographers and nature lovers, the place offers plenty of opportunities to observe wild animals and a wide variety of bird species from your automobile. While the lake hosts the home to more than 367 species of birds that find refuge here, you also see alligators, otters, bobcats, and other wildlife.

If you love scenic drives, the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive is something for you. In addition, it is long and offers many options unlike any other wildlife drives on public lands and wildlife refuges. With multiple parking areas, you are encouraged to step out of your vehicle, take a short walk, and listen to the audio tour, pointing main features.

 

 

Conclusion

There you go – the ten best wildlife refuges in Florida. The sunshine state has some of the wildest places to observe wildlife. Moreover, Florida is also the native land of the National Wildlife Refuge System. In addition, the above wildlife refuges in Florida are home to a wide variety of plants, birds, and animal species. If you are a wildlife photographer or just want to observe wildlife in its most natural habitat, consider exploring these wildlife refuges in Florida.

 

 

Read More: