St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, a wintering ground for migratory birds, is located between Wakulla, Jefferson, and Taylor Counties in the state of Florida. The refuge includes several Gulf of Mexico coastal habitats, such as saltwater marshes, islands, tidal creeks, and the estuaries of seven north Florida rivers. It is home to a diverse range of plant and animal life and also has a long history of human use, including structures such as the St. Marks Lighthouse, the second oldest lighthouse in Florida.
Map of Florida National Scenic Trail - East for St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Florida. Published by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS).
Map of Florida National Scenic Trail - West for St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Florida. Published by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS).
Aucilla River at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Florida. Published by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS).
St. Marks NWR
https://www.fws.gov/refuge/st_marks/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Marks_National_Wildlife_Refuge
St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, a wintering ground for migratory birds, is located between Wakulla, Jefferson, and Taylor Counties in the state of Florida. The refuge includes several Gulf of Mexico coastal habitats, such as saltwater marshes, islands, tidal creeks, and the estuaries of seven north Florida rivers. It is home to a diverse range of plant and animal life and also has a long history of human use, including structures such as the St. Marks Lighthouse, the second oldest lighthouse in Florida.
The National Wildlife
Refuge System is an
extensive network of
lands and waters
protected and managed
especially for wildlife
and its habitat. Refuges
stretch across the United
States from above the
Arctic Circle in Alaska to
the subtropical waters of
the Florida Keys, and
beyond to the Caribbean
and South Pacific. The
National Wildlife Refuge
System is managed by the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, which protects
and manages over 500
refuges for wildlife and
for people to enjoy.
The blue goose,
designed by J.N.
“Ding” Darling,
has become a
symbol of the
National
Wildlife Refuge
System.
Introduction
The St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge
was established in 1931 to provide
winter habitat for migratory birds, and
is one of the oldest refuges in the
National Wildlife Refuge System. It
encompasses about 70,000 acres in
Wakulla, Jefferson and Taylor counties,
and includes about 43 miles of north
Florida’s Gulf coast. Congress has
designated 17,350 acres of the Refuge a
National Wilderness Area.
Elevations on the Refuge range from
the open water of Apalachee Bay to
about 30 feet above sea level. Seven
rivers and numerous creeks cross the
refuge. Annual rainfall averages 55
inches, and the driest months tend to be
April, May, October, and November.
The St. Marks NWR
is divided into four
distinct units: The St.
Marks Unit is
primarily slash pine
flatwoods, manmade pools, swamps
and marshes. The
Refuge’s Offices and
Visitor Center are
located here on Lighthouse Road, and
most public use occurs on this unit.
To the west lies the Wakulla Unit,
which is mostly hardwood hammocks,
swamps and pine flatwoods. Further
west lies the Panacea Unit, which is
mostly longleaf/wiregrass habitat,
flatwoods and sandhills, dotted with
lakes and tidal marshes. East of the St.
Marks Unit is the Aucilla Unit, which
includes a boat ramp on the scenic
Aucilla River and 640 acres of adjacent
wetlands and swamp forest.
About 300,000 visitors come to the St.
Marks NWR each year to birdwatch,
photograph, hike, fish, picnic, hunt,
bike, and simply enjoy the Refuge.
A Look Back
Paleo-Indians occupied the Florida
Panhandle over 10,000 years ago. Their
descendants, the Apalachee Indians,
encountered Spanish explorers
including DeSoto during the early
1500's. By 1639, a port was established
at the confluence of the Wakulla and St.
Marks Rivers, which is today the City
of St. Marks. Fort San Marcos de
Apalache, first built there in 1679,
suffered numerous attacks by pirates
and soldiers. Today, the Fort’s remains
and a small museum are a state park.
The St. Marks Lighthouse,
first constructed in 1831, is
located at the terminus of
Lighthouse Road (Co. Rd.
59) in the St. Marks Unit of
the Refuge, a 15-mile drive
from the City of St. Marks.
The Light-house has guided
maritime activity since 1842.
It has survived gun boat
battles, the landing of
Federal troops during the
Civil War, and many major
storms. Today it is on the
National Register of Historic Sites.
Transfer of the Lighthouse from the
U.S. Coast Guard to the Refuge is
underway.
The land which is today the St. Marks
NWR has long provided rich natural
resources for area residents. Limestone
mined from the Wakulla Unit of the
Refuge was used to rebuild Fort San
Marcos and to build the foundation of
the St. Marks Lighthouse. Refuge salt
marshes are dotted with the remains of
sea water evaporation vats, which were
used to make sea salt during the Civil
War. Timber was another source of
revenue, and much Refuge land was
logged before sale to the government.
Turpentine production in the area’s pine
forests was also a major industry in the
early 1900s. The West Goose Creek
Seineyard was a major mullet fishing
site for decades, and free-ranging cattle
and hogs fed on native grasses.
Habitat and Wildlife
The abundance and diversity of wildlife
for which the St. Marks NWR is known
is only possible because of the many
habitats it possesses and manages.
Marshes, tidal flats,
and man-made pools
(impoundments)
attract thousands of
waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds
and other animals.
Open marshes and
swamps also provide
homes for turtles and
thousands of
American alligators.
Hardwood swamps
support wood ducks,
night herons, black
bears and river
otters, to name a
few. Finally, the
extensive pine
woodlands offer
food and cover for turkeys, white-tailed
deer, bluebirds, fox squirrels, gopher
tortoises, and many more species.
Apalachee Bay is home to bottlenose
dolphins, brown pelicans, wintering
redhead ducks, sea turtles and a rich
diversity of marine life. In addition, the
salt marshes that connect the Refuge to
Apalachee Bay are a valuable nursery
area and food source for birds, marine
fish, shrimp, and shellfish, and they
provide protection during storms to
coastal birds and other animals.
Of the more than 300 species of birds
recorded on the Refuge, 98 nest here,
including bald eagles. Some 19 species
of ducks and two species of geese may
be seen from mid-November through
January. Migrating
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
St. Marks
National Wildlife Refuge
Refuge Facts
■ Established: 1931.
photo: USFWS
■
■
photo: R. Will
photo: USFWS
photo: J. Greene
■
James Burnett, Refuge Manager
St. Marks NWR
1255 Lighthouse Road
St. Marks, FL 32355
Phone: 850/925 6121
Fax: 850/925 6930
E-mail: FW4RWStMarks@fws.gov
Website: http://saintmarks.fws.gov
The refuge is located on the Gulf
Coast 22 miles south of Tallahassee,
Florida. It contains 68,931 acres
in Wakulla, Jefferson and Taylor
counties (17,746 acres of this is
designated Wilderness). Plus, an
additional 31,500 acres in the Gulf of
Mexico.
The refuge administers 14
conservation easements totaling
roughly 1,200 acres in Georgia and
Florida.
The refuge may be reached from
Tallahassee by driving 16 miles
south on FL Highway 363 then east
on U.S. Highway 98 for three miles
to Lighthouse Road, County Road
59, then three miles south to the
office and visitor center.
Natural History
■ The refuge has concentrations of
waterfowl, wading birds, raptors
and songbirds. There are also
several active rookeries, eagle and
osprey nests, and a diverse native
mammal population.
■
32,000 acres of woodlands including
bottomland hardwoods, cypress or
tupelo swamps and longleaf pine/
wiregrass communities.
■
35,000 acres of marsh and water.
■
A large number of cultural sites
extending through prehistoric,
Spanish Colonial and Civil War
periods.
Financial Impact of Refuge
■ 21-person staff.
■
300,000 visitors annually.
Refuge Objectives
■ Provide wintering habitat for
waterfowl and other birds.
■
Provide habitat for endangered
species.
■
Provide habitat for resident wildlife
species.
■
Provide for wildlife-dependent
recreation and environmental
education for the public.
Management Tools
■ Water management for waterfowl
on 1,500 acres of impoundments.
■
Prescribed fire.
■
Forest management.
■
Public hunting.
■
Education/interpretation.
■
Law enforcement.
Public Use Opportunities
■ Hiking trails.
■
Auto tour route.
■
Fishing and hunting.
■
Wildlife observation.
■
Photography.
Calendar of Events
January: small game hunt, duck
tours.
March: Impoundments open for
boat fishing March 15, shorebird
migration.
April: Welcome Back Songbirds
Festival, spring turkey hunt, Spring
Wildflower Days.
May: Welcome Back Manatee
Festival.
September: Coastal Awareness and
Cleanup Day.
October: Monarch Butterfly
Weekend.
November/December: deer hunting,
waterfowl tours, duck tours.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Questions and Answers
What may I do or see here?
You may take our seven-mile wildlife
drive, hike on 85 miles of marked
trails (including 41 miles of the
Florida National Scenic Trail);
observe and photograph wildlife from
roadsides, dikes, observation decks or
from a boat. The refuge is transected
by five navigable rivers and has 35
miles of Gulf Coast between the
Ochlockonee and Aucilla Rivers. Fact
sheets, detailing wildlife behavior
and likely viewing locations, are
provided at the visitor center. The
refuge bookstore offers a variety of
publications about the plants and
animals native to North Florida.
When is the best time to visit?
October through May are the most
comfortable times. Winters are
mild with good wildlife viewing
opportunities. If you come in the
summer months, prepare for hot,
humid weather and bring insect
repellent. The refuge visitor center
is open year-round, 8 am to 4 pm
Monday-Friday, and 10 am to
5pm Saturday-Sunday. Closed on
Federal holidays.
Where is the lighthouse?
The St. Marks lighthouse is on the
National Register of Historic Sites
and attracts a lot of visitor attention.
The lighthouse is located seven
miles south of the Visitor Center
on Lighthouse Road, County Road
59, on beautiful Apalachee Bay.
Nearby is a trail along a coastal
dike, an informational kiosk, and
an observation tower overlooking
wilderness salt marshes.
May I hunt or fish?
The refuge has hunting for deer, feral
hogs, wild turkey, ducks and small
game. All hunts require permits
and most have limited openings.
Applications are available JuneAugust. Fishing is permitted year
‘round. The pools are open to boats
from March 15 through October 15.
Lakes, rivers, and the Gulf of Mexico
are open to boats year-round.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
St. Marks
National Wildlife Refuge
Hunting Regulations 2020–2021
Welcome
St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge is
one of over 560 national wildlife refuges.
The primary objective of the refuge is
to provide habitat for conservation and
protection of all species of wildlife. The
harvest of surplus animals is one tool used
to maintain wildlife populations at a level
compatible with habitat.
Specific Hunting Regulations
All game must be checked out at designated check stations.
The regulations listed below supplement
the general regulations which govern
hunting on wildlife refuges as set forth
in Title 50, Code of Federal Regulations.
Hunting will be in accordance with
applicable state regulations.
Foot/vehicle access into the refuge hunt area will be through designated access points (see
map). No access along portions of public roads (see map). Vehicular access shown on map
may vary according to weather and ground conditions. Vehicles are restricted to established
roads. Boat access not permitted except to Piney Island for waterfowl hunting.
St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge
P.O. Box 68
St. Marks, FL 32355
850-925-6121
http://www.fws.gov/saintmarks/
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
1-800-344-WILD
http://southeast.fws.gov
June 2020
Public hunting is permitted on approximately 40,000 acres as shown on this map.
All hunters must possess identification, a Florida hunting license, and a valid refuge hunt
permit for the hunt in which they are participating. State Management Area stamps are
not required. A state archery stamp will be required for all archery hunts. A turkey stamp is
required to hunt turkey. State and Federal waterfowl stamps are required to hunt waterfowl.
State deer permit required for all refuge deer hunters.
Pre-hunt scouting on foot is allowed anytime during daylight hours. The hunt area will be
open to vehicles, weather permitting, two days before each quota hunt. Vehicle access in
hunt area by permitted hunters only. Portions of the hunt area may be temporarily closed due
to wildlife management practices such as prescribed burns.
All hunters participating in refuge hunts (except turkey hunters) using firearms must wear a
minimum of 500 square inches of fluorescent orange-colored material above the waistline.
Archery hunters are encouraged to wear orange-colored material.
Stand hours from 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1 1/2 hours after sunrise are observed during big
game hunts as a hunter courtesy.
During all hunts for hogs, there are no restrictions on the size or number taken.
Youth hunters (younger than 16 years) must possess a valid refuge permit and be supervised
by a permitted adult 21 years of age or older and must remain within sight and normal voice
contact of the adult. For big game hunts, the adult may supervise only one youth. For small
game hunts, the adult may supervise no more than two youths.
This leaflet must be signed to be valid for the December 26 - January 10 small game and
Newport Hunt Area. It must be carried by the hunter while hunting. Companions must also
have this permit while in hunt area. Gates not open for pre-hunt scouting by vehicles.
Name (Please print)
I have read and understand the refuge hunting regulations.
This is a unit of the National Wildlife
Refuge System, a network of lands
and waters managed for the benefit of
wildlife and people.
Signature (Permits are not transferable)
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Prohibited Activities
• Target practice is prohibited.
• Driving game is prohibited
• Wood gathering, camping, littering, and
fires are prohibited.
• Leashed dogs may be used for trailing
injured game. Other use of dogs prohibited
except for Piney Island Waterfowl hunt.
• Unleashed dogs prohibited.
• The use or possession of alcoholic
beverages in refuge hunting areas is
prohibited.
• The placing of or hunting over bait is
prohibited.
• It is unlawful to insert a nail, spike or other
metal object into any tree or to hunt from
any tree in which a nail, spike or other
metal object has been inserted.
• Hunting from any paved or unpaved refuge
road is prohibited.
Access
Hunters may only access the Refuge two hours before legal sunrise until two hours after
legal sunset.
Hunters must park in designated parking areas, as identified on the map below, to access
the Refuge for hunting. Gates opened to enter the hunting area from designated access
points must be closed immediately after passing through. Access to the Refuge from private
property is prohibited.
Quota Hunts Permits
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC) will be handling all hunt
permits for St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. Applications may be submitted at any license
agent or tax collector or on-line at http://myfwc.com/license/limited-entry-hunts/
beginning at 10 am (Eastern Time) May 15 - June 15, 2020. Spring Turkey application period
will begin November 1-30, 2020.
Panacea Unit Fall Archery
200 permits - November 3-7, 2020 Tuesday - Satur
363
Town of
St. Marks
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Hiking Trail Map - St. Marks Unit
Disclaimer:
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has made reasonable efforts to verify the accuracy of this map. However, due to
inherent errors in all maps, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service gives no warranty, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy,
reliability, or completeness of this map. This map may contain errors in omissions, scale, resolution, positional accuracy,
data interpretation, and other errors. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service shall not be held liable for improper or incorrect use
of the information contained within this map.
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campground (non-refuge)
FL National Scenic Trail
primitive boat launch
other refuge trails
public trailhead
FL Circumnavigational
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ADA accessible restrooms
parking
horse trailer parking
lakes, ponds, impoundments
Rocks
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and rivers
refuge lands
entrance fee station
picnic shelter
refuge boundary
picnic tables
managed hunt areas
information kiosk
other public lands
observation platform
private lands
MTK 06/04/2009
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Florida National Scenic Trail - St. Marks NWR East Segment
St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge
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PRODUCED AT ST. MARKS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
ST. MARKS, FLORIDA
LAND STATUS CURRENT TO: 01/21/10
MAP DATE: 01/21/10
BASEMAP DATA SOURCES: FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE, FLORIDA NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY, FLORIDA GEOGRAPHIC DATA LIBRARY
FILE: 2010 FNST PUBLIC MAP EAST.MXD
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Wakulla, Jefferson, Taylor and Franklin Counties, Florida
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PRODUCED AT ST. MARKS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
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LAND STATUS CURRENT TO: 01/21/10
MAP DATE: 01/21/10
BASEMAP DATA SOURCES: FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE, FLORIDA NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY, FLORIDA GEOGRAPHIC DATA LIBRARY
FILE: 2010 FNST PUBLIC MAP WEST.MXD
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U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
St. Marks
National Wildlife Refuge
Amphibian, Reptile
and Mammal List
alligator - Tom Darragh
deer: Joe Bonislawsky
gopher tortoise - Pierson Hill
squirrel tree frog: Pierson Hill
Frosted flatwoods salamander: Pierson Hill eastern coachwhip: Mike Keys
This blue goose,
designed by J.N. “Ding”
Darling, has become a
symbol of the National
Wildlife Refuge System.
The St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge was established
in 1931 and today encompasses 70,000 acres. It’s wide
diversity of habitats,
including open water,
salt marsh, swamps,
freshwater pools,
hardwoods, and
upland pine areas
make the refuge home
for an equally wide
variety of wildlife.
The St. Marks
NWR provides nesting habitat for these Federal and
State endangered and threatened birds: the Southern
bald eagle, least tern, and red-cockaded woodpecker.
Other endangered or rare species include the woodstork,
swallow-tailed kite, peregrine falcon, American alligator,
Eastern indigo snake and the
Florida black bear. Visitors
may also observe loggerhead
sea turtles and West Indian
manatees offshore from the
lighthouse. Many state-listed
threatened and endangered
plants are also found on the
refuge.
The following list contains the 38 species of amphibians, 69
species of reptiles, and 44 species of mammals compiled from
observations, consultation with experts in respective fields, and
literature research. Some species are more common seasonally
and some are nocturnal.
Look for evidence such
as tracks, burrows, grass
tunnels, and other signs
of activity. Careful eyes
and attentive ears can
uncover numerous clues
to the variety of wildlife
present. Night spotting
of animals with artificial
lights is prohibited.
Salamanders, Newts, and Sirens (Order Caudata)
Frosted Flatwoods Salamander FL, SL (Ambystoma
cingulatum)
Marbled Salamander HR (Ambystoma opacum)
Mole Salamander (Ambystoma talpoideum)
Two-toed Amphiuma (Amphiuma means)
One-toed Amphiuma (Amphiuma pholeter)
Southern Dusky Salamander (Desmognathus
auriculatus)
Southern Two-lined Salamander (Eurycea cirrigera)
Three-lined Salamander NC (Eurycea guttolineata)
Coastal Plain Dwarf Salamander (Eurycea
quadridigitata)
Gulf Coast Waterdog (Necturus cf. beyeri)
Striped Newt HR, PE, SL (Notophthalmus perstriatus)
Central Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens louisianensis)
Southeastern Slimy Salamander (Plethodon grobmani)
Slender Dwarf Siren (Pseudobranchus striatus
spheniscus)
Rusty Mud Salamander NC (Pseudotriton montanus
floridanus)
Southern Red Salamander NC (Pseudotriton ruber
vioscai)
Eastern Lesser Siren (Siren intermedia intermedia)
Greater Siren (Siren lacertina)
Frogs and Toads (Order Anura)
Southern Cricket Frog (Acris gryllus) Call: “click, click,
click” like two marbles tapping.
Oak Toad (Bufo (Anaxyrus) quercicus) Call: Bird-like
“peep, peep, peep.”
Southern Toad (Bufo (Anaxyrus) terrestris) Call: A long,
high-pitched trill.
Greenhouse Frog NN (Euhyas (Eleutherodactylus)
planirostris) Call: A faint “chirp”.
Eastern Narrow-mouthed Toad (Gastrophryne
carolinensis) Call: “Baaah” like a sheep.
Cope’s Gray Treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis) Call: A highpitched rapid trill.
Green Treefrog (Hyla cinerea) Call: A nasal “gronk,
gronk, gronk.”
Pine Woods Treefrog (Hyla femoralis) Call: Similar
cadence to Morse code tapping.
Barking Treefrog (Hyla gratiosa) Call: Like a bike horn
or distant barking dogs.
Squirrel Treefrog (Hyla squirella) Call: Raspy :quank, quank,
quank.”
Southern Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer bartramiana)
Call: High-pitched series of whistles and trills.
Southern Chorus Frog (Pseudacris nigrita) Call: Like running
a fingernail along the teeth of a comb.
Little Grass Frog (Pseudacris ocularis) Call: A high-pitched
chirp.
Ornate Chorus Frog (Pseudacris ornata) Call: Quick, metallic
peeps.
Florida Gopher Frog HR, PE, SL Rana capito) Call: Like an old
man snoring.
Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) Call: Deep, resonant
“jug-o-rum”.
Bronze Frog (Rana clamitans) Call: Like a banjo.
Pig Frog (Rana grylio) Call: A pig-like “grunt, grunt, grunt.”
River Frog (Rana heckscheri) Call: Deep snores and grunts.
Florida Leopard Frog (Rana sphenocephalus sphenocephala)
Call: Squeaky, like rubbing a wet balloon.
Eastern Spadefoot (Scaphiopus holbrookii) Call: “Squonk” or
“Quonk.”
Lizards (Order Squamata, Suborder Sauria)
Northern Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis carolinensis)
Six-lined Racerunner (Aspidoscelis sexlineatus)
Southern Coal Skink NC (Plestiodon anthracinus
pluvialis)
Northern Mole Skink (Plestiodon egregius similis)
Common Five-lined Skink (Plestiodon fasciatus)
Southeastern Five-lined Skink (Plestiodon inexpectatus)
Broad-headed Skink (Plestiodon laticeps)
Eastern Slender Glass Lizard (Ophisaurus attenuatus
longicaudus)
Island Glass Lizard HR, TU (Ophisaurus compressus)
Mimic Glass Lizard HR, TU (Ophisaurus mimicus)
Eastern Glass Lizard (Ophisaurus ventralis)
Eastern Fence Lizard (Sceloporus undulatus)
Ground Brown Skink (Scincella lateralis)
Sn
Where can we see alligators?
Alligators are native to the
southeast and can be found living in
freshwater pools, rivers, and swamps
from North Carolina to the Rio Grande
in Texas. St. Marks National Wildlife
Refuge is home to many, many
alligators. You might see them laying on
the bank or maybe just their eyes and
snout as they cruise the pools
Drive carefully and
watch out for wildlife.
You never know what
might be around the
next curve!
Facts About
ALLIGATORS
St. Marks
National Wildlife Refuge
Where Wildlife Comes First!
Do alligators go into salt water?
Yes! Sometimes they like to take
a dip in Apalachee Bay but they are
really fresh water animals.
Where do alligators go when it gets
cold?
As cold-blooded reptiles,
meaning they cannot regulate their
body temperature. They scoop out an
underwater burrow that can be up to 65
feet long and retreat to their burrows
when the temperatures are too hot or
too cold.
How do alligators eat?
Alligators eat almost anything
they want. They grasp larger animals in
their jaws and spin to tear off a
manageable piece. They store the rest of
the carcass in their under water burrow
to be eaten later.
How much does an alligator weigh?
A large male gator can weigh as
much as 1000 pounds—half a ton!
Photo by George Burton
St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge
PO Box 68
St. Marks, FL 32355
850-925-6121
www.fws.gov/saintmarks/
Collecting or taking any plants, animals, or
artifacts from federal lands is prohibited.
Our 'gators are large
Across the road they amble
DRIVE 35
Don’t take a gamble!
The American alligator (Alligator
mississippiensis), has been on earth for
about 150,000,000 (one hundred and
fifty million!) years. The first alligators
looked different than the reptile we see
today, but they’ve outlived dinosaurs.
Male and female alligators look alike
but adult males (11.2 feet average) are
larger than adult females (8.2 feet
average). reach sexual maturity when
they are about 6 feet (1.8 meters) long,
a length attained at about 10 to 12
years. Both reach sexual maturity
when they are about 6 feet long which
takes at least 10 years.
Toward the end of August, the
young alligators begin making highpitched noises from inside of the egg
to let the mother know to remove the
nesting material.
Courtship starts in April, with
mating usually occurring in early May.
Breeding takes place at night in
shallow waters. Males roar to attract
females and to warn off other males.
Photo by Tom Darragh
Alligators have 74-80 teeth. As their
teeth wear down new ones come in. An
alligator can go through 3,000 teeth in
their lifetime!
The muscles used to close their jaws
are powerful but the muscles used to
open their jaw are much less strong.
They eat almost anything, even fruit.
Strong acids help digest the bones, fur,
and shells of the animals they eat.
They can “hear” underwater. Each of
the spots along their jaws are nerves
which alert the gator to even slight
splashing in the water. If detected, the
alligator will rush to investigate a
possible meal even if it isn’t hungry at
the moment.
After mating, the female builds a
nest from vegetation and lays around
35-50 eggs in late June to early July.
Some females can lay up to 90 eggs!
She covers the eggs with grasses and
stays near the nest to prevent
predators from taking the eggs until
they hatch which take about 65 days.
The sex of the babies is determined
by the temperature of the nest. A
temperature of 89.6° F produces 75 %
males and 90.5° F and above are
mostly females. Other reptiles
sometimes use alligator nests to
incubate their
own eggs.
A new hatchling
is 6-8 inches long.
They live close
together in small
groups, called
pods.
Photo by Karen Willes
They look dead. They are not dead and
move extraordinarily fast when needed!
Photo by Nick Baldwin
A new hatchling is the perfect snack
size for wading birds, raccoons,
bobcats, turtles, shakes, large fish,
turtles - and larger alligators! About
80% do not survive.
She may not look like it, but the
mother protects her babies during
their early years. Crocodilians are one
of the only orders of reptiles that offer
maternal care to their young. The
juveniles grow about a foot a year.
Once they are about 4 feet long they
are safe from predators except larger
alligators and humans.
In the wild, alligators can live to
about 50 years.
If you see an alligator on the trail,
stop and wait (patiently) until it
moves on.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
St. Marks
National Wildlife
Refuge Bird List
Lou P. Kellenberger
St. Marks National
Wildlife Refuge is on the
shores of Apalachee Bay,
in northwestern Florida,
about 20 miles south of
Tallahassee. Established
in 1931, the refuge contains
about 68,000 acres of salt
and brackish marshes,
hardwood swamps, pine
flatwoods, and pine-oak
uplands; parts of which
are in Taylor, Jefferson,
and Wakulla Counties. An
additional 31,700 acres
of water in Apalachee
Bay are included as part
of the refuge through a
Presidential Proclamation.
St. Marks Refuge provides
an extensive wintering
habitat for waterfowl and
is one of the earliest such
areas acquired by the
St. Marks
National
Wildlife
Refuge
This blue goose,
designed by J.N.
“Ding” Darling,
has become a
symbol of the
National Wildlife
Refuge System.
Government.
The seasons bring about marked
changes in both species and
abundance of birdlife. Best
opportunities for observing the
greatest variety and number of
birds are during the fall and spring.
Waterfowl are most easily seen on
the refuge from mid-November
through late December. Shore birds
are most common during late spring
and early fall.
Turkey
Barred owl
Symbols used in this list are defined as
follows
Sp-Spring - March-May
S-Summer - June-August
F-Fall - September-November
W-Winter - December-February
* Nest on Refuge
a-abundant
a common species
which is very
numerous
c-common
certain to be seen or
heard in
suitable habitat
u-uncommon present, but not
certain to be
seen
Nick Baldwin
Nick Baldwin
USFWS
This list is in accordance with the
A.O.U. Checklist as amended. Enjoy
your visit!
Scarlett Tanager
o-occasional seen only a few times
during a
season
Nick Baldwin
r-rare
seen at intervals of 2
to 5 years
This folder lists 274 species of birds
that are considered part of the
Stilt
refuge’s fauna.
The following are additional species that are of such
accidental or rare occurrence on the refuge that they have
been recorded only one or a few times and are generally
considered out of their normal range:
Eared Grebe
Cory’s Shearwater
American Flamingo
Brant
Mottled Duck
White-winged Scoter
White-tailed Kite
Short-tailed Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Hudsonian Godwit
Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Baird’s Sandpiper
Bridled Tern
Sooty Tern
Inca
Dove
Budgerigar
Short-eared Owl
Cave Swallow
Horned Lark
White-breasted Nuthatch
Sprague’s Pipit
Bell’s Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Connecticut Warbler
Canada Warbler
Clay-colored Sparrow
Lark Bunting
LeConte’s Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Lapland Longspur
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Siskin
EveningPine
Grosbeak
Red-faced Ibis
If you observe any accidental or discontinued birds,
SP
S
F
please notify a refuge employee.
W
Loons
_____Red-throated Loon r
_____Common Loon
c
u
c
Grebes
_____Pied-billed Grebe*
c
c
a
_____Horned Grebe
c
r
u
_____Red-necked Grebe r
Pelicans and their Allies
_____Northern Gannet
o
_____American White Pelican
u
r
_____Brown Pelican
c
c
_____Double-crested Cormorant*
a
a
_____Anhinga*
c
c
_____Magnificent Frigatebird
r
Herons, Egrets and their Allies
_____American Bittern
_____Least Bittern*
_____Great Blue Heron*
_____Great Egret*
_____Snowy Egret*
o
c
c
c
c
a
a
a
a
a
c
r
o
u
c
a
c
o
u
c
a
c
o
u
c
a
a
o
r
c
a
a
_____Little Blue Heron*
_____Tricolored Heron*
SP
a
a
S
a
a
F
a
a
W
a
a
_____Reddish Egret
_____Cattle Egret*
_____Green Heron*
_____Black-crowned Night-Heron*
_____Yellow-crowned Night-Heron*
o
c
c
c
u
u
c
c
u
u
u
c
u
u
r
o
r
u
c
r
Ibises, Spoonbill, Stork
_____Glossy Ibis*
_____White Ibis*
_____Roseate Spoonbill
_____Wood Stork
u
a
r
u
u
a
r
u
u
c
r
u
c
c
r
Waterfowl
_____Fulvous Whistling-Duck
r r
r
_____Tundra Swan r
r
_____Greater White-fronted Goose
r
r
_____Snow Goose u
o
_____Canada Goose
r r
r
_____Wood Duck*
c
c
a
a
_____Green-winged Teal
c c
c
_____American Black Duck
u
u
u
_____Mallard
u u
c
_____Northern Pintail
c c
c
_____Blue-winged Teal
c
u
c
c
_____Cinnamon Teal r
r
_____Northern Shoveler
c
r
c
c
_____Gadwall
c c
c
_____Eurasian Wigeon r
r
_____American Wigeon
c
r
c
c
_____Canvasback
u u
u
_____Redhead
u
r
a
a
_____Ring-necked Duck
c c
c
_____Greater Scaup
u
o
c
c
_____Lesser Scaup
c
o
c
c
_____Long-tailed duck r
r
_____Black Scoter
r r
r
_____Surf Scoter
r r
r
_____Common Goldeneye
u u
u
_____Bufflehead
u c
c
_____Hooded Merganser c
c
_____Common Merganser
r r
_____Red-breasted Merganser
c
r
c
c
_____Ruddy Duck
u
r
u
u
Vultures, Hawks and Allies
_____Black Vulture*
_____Turkey Vulture*
_____Osprey*
_____Swallow-tailed Kite*
u
c
c
u
u
c
c
u
c
c
u
c
c
o
_____Mississippi Kite*
_____Bald Eagle*
_____Northern Harrier
_____Sharp-shinned Hawk
_____Cooper’s Hawk
_____Red-shouldered Hawk*
_____Broad-winged Hawk*
_____Red-tailed Hawk*
_____Golden Eagle
_____American Kestrel
_____Merlin
_____Peregrine Falcon
SP
S
F
W
u
u
u
o
u
c
c
r
c
c
r
u
u
r
u
o
c
c
c
c
u
u
u
u
u
c
c
r r
u u
u
o o
o
r
o
o
Gallinaceous bi
Facts About
Nests are re-used every year unless the
tree is lost. An older eagle nest can
weigh up to 4000 pounds.
BALD EAGLES
Eagles lay one to three eggs per year.
Both male and female tend the eggs
during incubation, which is about 35
days.
St. Marks
National Wildlife Refuge
Where Wildlife Comes First!
Both parents feed the chicks until they
fledge, at about three months old.
After fledging, both adults teach the
young how to be eagles. By this time,
the adults will soon depart for their
summer home to the north.
The great-horned owl is the only bird
that can take over an eagle’s nest.
Bald eagles can live up to 50 years in
the wild.
Eagles eat fish, ducks, coots, and
carrion (dead animals). Sometimes a
pair will hunt together, taking turns to
pursue a flock of ducks.
Eagles will harass an osprey that has
caught a fish until the osprey drops it
for the eagle to catch.
Their eyesight is 5-6 times better than
ours.
An adult eagle can eat up to two
pounds at a time.
Two eagle chicks.
—Karen Willes
St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge
PO Box 68
St. Marks, FL 32355
850-925-6121
www.fws.gov/saintmarks/
Collecting or taking any plants, animals, or
artifacts from federal lands is prohibited.
Above - adult bald
eagle
Left- Juvenile bald
eagle
—Karen Willes
Majestic is the only word to describe
the bald eagle (Haliaeetus
leucocephalus). This large bird of prey
has been the national symbol of the
United States of America since 1872,
and a potent spiritual icon for native
people and many others. The eagle is
not bald, but the term refers to the
white head of a mature bird.
Soaring eagle pair.
—Nick Baldwin
Placement on the Endangered
Species List gave much needed
protection to bald eagles. By 1995,
their population rebounded and they
were removed from the list.
In 1979, only one eagle nest was
known on St. Marks National Wildlife
Refuge. At the present day, around 20
nests can be found across the refuge.
Several nests are on the St. Marks
Unit and three can easily be seen from
Lighthouse Road. They are indicated
on the map.
Eagles can also be seen soaring
overhead and sitting on a snag,
watching for a meal.
Male and female bald eagles look alike except
for size. The male is slightly smaller weighing 8
to 10 pounds with a wingspan of 6 and a half
feet. The female is larger, weighing up to 14
pounds with a wingspan of up to 8 feet.
Eagles pair for life, but if one dies, the survivor
will take a new mate. Eagles begin returning to
St. Marks National Refuge in late August. They
spend a few weeks loafing near their nest and
then begin replacing broken branches and
adding new branches to strengthen it. If the nest
is too damaged or the tree has fallen, the eagles
will start a new nest.
Newly hatched chicks are covered in
smoke grey down. They are dependent on
their parents for food. As they grow, the
down is replaced with dark feathers.
The white head and tail feathers begin
to appear when the bird is 4 to 5 years
old. When fully cloaked in dark feathers,
immature bald eagles appear to be
slightly larger than their parents. Since
they are young and
inexperienced,
appearing larger may
offer extra protection.
Immature bald eagle.
—Karen Willes
Facts About
St. Marks NWR is home to 9
additional species of bats:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Brazilian
Free-tailed
Bats
Southeastern Bat
Seminole Bat
Eastern Pipistrelle
Hoary Bat
Big Brown Bat
Yellow Bat
Red Bat
Evening Bat
Rafinesque’s Big-Eared Bat
St. Marks
National Wildlife Refuge
Where Wildlife Comes First!
Important things to remember
when observing bats:
Bats are designated by Florida
Statutes Chapter 372 as “NonGame Wildlife” and their habitat
must not be molested or
disturbed by humans.
do not throw any objects at bats
or bat houses or bat barns
Avoid making loud or highpitched noises, as bats are easily
disturbed
Maintain a safe distance
Beware of falling urine and
guano as bats fly overhead
Never pick up a bat on the
ground.
Bats emerge at dusk
—Scott Mitchell
St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge
PO Box 68
St. Marks, FL 32355
850-925-6121
www.fws.gov/saintmarks/
Collecting or taking any plants, animals, or
artifacts from federal lands is prohibited.
A couple of years ago, we discovered that
bats were trying to roost under the Visitors
Center's roof. So we built a bat condo on
the side of the building. The bats moved in
right away and were happy. We were
happy. Unfortunately, bats produce guano
which was adding to the nutrient load in
Plum Orchard Pond. Recently refuge staff
moved the nest to across the street from
the Visitor Brazilian Free-tailed
bats are also called the Mexican
Free-tailed bat and the guano bat.
You might recognize this bat
from that is on a famous rum bottle.
Their name comes from the mouse like
tail, which protrudes freely beyond the
flight membrane that stretches between its
hind quarters. The tail makes up almost
half their length.
Brazilian Free-tailed bats occupy a
wide variety of habitats, such as
limestone caves, abandoned mines,
under bridges, and in buildings and
smaller colonies have been found in
hollow trees. A colony can have
numbers from 50 into the millions.
The largest populations are found
throughout Texas and Mexico
forming colonies in the millions.
Because of their musty odor it is
sometimes possible to smell a colony
downwind from a half a block away.
The bats will forage as far as 25-30
miles from their home at night and
then return each morning before
dawn.
Bats are the only mammal that
truly flies, rather than just glide like
a few other mammals (i.e. flying
squirrel). They also navigate using
echolocation, (the location of objects
using reflected sound). Sounds are
sent out into the environment to
bounce off of nearby objects and
return information by measuring the
amount of time it takes for the sound
wave to return.
Most small mammals have short
life spans. But bats, for their size,
have the longest life span of any
mammal. The life span of a Brazilian
Free-tailed is 8 years.
Our new Bat Commune
In October 2018, Hurricane Michael
removed one of the bat houses from the side
of the Visitors Center and deposited it in
Plum Orchard Pond.
It took us awhile, but we were finally able
to retrieve the house and clean it up. In
February 2019, a new bat housing area was
created across the street from the Visitors
Center.
It meant that the one remaining house had
to be removed from the building and quickly
put up on the new poles. This was a scary
moment, for we did not know what to
expect. Only two bats fell out during the
move and the others stayed put for the
entire process.
How you can help bats
Plant a Bat Garden
Bats eat night flying insects. Bats eat
many garden and agricultural pests,
including cut worm moths, chafer beetles,
potato beetles and spotted cucumber
beetles.
Almost a third of the world’s bats feed
on fruit or nectar of plants. In return for
their meals, these bats are vital
pollinators of countless plants (many of
great economic value) and essential seed
dispersers with a major role in
regenerating rainforests.
If you would like to attract bats to your
garden, you will need to plant flowers
that will attract night pollinators, like
moths, which bats like to eat. Plant
flowers that bloom late in the day or are
night-scented.
Native plant suggestions:
Evening primrose
Phlox
Night flowering Silene (catchfly)
Fleabane
Goldenrod
For more information on Florida’s bats
go to:
https://www.nps.gov/ever/learn/nature
/brazilianfreetailedbat.htm
Selena Kiser gently places the
two bats that fell out of the large
house into a smaller house.
Viceroy (Limenitis
archippus) photo by
Mark Trainor
Zebra Longwing (Heliconius charithonia) photo by
Gayla Kittendorf
Though smaller, orange viceroys resemble monarchs and
queens. It flies by
flapping while monarchs and queens appear to glide. They
have an extra transverse vein on the
hindwing. Wingspan:
2.6 – 3.2 inches. Larval host plants are willows and sometimes poplars.
Common Fall Butterflies
of St. Marks National
Wildlife Refuge
Where Wildlife Comes First!
The zebra longwing is Florida’s state butterfly. Usually not found in open areas, the zebra longwing prefers shaded areas. This tropical species it cannot endure cold temperatures. Wingspan: 2.9 – 3.5 inches.
Larval plants are passion vine species.
Long-tailed Skipper (Urbanus proteus) photo by Teresa
Darragh
Abundant long-tailed skippers resemble a small swallowtail. A quick, low flight carries them between nectar sources; along disturbed edge. This butterfly migrates each fall to Florida. Wingspan: 1.5 – 2 inches.
Larval host include legumes and caterpillars are
sometimes considered a crop pest.
Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia) photo by Terresa
Darragh
Buckeyes are easily identified from the large eyespots which deter predators. Look for it in open, sunny locations with low-growing vegetation. Buckeyes cannot survive freezing temperatures and migrate south to overwinter along the Gulf coast.
Wingspan: 5.5 – 2.7 inches. Larval plants are toadflax, false foxglove, plantain, and twinflower.
Pollinator Resources:
www.flmnh.ufl.edu/wildflower
www.naba.org
www.kidsbutterfly.org
http://www.fws.gov/pollinators/Index.html
http://www.monarchwatch.org/waystations/
http://www.pollinator.org/
Field Guide to Butterflies of North America – Kenn Kaufman and Jim Brock
Butterflies of Florida – Jaret. C. Daniels
PO Box 68
St. Marks, FL 32355
www.fws.gov/saintmarks/
850-925-6121
Please return this brochure to the box for others
to use.
Collecting or taking any plants, animals, or
artifacts from federal lands is prohibited.
Monarch courtesy Sandra Muldrow
Long-tailerd skipper courtesy Mark Trainor
Zebra Longwing courtesy Teresa Darragh
Printing paid by St. Marks Refuge Association
Butterflies are among our most admired insects. Their diverse color patterns help
them identify mates as they fly about during
the day, seeking energy from nectar-rich flowers. Moths, more active at night, bear plainer
colors and usually depend on odor rather than
color to locate mates. Because of our temperate and subtropical climates, Florida is home to
more than 180 species of butterfly and 4,000
species of moths.
Butterflies and moths have complex
life cycles. Both feed on a variety of flowers
but females lay their eggs on or near host
plants specific for their caterpillars. Caterpillars
cannot survive on the wrong plant so it is vitally important to make sure host plants are a
part of your garden scheme. The caterpillar
grows larger through about five stages or instars, shedding its skin after each stage. The
final stage for butterflies is the pupa, or chrysalis; the miracle of metamorphosis begins. After
a period of time, the pupa splits and an adult
emerges. At this crucial time conditions must
be right for the butterfly to unfurl and dry its
wings. Then the cycle begins all over again.
Homeowners can help all pollinators, and especially butterflies, bees, and moths, by planting native flowering and host plants and by
limiting insecticide use.
Monarch (Danaus plexippus) photo by Y Wang
Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae) photo by Virginia D.
Craig
Cloudless sulphurs are the most common sulphur in our region, where it flies most of the year with a strong, rapid flight.
Migrating butterflies appear driven and rarely pause. Cloudless males are bright yellow above and females are variable
greenish white, bright yellow, pinkish or orange. Wingspan:
2.2 – 2.8 inches. Larval food plants are Senna ssp.
Adults migrate thousands of miles from Canada and
primarily overwinter in one area in Mexico. Adults
have a wingspan of 3.5-4” and exhibit slow and sailing flight. On the refuge they congregate along the
coastline feeding on saltbush, goldenrod and dotted
horsemint. Larvae feed on milkweed, where they
acquire toxins which protect them and adults. The
monarch migration story continues to unfold. You
can help the monarchs by planting a WayStation of
nectar and milkweed plants. Wingspan: 3.5 – 4 inches. Larval food plants are Mexican, white swamp,
sandhill, and white vine milkweeds.
Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae) photo by Gayla
Queen (Danaus gilippus) photo by Tom Darragh
Queen (Danaus gilippus) photo by Mark Trainor
Queens mimic monarchs in flight and appearance, but
are more brownish than orange and lack the pronounced black veins. Queen caterpillars feed on milkweed. Queens fly all year in the southernmost areas in
open habitat and may outnumber monarchs in Florida.
Adults are toxic to some predators. Wingspan: 3 – 3.5
inches. Larval food plants are Mexican, white swamp,
Beyond the Nursery
Partners and Rescues
Our efforts often lead us afield to
distribute and rescue milkweeds:
Wakulla Springs State Park
Wakulla area school gardens
Gardens at Florida State
University, the University of
Florida, and the University of
North Florida
The City of Panama City Beach
Ted Turner Foundation
Mounts Botanical Gardens
Bok Tower Gardens
Numerous County Extension
offices and Master gardener
programs
More!
Our work continues because of
the generous and enthusiastic
financial support of the
Friends of St. Marks Wildlife Refuge.
Your donation to the Friends for this
project is greatly appreciated!
https: www.stmarksrefuge.org/support.htm
Facts About
The Monarch-Milkweed
Initiative
Working with private
landowners and the Florida
Department of Transportation we
have rescued many milkweeds and
other pollinator plants from areas
that face development.
Keep up with us on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/
StMarksMilkweeds/
St. Marks National Wildlife
Refuge
PO Box 68
St. Marks, FL 32355
850-925-6121
www.fws.gov/saintmarks/
Collecting or taking any plants,
animals, or artifacts from
federal lands is prohibited.
St. Marks
National Wildlife Refuge
Where Wildlife Comes First!
The migration of the tiny
monarch butterfly from their
summer breeding habitat in
the central and eastern U.S.
and Canada to their
overwintering grounds in
central Mexico, is one of
nature’s most spectacular
natural phenomena.
The eastern population has
declined significantly over the past
decade. Loss of milkweed, the
monarch’s sole larval food source,
due to urban development and
shifts in agricultural practices;
frequent mowing and herbicide
applications along roadsides and
rights-of-way; use of insecticides; Cover Photo credits:
Monarchs by Karen Willes
and severe weather events likely
Red-ring milkweed by Gail Fishman
related to climate change.
On June 20, 2014, President
Obama signed a Presidential
Memorandum “Creating a
Federal Strategy to Promote the
Health of Honey Bees and Other
Pollinators,” outlining an
agenda to address the
devastating declines in honey
bees and native pollinators,
including the monarch butterfly.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service immediately responded
to the emergency by asking
refuges to find ways to increase
milkweed populations, conserve
habitat, and inform the public
about the importance of
pollinators.
The St. Marks Refuge Visitor
Services Staff eagerly accepted
the challenge and applied for
“seed” money to begin our
native milkweed nursery.
Since then our project and
outreach continues to grow!
The Monarch-Milkweed
Initiative at St. Marks grows 21
species of milkweeds native to
Florida including specific
ecotypes.
Our first greenhouse built with
help from FSU Environmental
Service Program volunteers.
—Gail Fishman
WE CAN’T DO IT
WITHOUT
Aquatic
milkweed.
—Scott Davis
In August 2017, volunteers rescued
milkweeds and other pollinator plants
from a construction area on U.S. 98.
—Gail Fishman
Catching monarchs for tagging.
—Refuge files
Swamp milkweed.
—Scott Davis
VOLUNTEERS!
Milkweed nursery
volunteers
—Gail Fishman
Rescuing velvet-leaf milkweed
with landowner permission.
—Gail Fishman
Left, velvet leaf milkweed
Below, Butterfly milkweed.
—Gail Fishman
Few-flowered
milkweeds increased
on St. Marks Refuge
after a fire.
—Gail Fishman
How to get there.
Facts About
This area is located in the Wakulla
Unit of St. Marks NWR. Before you go,
check the refuge website or call the
refuge for hunt dates in the fall and
winter. It’s a safe idea to plan your hike
outside of those dates.
From U.S. 98 (Coastal Highway) turn
south on Wakulla Beach Road, a graded
unpaved road that can be seasonally
wet.
When you see the sign that marks the
refuge boundary, look for the trailhead
on the right. The parking area is small.
Please do not block the gate.
Follow the ORANGE Florida Trail
blazes along refuge road 200 for 1.7
miles. The Florida Trail leaves the main
road so keep following the ORANGE
blazes. Within a short distance, the
palms become more dense
interspersed with large slash pines.
You have entered the Cathedral.
After one mile, the trail crosses
another road with BLUE blazes. This is
the short trail to Shepherd Spring. This
small, but beautiful spring, feeds a run
that empties into Goose Creek Bay. At
least one alligator is usually present in
the spring.
The hike from the trailhead through
the Cathedral to Shepherd Spring and
back is about 5.4 miles. There are no
facilities. You must carry water, a
snack, possibly insect repellent, and
wear close-toed shoes.
THE
CATHEDRAL
OF THE PALMS
St. Marks
National Wildlife Refuge
Where Wildlife Comes First!
Photo by Scott Davis
St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge
PO Box 68
St. Marks, FL 32355
850-925-6121
www.fws.gov/saintmarks/
Collecting or taking any plants, animals, or
artifacts from federal lands is prohibited.
Photo by Scott Davis
Located in the Wakulla Unit, one of
the lesser visited parts of St. Marks
National Wildlife Refuge,. A stroll
through the Cathedral of the Palms to
Shepherd Spring in the Wakulla Unit,
can’t be beat for a true north Florida
hiking experience.
The palms of the cathedral are
commonly known as the cabbage or
sabal palm, and, formally as Sabal
palmetto.
The sabal palm is the official state
tree of Florida and South Carolina.
The sabal palm can appear short and
stubby as well as tall and graceful at a
height of up to 40 feet.
Flowers produced during the late
spring months extend beyond the
canopy and contain thousands of tiny,
creamy-white, fragrant flowers that
attract an assortment of bees. The
palm produces black fruits of about ¼
inch in diameter in late summer.
Although the fruits contain little flesh,
they are often consumed by raccoons
and other animals that disperse the
seeds.
Coastal sabal
palm by
Scott Davis
Photo by Scott Davis
Enjoy your walk through the
cathedral. Be sure to bring a camera
and binoculars. Listen to the dry rattle
of palm leaves blowing in the breeze.
Hear the birds calling to their mates
and declaiming their territory. Take
your time to savor the quiet. Let these
natural sounds carry you back through
the years.
Although the sabal palm and the
saw palmetto resemble each other
and often grow in the same habitat,
they are different plants. Both provide
food and cover for wildlife.
Saw palmettos (Serenoa repens ) are
fan palms. The stem grows along the
ground. Erect stems are rare. They
can live for hundreds of years.
Saw palmettos are a host plant for
the larvae of the palmetto skipper and
monk butterflies. The berries are a
favored food for bears in early fall
when their appetite swells as they
gorge on calories to tide them over
during the slow winter months.
Swamp cabbage or heart of palm
comes from the flesh of the sabal
palm. The tree must be cut down to
get to the center and will likely die.
Sabal palms will grow almost
anywhere and is a popular landscape
plant because it is attractive and good
for wildlife!
Sabal palm and saw palmettos near the
Visitor Center.
Hints for Enjoying
your visit
St. Marks National
Wildlife Refuge
Bring your binoculars for a close-up
view without creating a disturbance.
Bring field guides to help identify our
native plants, birds, and wildlife.
Start early and stay late. Early morning
and late afternoon are the best times to
see wildlife.
Observe carefully. Look up in the trees
and sky, as well as in shrubbery,
grasses, and pools.
Lighthouse
Road
Drive Guide
Welcome to St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge! This brochure is a self-guided tour of the 6.7-mile Lighthouse Road
beginning at the Visitor Center and ending at Apalachee
Bay.
There are 8 stops and 2 viewing areas along the tour, but
feel free to pull over on the road shoulder to view our many
native wildflowers and wildlife protected by the refuge.
We hope you enjoy the refuge and visit again!
Bring bug spray, snacks, and plenty of
water if you plan on walking the trails;
it may get buggy and hot.
Collecting plants, animals, artifacts, or
property and disturbing or feeding
wildlife is against the law.
Share the road. Pull off to the right
when stopping and follow the speed
limit at all times.
St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge
1255 Lighthouse Road
PO Box 68
St. Marks, FL 32355
Phone: 850-925-6121
Fax: 850-925-6930
Website: www.fws.gov/refuge/st_marks
Photos: Egret by Lou Kellenberger, Lighthouse
by Craig Kittendorf
Tower Pond Trail
Hardwood Swamp
On the way to the first stop the road
passes through a slash pine forest that was
planted shortly after the refuge was
established in 1931. At the double bridges,
the habitat changes from pines to a
hardwood swamp. This is a pleasant fishing
stop and a good place to hear songbirds
calling.
Water gauges in each impoundment
along the road help the refuge
biologist determine water levels
in the pools. Water flows
under the bridges into the East
River Pool, the next stop.
Impoundments
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)
constructed the levees to create
impounded water for migratory waterfowl.
East River Pool, on the west side of the
road, is a source of freshwater, other than
rainfall, that can be moved through canals
and gates to other pools during dry
periods. The pools offer year-round
fishing for people and for wading birds,
shorebirds, and waterfowl.
Ahead on the left (east) is Stoney Bayou
Pool #1, a brackish (salt water mixed with
freshwater) water lagoon. Wildlife species
vary with the seasons and water levels.
Marsh View
On the right (west) is a black needlerush /
cordgrass salt marsh. The rich diversity of
the plants and animals in the marsh
provides food and shelter for mice, otters,
marsh rats, and birds. The marsh’s thick
grasses and heavy soils buffer the coast
from strong storm surges and winds. Salt
marshes on both sides of the road are part
of more than 17,000 acres of designated
Wilderness Area on St. Marks National
Wildlife Refuge.
Mounds Pools
The Mounds Pools began as one large
pool that was later divided into three
sections to make water management easier.
Take a walk around the short levee to
the side of Mounds Pool #3 where eagles,
alligators, ducks, and wading birds might
be seen. The best time to see bald eagles is
November to March. Please observe the
closure signs protecting migratory
waterfowl and/or eagle nests.
Salt water intrusion from Hurricane
Dennis in 2005 killed many of the pines on
the left just before Headquarters Pond.
Eagles and other birds love to perch on
the snags.
To catch the
reader's
Headquarters Pond
Headquarters Pond, named for its
proximity to the second refuge headquarters,
and Picnic Pond were once tidal ponds that are
now managed as fresh or brackish pools.
An accessible trail leads from the restroom
parking lot to the observation deck. Purple
gallinules breed in summer. Wading birds and
alligators can be seen at any time of year.
Sometimes night herons roost here.
Duckweed, a small three-leaved plant floating
on the water’s surface, is food for wintering
ducks.
Tower Pond Trail passes an old shell mound
where a fire tower is situated. No longer used as
a fire lookout, the tower supports various
communication lines. This 1-mile trail traverses
pine flatwoods, an oak ridge, and saltwater
marsh. Migrating songbirds are attracted to the
abundant food sources of these habitats.
Lighthouse Pool
Lighthouse Pool is the last man-made
pool along the tour. Rain is the only fresh
water source. West of the pool is the
saltwater boat ramp and parking lot.
Lighthouse Levee Trail leads to a covered
picnic table and a rock jetty, a popular
spot for fishing.
Alligators may be sunning on the shore.
Sago pondweed, marsh grass, and
widgeon grass provide cover and food for
rails, bitterns, ducks, herons, egrets and
ibises and other species.
The contrast between the open marsh
and the managed pool can be seen from
the observation tower. Shorebirds often
rest on the sandflats behind the
lighthouse.
The Lighthouse
Salt Marshes
Our Wilderness Area lines both sides of
the road along this section. M
The third Walker, or Wakulla Beach, Hotel
(above) as it appeared around the time the
property was acquired by the Refuge and
(below) part of what remains. (Above: Courtesy
State Archives of Florida; below: Courtesy St.
Marks Refuge files)
30° 9.099' N
6
5
4
Mandalay: site of Aucilla River
St. Marks Lighthouse: site of
Lighthouse, Ft. Williams, and
Spanish Hole/Shipwreck
Mounds Station: site of
Shell Mounds
and Naval
Naval Stores
Stores
Paleo
Indians and
83° 58.769' W
84° 58.769'
83°
10.955' W
84° 9.869' W
St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge History Trail
Wakulla Beach: site of
Wakulla Beach Hotel and
West Goose Creek Seineyards
Seineyard
84°8.892' W
30° 7.797' N
30° 6.316' N
1
Plum Orchard: site of Port Leon
84°8.710' W
84°15.703' W
2
East River: site of CCC and
Salt Works
GPS Coordinates:
84°15.703' W ~ 30° 6.316' N
3
GPS Coordinates:
84° 10.955' W ~ 30° 4.658' N
30° 6.985' N
30° 4.658' N
30° 5.282' N
Fort Williams, in a drawing from Frank Leslie’s
Illustrated Newpaper, February 22, 1862 (detail). (Courtesy State Archives of Florida)
Daisy Walker dreamed of
building a town called East Goose
Creek at Wakulla Beach. She
and her husband, Florida State
Senator Henry N. Walker, Sr.,
built a hotel to attract visitors to
the site. Sleeping rooms and a
dining room were located off of a
long porch to let in cooling sea
breezes.
Around 1920 the Walkers
converted this hotel into their
residence and built a second
hotel located closer to the
beach. Constructed entirely of
cypress, the two-story building
was probably destroyed by a
strong tropical storm that caused
extensive damage in Wakulla
County in September 1928.
Undaunted, the Walkers built a
third, even larger hotel which had
fluted columns formed by pouring
concrete into a mold built around
Along with the hotel
business, Senator Walker ran
cattle on his property. The
“Fence Law,” passed in 1949,
curtailed open range grazing
in Florida. Around this time,
Senator Walker decided to leave
the ranching business and
worked with the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service to add Wakulla
Beach – the lost town of East
Goose Creek – to the St. Marks
National Wildlife Refuge.
The first and second Walker
Hotels no longer exist. All that
remains of the third hotel is a
foundation at the edge of the
surrounding forest.
Almost any day will find a few anglers
and swimmers enjoying Wakulla Beach
just as they did in Daisy’s day. The
beach area is quite small, but many kayakers put in there to paddle and explore
the shore and bay. (Courtesy St. Marks
Refuge files)
The town was laid out around 1915.
(Courtesy Mays Leroy Gray)
A portion of the foundation and the fluted
pillars from the third hotel can be seen
near the parking area. (Courtesy St.
Marks Refuge files)
pine timbers. The kitchen and dining
room were located on the ground
floor with sleeping rooms on the
second level. Swimming and fishing
in the summer and goose hunting
in the winter attracted guests year
round.
Daisy Walked died in 1935. Even
though the coast still draws visitors,
weather seems to have conspired
against the success of a permanent
town.
The St. Marks Refuge Association, Inc.,
with a matching grant from the National
Fish and Wildlife Foundation, produced
the signs and brochures for the St. Marks
National Wildlife Refuge History Trail. The
association is a 501(c)(3) organization that
supports educational, environmental, and
biological programs of St. Marks National
Wildlife Refuge. Visit www.stmarksrefuge.
org for more information.
9/2010
30° 9.099' N
6
5
4
Mandalay: site of Aucilla River
St. Marks Lighthouse: site of
Lighthouse, Ft. Williams, and
Spanish Hole/Shipwreck
Mounds Station: site of
Shell Mounds
and Naval
Naval Stores
Stores
Paleo
Indians and
St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge History Trail
Wakulla Beach: site of
Wakulla Beach Hotel and
West Goose Creek Seineyards
Seineyard
84°8.892' W
30° 7.797' N
30° 6.316' N
1
Plum Orchard: site of Port Leon
84°8.710' W
84°15.703' W
2
East River: site of CCC and
Salt Works
GPS Coordinates:
84°15.703' W ~ 30° 6.316' N
3
GPS Coordinates:
84° 10.955' W ~ 30° 4.658' N
84° 58.769'
83°
10.955' W
84° 9.869' W
30° 6.985' N
30° 4.658' N
30° 5.282' N
Seining for mullet was once a popular
pastime and is now almost a lost art.
People
were drawn
to thefrom
shallow
Fort Williams,
in a drawing
Frankwaters
Leslie’s
Illustrated
Newpaper,
of Apalachee
Bay to February
catch the22,
fat1862
fish (detail).
(Courtesy
Statenets.
Archives of Florida)
using
large seine
83° 58.769' W
(Courtesy Mays Leroy Gray)
People seined for mullet at West Goose Creek
until the mid-1980s. (Courtesy St. Marks
Refuge files)
Local people and others from as far
away as south Georgia – a journey of
several days by wagon – came to help
catch the fish. With the fall harvest over,
there was no need to hurry. The people
could relax and barter hams and other
farm produce for barrels of salted mullet.
The locale, called a seineyard and
usually named for the owner or the
geographic location, was based on the
need for fairly shallow water with a
bottom free of obstacles that could snag
the seine net and a beach where the
catch, called a “lick,” could be hauled
out and processed.
Approximately 16 seineyards
once operated between the St. Marks
Lighthouse and Turkey Point in Franklin
County. Several seineyards operated
on or near the refuge including West
Goose Creek, St. Marks River, Wakulla
Beach, Shell Point, and Skipper Bay. The
seineyards were a source of income for
the owner as well as a place for people
to relax and meet friends, and ownership
might pass through the family or be sold.
Fishing with a rod and reel is often
a hurry-up-and-wait activity and using
a seine net is no exception. Men rowed
(Courtesy National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration)
their boats into the water and played
out nets of up to 600 ft. long. Then they
waited. When the striker, who usually
scanned the bay from a tower, called,
“come ashore!” the men strained at their
oars as they rowed for shore, trapping
the fish.
Others pitched in to draw the fishladen net onto the beach. Then all
hands began the work of removing
the catch and preparing the mullet for
smoking or salting. Mullet are best eaten
Cleaning the fish as soon as possible was necessary due to the lack of refrigeration. Dogs,
birds, and hogs helped clean up, too. (Courtesy
State Archives of Florida)
Fall at the seineyard was a time for people to
gather. (Courtesy St. Marks Refuge files)
fresh or preserved because the flesh
deteriorates rapidly and refrigeration
was not available. Many barrels of
salted fish were sold and shipped to feed
farmhands, turpentine workers, and for
home use.
The traditional fall gathering at the
seineyards declined as regulations on
the fishing industry increased and as the
automobile replaced the wagon and other
activities competed for people’s time.
West Goose Creek is best remembered,
perhaps because of the live oak grove
that afforded shade and because
it operated until the mid-1980s. In
November 1985, Hurricane Kate’s winds
smashed the last of the shelters at West
Goose Creek and brought the era to a
close.
The St. Marks Refuge Association, Inc.,
with a matching grant from the National Fish
and Wildlife Foundation, produced the signs
and brochures for the St. Marks National
Wildlife Refuge History Trail. The association
is a 501(c)(3) organization that supports
educational, environmental, and biological
programs of St. Marks National Wildlife
Refuge. Visit www.stmarksrefuge.org for more
information.
9/2010
1
Plum Orchard: site of Port Leon
Wakulla Beach: site of
Wakulla Beach Hotel and
West Goose Creek Seineyard
Seineyards
84°8.710' W
84°8.892' W
30° 7.797' N
30° 9.099' N
30° 6.316' N
6
5
4
Mandalay: site of Aucilla River
St. Marks Lighthouse: site of
Lighthouse, Ft. Williams, and
Spanish Hole/Shipwreck
Mounds Station: site of
Shell
and Naval
Naval Stores
Stores
Paleo Mounds
Indians and
St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge History Trail
2
East River: site of CCC and
Salt Works
84°15.703' W
3
GPS Coordinates:
GPS Coordinates:
84°8.892'
W ~ 30° 9.099' N
84° 10.955' W ~ 30° 4.658' N
Free-blown glass bottle (Courtesy Florida
Division of Historical Resources, Bureau of
Archaeological Research)
83° 58.769' W
83° 10.955'
84°
58.769' W
84° 9.869' W
30° 6.985' N
30° 4.658' N
30° 5.282' N
The years prior to Florida becoming
a state on March 3, 1845, saw several
towns – Rock Haven, St. Marks,
Magnolia, Port Leon, and New Port – rise
and
fall alonginthe
St. Marks
Fort Williams,
a drawing
fromRiver.
FrankEach
Leslie’s
strove
to gain
an economic
Illustrated
Newpaper,
Februaryadvantage
22, 1862 (deover
each other.
Thousands
cotton
tail). (Courtesy
State
Archives of of
Florida)
bales from south Georgia and north
Florida were shipped from these ports.
Port Leon, created in 1837, was
located on the east side of the St.
Marks River, about two miles below
the confluence of the Wakulla and
St. Marks Rivers and downstream
from St. Marks and Magnolia.
Mule-drawn rail cars moved
goods between Tallahassee and St.
Marks over a railroad completed in
1836. A drawbridge built in 1839
over the St. Marks River near the
old Spanish Fort extended the line
to Port Leon.
Lots began selling in 1838, with
advertisements declaring Port Leon
to be “…handsomely located on
the most elevated site on the bay…
beyond the influence of the highest
tides.” That statement proved to be
devastatingly inaccurate.
Even though this marker is on an oak tree
a short distance from the beginning of the
Mounds Trail and not at Port Leon, it is
a vivid reminder of a hurricane's power.
It says, "Approx Flood Level 1843."
(Courtesy St. Marks Refuge files)
Port Leon in its heyday
(Courtesy State Archives of Florida)
The town was incorporated in
1841 and named the county seat when
Wakulla County was formed on March
11, 1843. About 200 citizens were
served by a hotel, two taverns, general
stores, a newspaper, the post office, and
warehouses. Within a few years, the
population increased to nearly 450.
A steamboat passenger from Key
West brought yellow fever to Port Leon in
1841. During the three-month epidemic,
the population dropped to less than 200.
Although many residents left, 139 of
those who stayed died due to unsanitary
conditions and the lack of medical care.
Most were buried in Port Leon cemetery,
located south of Port Leon Creek. No
sign of the cemetery remains.
Strong winds from an approaching
hurricane came on the morning of
September 13, 1843. An afternoon lull
eased residents’ fears, but by midnight,
rising water flooded the town. A
10-foot tidal surge destroyed every
dwelling and pushed the railroad
bridge upriver. Miraculously, only
one person was killed.
St. Marks suffered similar
damage. Port Leon’s citizens voted
to move to higher land about four
miles north of St. Marks near a
sulphur spring. Once a promising
town, abandoned in less than a
decade after sickness and storm,
nothing remains of Port Leon but
the dreams of riches from the sea
trade.
The 3.5-mile road to the Port
Leon town site begins at the honor
pay station near the St. Marks
National Wildlife Refuge Visitor
Center.
The original refuge headquarters was
built at the Port Leon site. (Courtesy St.
Marks Refuge files)
The St. Marks Refuge Association, Inc., with
a matching grant from the National Fish and
Wildlife Foundation, produced the signs and
brochures for the St. Marks National Wildlife
Refuge History Trail. The association is a 501(c)
(3) organization that supports educational,
environmental, and biological programs of St.
Marks National Wildlife Refuge. Visit www.
stmarksrefuge.org for more information. 9/2010
1
1
2
2
3
3
GPS Coordinates:
84°8.710' W ~ 30° 7.797' N
Initiated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt
and authorized on March 31, 1933, the CCC put
thousands of young men to work across the
United States.
30°
30° 9.099'
9.099' N
N
30°
30° 6.316'
6.316' N
N
84°8.892'
84°8.892' W
W
30°
30° 7.797'
7.797' N
N
84°15.703'
84°15.703' W
W
84°8.710'
84°8.710' W
W
5
5
4
4
Mounds
Mounds Station:
Station: site
site of
of Paleo
Shell
Mounds
and Naval
Indians
and Naval
StoresStores
6
6
St.
St. Marks
Marks Lighthouse:
Lighthouse: site
site of
of
Lighthouse,
Williams,
and
Lighthouse, Ft.
Spanish
Hole/
Spanish Hole/Shipwreck
Shipwreck,
Ft.
Williams
Mandalay:
Mandalay: site
site of
of Aucilla
Aucilla River
River
St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge History Trail
East
East River:
River: site
site of
of CCC
CCC and
and Salt
Salt
Works
Works
Wakulla
Wakulla Beach:
Beach: site
site of
of Wakulla
Wakulla
Beach
Hotel
Beach Hotel
and
Westand
Goose
West Goose Creek Seineyard
Creek
Seineyards
Plum
Plum Orchard:
Orchard: site
site of
of Port
Port Leon
Leon
GPS Coordinates:
84° 10.955' W ~ 30° 4.658' N
84°
84° 9.869'
9.869' W
W
84°
83° 10.955'
58.769' W
W
83°
83° 58.769'
58.769' W
W
Courtesy St. Marks Refuge files
30°
30° 6.985'
6.985' N
N
30°
30° 4.658'
4.658' N
N
30°
30° 5.282'
5.282' N
N
Fort Williams, in a drawing from Frank Leslie’s
Illustrated Newpaper, February 22, 1862 (detail). (Courtesy State Archives of Florida)
Maple lumber from trees harvested from
refuge swamps was used to construct
desks and other furniture used in refuge
offices and residences. (Courtesy St.
Marks Refuge files)
When road conditions prevented a truck
from operating, the bulldozer provided
the horsepower. (Courtesy St. Marks
Refuge files)
The U.S. Army oversaw housing,
healthcare, education, feeding, and moving
men and materials. Each man received $30
a month, but $25 was sent home to his
family.
Thirty-three camps were located in Florida.
Camp BF-1, BF stood for Bird Refuge, was assigned
to the St. Marks Migratory Waterfowl Refuge, as
it was called at the time. It was one of the few
African-American camps in the CCC.
Between 1934 and the early 1940s, men from
this camp built the refuge. Heavy equipment used
to construct roads and impoundments included
dump trucks, draglines, a bulldozer, and a rock
crusher, but most of the work depended on the
muscles and skills of the men.
Almost everything was fabricated by the CCC
men. Poles that carried the power and telephone
lines, fence posts, and cypress for siding and
roofing were cut on the refuge and trimmed by
hand. Among their accomplishments are the
earthen levees surrounding the pools, miles of
Dragline mat material being taken from the
East River Swamp
(Courtesy St. Marks Refuge files)
ditches, 30 acres cleared for a reservoir, and
Lighthouse Road. They built dwellings and other
buildings, a diversion dam, and two lookout
towers. They strung 30.8 miles of telephone line
and 4.5 miles of power line, cleared a 24-mile
truck trail, 21.5 miles of firebreaks, ran surveys,
installed cattle guards, and devoted 416 man-days
to fighting forest fires. Smaller projects included
building toolboxes and desks, and landscaping.
With little heavy equipment available at the time,
their main tools were shovels and muscles. Their
work was deeply appreciated by the staff.
Most of the structures they built
no longer exist. Their legacy lives on
in Lighthouse Road and the pools that
provide habitat for migratory and resident
wildlife.
When the U.S. entered World War
II, the CCC program ended. Most of the
CCC men went to war. Their training and
experience had prepared them well for
serving their country.
The St. Marks Refuge Association,
Inc., with a matching grant from the
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation,
produced the signs and brochures for
the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge
History Trail. The association is a
501(c)(3) organization that supports
educational, environmental, and
biological programs of St. Marks
National Wildlife Refuge. Visit
www.stmarksrefuge.org for more
information.
9/2010
2
1
East River: site of CCC and
Salt Works
Plum Orchard: site of Port Leon
Wakulla Beach: site of
Wakulla Beach Hotel and
West Goose Creek Seineyard
Seineyards
84°8.710' W
84°8.892' W
84°15.703' W
30° 7.797' N
30° 9.099' N
30° 6.316' N
GPS Coordinates:
84°8.710' W ~ 30° 7.797' N
6
5
4
Mandalay: site of Aucilla River
St. Marks Lighthouse: site of
Lighthouse, Ft. Williams, and
Spanish Hole/Shipwreck
Mounds Station: site of
Shell
and Naval
Naval Stores
Stores
Paleo Mounds
Indians and
83° 58.769' W
83° 10.955'
84°
58.769' W
84° 9.869' W
30° 6.985' N
30° 4.658' N
30° 5.282' N
St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge History Trail
3
GPS Coordinates:
84° 10.955' W ~ 30° 4.658' N
After the Civil War was over, the salt works
were abandoned. Scattered remnants of
rusted boilers can still be found on the refuge.
(Courtesy Bruce Ballister)
In the days before refrigeration, salt
was used to preserve meats and tan
leather. When the Union blockade along
the southeastern coast cut off salt ship
ments, the Confederacy turned to the
ocean, and no area was more productive
than the shallow bays and marshes
of Florida’s Gulf Coast between the
Suwannee River and St. Andrews Bay.
Ranging from small familyrun salt
works using a few iron kettles that could
hold 60 100 gallons of water set in a
Fort
Williams,
a huge
drawing
from Frank
Leslie’s
brick
furnaceinto
complexes
using
Illustrated Newpaper, February 22, 1862 (delarge boilers of up to 1,000 kettles, 489
tail). (Courtesy State Archives of Florida)
salt works operated between the St.
Marks and Suwannee Rivers. Salt water
was boiled to a mushy consistency and
then spread on
oak planks to
dry in the sun.
In damp weather
the salt was
kept under cover
and small fires
helped the drying
process.
Early in the
war, the salt
industry drew
little attention
from the Union.
From late 1862
until the end of
the war, the U.S.
Navy shelled
the salt works
repeatedly.
Workers fled as
raiders came
ashore to destroy
equipment. In
February 1864,
two separate
attacks destroyed
the salt works
at St. Marks and
Goose Creek. The latter produced 900
bushels of salt each day. Buildings and
equipment destroyed by an 1863 raid
on a large St. Andrews Bay plant were
valued at 6 million dollars at that time.
Men who could produce 20 bushels
of salt a day were excused from serving,
but the labor could be just as dangerous
as the front line once the Union began
targeting larger operations. Heavy storms
also took a toll on the workers and the
equipment. As the salt was shipped
Most salt-making
operations were
small but larger
works could
produce hundreds
of bushels daily.
(Courtesy State
Archives of
Florida)
farther from the coast and passed
through the hands of dealers, the price
increased. In the spring of 1862, salt sold
for $3 a bushel. By autumn, the price
was $16 to $20 a bushel. Salt production
attracted profiteers, and speculators
purchased salt marshes to hold for
future production. Seine fisheries
were associated with the salt works at
Shell Island and Mashes Island, but the
Confederacy did not make good use of
this food resource.
Salt was still
a necessary
commodity
after the war.
When regular
trade resumed,
the number of
people engaged
in its production
declined in
the Gulf coast
area. Bricks,
wood, kettles,
and boilers that
could be put
to other uses
were scavenged
from the sites.
Broken parts or
materials that were too large to easily
move were left behind and continue to
deteriorate.
The St. Marks Refuge Association, Inc., with a
matching grant from the National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation, produced the signs and brochures
for the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge History
Trail. The association is a 501(c)(3) organization that
supports educational, environmental, and biological
programs of St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.
Visit www.stmarksrefuge.org for more
information.
9/2010
2
1
East River: site of CCC and
Salt Works
Plum Orchard: site of Port Leon
Wakulla Beach: site of
Wakulla Beach Hotel and
West Goose Creek Seineyards
Seineyard
84°8.710' W
84°8.892' W
84°15.703' W
30° 7.797' N
30° 9.099' N
30° 6.316' N
6
5
4
Mandalay: site of Aucilla River
St. Marks Lighthouse: site of
Lighthouse, Ft. Williams, and
Spanish Hole/Shipwreck
Mounds Station: site of
Shell Mounds
and Naval
Naval Stores
Stores
Paleo
Indians and
St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge History Trail
3
GPS Coordinates:
GPS Coordinates:
84° 9.869'
W ~ 30° 5.282' N
84° 10.955' W ~ 30° 4.658' N
This piece of pottery dates from the recent
Leon – Jefferson Period (1550-1750 A.D.).
Artifacts such as pottery and tools recovered
during archeological excavations provide
clues about the culture of the various people
who lived on this land thousands of years
ago. Pottery is one of the signature markers
for judging the age of a site. The style and
composition of the clay evolved from a simple
utilitarian design of the Archaic Period to finer,
more artistic bowls, storage jars, or burial
vessels with distinctive decorations and
pigments that appeared in the Weeden Island
Period. (Courtesy Florida Division of Historical
Resources, Bureau of Archaeological Research)
83° 58.769' W
84° 58.769'
83°
10.955' W
84° 9.869' W
30° 6.985' N
30° 4.658' N
30° 5.282' N
The Paleo-Indian period lasted
about 5,100 years between 13,000
and 7,900 B.C. About 40 Paleo-Indian
sites occur near the refuge, mostly
along the Aucilla River. Since more
of
land
mass was
exposed
FortFlorida’s
Williams, in
a drawing
from Frank
Leslie’s
during
that
time
it
is
likely
that
sev-(deIllustrated Newpaper, February 22,
1862
tail).
Florida)
eral (Courtesy
sites areState
nowArchives
underofthe
water of
Apalachee Bay.
The Archaic Period,
between 7,900 - 500
B.C., is divided into
Early (7,900 - 5,000
B.C.), Middle (5,000 3,000 B.C.), and Late
(3,000 - 500 B.C.).
During this time some
clans began to form
small semi-permanent
and permanent villages
as well as hunting
camps near coastal
marshes and river
systems. Bolen points,
a distinctive form of
arrowhead found in the
southeastern U.S., and
fiber tempered pottery
appeared during this
time period.
The Woodland Period, 500 B.C.
- 900 A.D., is divided into three
distinctive eras based on styles of
pottery: Deptford (500 B.C. - 100 A.D.);
Santa Rosa - Swift Creek (100 - 300
A.D.); and Weeden Island (300 - 900
A.D.). Native cultures became more
organized during this period as
indicated by elaborate ceremonial
complexes, mound burials,
permanent settlements, population
growth, and organized societies.
The Mississippian - Fort Walton
Period, 900 A.D. to the time of
European contact, is characterized
by the spread of temple mounds and
This diorama at the Museum of Florida History
in Tallahassee shows what a village might
have looked like around 1450.
the cultivation of crops such as corn,
beans, and squash.
St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge
protects numerous ancient habitation
sites; only a few were places of burial.
A permanent village required access
to a reliable food supply, the resources to build shelters, and a nearby
source of fresh water. The coastal
area now protected by the refuge supplied abundant varieties of seafood.
The forests supplied firewood, small
game, some edible plants, and shelter
materials. Fresh water
was available from the
St. Marks and Wakulla
Rivers.
The Mounds Trail
traverses an area
that has been used
since prehistoric
times. The fire tower
is built on a shell
midden and evidence
of the Deptford,
Weeden Island, Swift
Creek, and Fort
Walton cultures have
been discovered
by archeological
excavations. Humans
have touched this land
for more than 10,000
years. As you walk
along, imagine the scent of wood
smoke from a cooking fire and listen
for the voices of people who lived in
an ancient camp near the Mounds
Trail.
The St. Marks Refuge Association, Inc.,
with a matching grant from the National Fish
and Wildlife Foundation, produced the signs
and brochures for the St. Marks National
Wildlife Refuge History Trail. The association
is a 501(c)(3) organization that supports
educational, environmental, and biological
programs of St. Marks National Wildlife
Refuge. Visit www.stmarksrefuge.org for more
information.
9/2010
1
1
2
2
3
3
30°
30° 9.099'
9.099' N
N
30°
30° 6.316'
6.316' N
N
84°8.892'
84°8.892' W
W
30°
30° 7.797'
7.797' N
N
84°15.703'
84°15.703' W
W
84°8.710'
84°8.710' W
W
5
5
4
4
Mounds
Mounds Station:
Station: site
site of
of Paleo
Shell
Mounds
and Naval
Indians
and Naval
StoresStores
6
6
St.
St. Marks
Marks Lighthouse:
Lighthouse: site
site of
of
Lighthouse,
Williams,
and
Spanish
Hole/
Lighthouse, Ft.
Spanish Hole/Shipwreck
Shipwreck,
Ft.
Williams
Mandalay:
Mandalay: site
site of
of Aucilla
Aucilla River
River
St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge History Trail
East
East River:
River: site
site of
of CCC
CCC and
and Salt
Salt
Works
Works
Wakulla
Wakulla Beach:
Beach: site
site of
of Wakulla
Wakulla
Beach
Hotel
Beach Hotel
and
Westand
Goose
West Goose Creek Seineyard
Creek
Seineyards
Plum
Plum Orchard:
Orchard: site
site of
of Port
Port Leon
Leon
GPS Coordinates:
GPS Coordinates:
84° 9.869'
W ~ 30° 5.282' N
84° 10.955' W ~ 30° 4.658' N
84°
83° 10.955'
58.769' W
W
84°
84° 9.869'
9.869' W
W
30°
30° 6.985'
6.985' N
N
30°
30° 4.658'
4.658' N
N
30°
30° 5.282'
5.282' N
N
(Courtesy St. Marks Refuge files)
83°
83° 58.769'
58.769' W
W
Before Europeans settled the
southeastern U.S., an estimated 90
million acres of longleaf pine forests
blanketed the Coastal Plain from
southern Virginia into east Texas and
down Florida’s peninsula. Longleaf pines
Fort
in a drawing
from Frank
Leslie’s
wereWilliams,
so dominant
that people
believed
Illustrated
February
22, 1862
the forest Newpaper,
would never
disappear,
but it(detail).
(Courtesy
almost
did. State Archives of Florida)
During spring and summer, workers dipped the
gum and ladled it into barrels that were hauled
to the turpentine still. The raw material was
heated over open fires in copper kettles to produce the spirits. (Courtesy of the State Archives
of Florida)
Clay Herty cup attached to a cat-faced pine
(Courtesy State Archives of Florida)
Pitch, produced by distilling gum
from pines, is used to caulk holes in
wooden boats. Longleaf pines produce
more gum than other southern pines.
Collectively, everything that is needed
to outfit and keep a wooden ship afloat –
pitch, masts, turpentine, rope, sails, and
so on – is called Naval Stores. Turpentine
was also used in
medicines, cleaning
products, paint,
varnish, and a
multitude of other
products.
When the bark
is scraped from the
trunk, gum begins
oozing to protect
the wound. The
scrape is called a
face or cat-face. A
metal box or clay
pot attached to
the bottom of the
wound collected the
gum. The face was
not allowed to heal
and periodically the
gum was collected
and taken to the still. The stiller, who
monitored the temperature of the kettle,
and the cooper, who fashioned barrels,
were two of the most important jobs.
A stand of pines was called a crop.
These magnificent trees were highly
productive for only a few years and when
production dropped off the timber was
logged or abandoned. The camp and still
were moved to another virgin forest, and
the cycle began again.
North Carolina was the top turpentine
producer for many years. As the pines
gave out the turpentiners moved south
but did not begin heavy exploitation of
Florida’s pinelands until the late 1800s.
When the first convention of the
Turpentine Operators’ Association met in
September 1902, they were welcomed by
the Mayor of Jacksonville and Florida’s
Governor, W. S. Jennings. Both men
cautioned that the current practices were
“a reckless destruction of the trees . . .
At the present rate your industry will not
last fifteen years.”
Little heed was paid to those words.
Most of the land that makes up the St.
Marks Unit of the refuge was purchased
from the Phillips Turpentine Company in
the early 1930s. The company retained
turpentine and timber rights until the
Cooper's shed (Courtesy State Archives of Florida)
Collecting and distilling pine gum was hot and
dirty work. The threat of fire was constant and
many stills went up in flames. (Courtesy State
Archives of Florida)
mid-1940s. A few cat-faced stumps and
clay pots can still be found.
By the mid-1900s, managed rows
of pine had replaced natural forests.
The advent of steel ships and synthetic
chemicals brought an end to commercial
turpentine production, once the South’s
largest and most profitable industry.
The once seemingly endless longleaf
forests along with many of the plants and
animals that depended on the ecosystem
have almost disappeared from the
southern landscape. Fewer that 3 million
acres of old growth longleaf pine forest
have survived. Luckily modern land
managers are working hard to restore the
ecosystem. The best examples of longleaf
pines on the refuge are on the Panacea
Unit near the town of Panacea.
The St. Marks Refuge Association, Inc., with
a matching grant from the National Fish and
Wildlife Foundation, produced the signs and
brochures for the St. Marks National Wildlife
Refuge History Trail. The association is a 501(c)
(3) organization that supports educational,
envir
30° 9.099' N
5
4
Mandalay: site of Aucilla River
St. Marks Lighthouse: site of
Lighthouse, Ft. Williams, and
Spanish Hole/Shipwreck
Mounds Station: site of
Paleo Mounds
Indians and
Shell
and Naval
Naval Stores
Stores
83° 58.769' W
83° 10.955'
58.769' W
84°
84° 9.869' W
30° 6.985' N
30° 4.658' N
30° 5.282' N
The Fresnel
lens,
French
physicist
Fort
Williams,
in ainvented
drawingby
from
Frank
Leslie’s
Augustine-Jean
Fresnel,
was
first
used
in (deIllustrated Newpaper, February 22, 1862
1823.(Courtesy
The lens State
was thinner,
larger,
flatter,
tail).
Archives
of Florida)
and captured more light than previous lenses,
allowing the beam to be visible from farther
away. (Courtesy St. Marks Refuge files)
6
St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge History Trail
Wakulla Beach: site of
Wakulla Beach Hotel and
West Goose Creek Seineyard
Seineyards
84°8.892' W
30° 7.797' N
30° 6.316' N
1
Plum Orchard: site of Port Leon
84°8.710' W
84°15.703' W
2
East River: site of CCC and
Salt Works
GPS Coordinates:
84° 10.955' W ~ 30° 4.658' N
3
GPS Coordinates:
84° 10.955' W ~ 30° 4.658' N
What a difference 75 years have made. This
photograph was taken during the construction of Lighthouse Road by the CCC in the
1930s. (Courtesy St. Marks Refuge files)
In 1828, the U.S. House of Representatives
authorized the construction of a lighthouse at
the mouth of the St. Marks River. The 65-foottall, hollow-walled tower on the east side of the
river was completed in March 1830 for $11,765.
Customs Inspector Jesse H. Willis refused
the tower because the contract had called for
solid walls. It was rebuilt, and in 1831 the first
lighthouse keeper, Samuel Crosby, illuminated
15 whale-oil lamps. Alas, the solid walls did
not allow moisture to evaporate, and the walls
cracked as the tower settled. Iron straps on the
outside held it together like hoops on a barrel.
On August 31, 1837, a hurricane drowned
eight people and left the lighthouse “in a most
wretched condition,” according to a naval report.
The structure was too close to the water and was
vulnerable to storms and erosion. The lighthouse
was rebuilt, with hollow walls, in the present
location in 1842.
During the Civil War, Customs Collector
Alonzo B. Noyes ordered the oil and lenses to be
removed and stored at St. Marks. Confederates
used the tower for a lookout, but repeated
shelling by the Union stopped the practice. After
the war, the tower was repaired and the height
Until Lighthouse Road was built by the CCC
in the early 1930s, boats were used to gather
supplies. Other buildings near the lighthouse
included the oil house and a garage for storing
and repairing equipment. The extra buildings
were dismantled after the lighthouse was automated in 1960 and there was no longer any
need for a resident keeper. (Courtesy St. Marks
Refuge files)
during their tenure – Mrs. Ann Dudley replaced
her husband after he died in April 1850, and Mrs.
Sarah Fine took over after Charles Fine died in
August 1904. Undoubtedly the families of each
keeper played a part in keeping the flame lit. The
pay for their services fluctuated from $400 - $640
per year.
The tower has weathered many storms,
though the keeper’s house has been rebuilt
several times.
A neat white picket fence enclosed the tower
and dwelling. (Courtesy State Archives of
Florida)
was raised to 73 feet. The light was relit in 1867.
For nearly 200 years, the bright beacon from
the St. Marks Lighthouse has guided ships and
boaters to the entrance to the St. Marks River.
Twenty keepers kept the light burning, except for
a few years during the Civil War. Two of those
keepers were the wives of men who had died
The St. Marks Refuge Association, Inc.,
with a matching grant from the National Fish
and Wildlife Foundation, produced the signs
and brochures for the St. Marks National
Wildlife Refuge History Trail. The association
is a 501(c)(3) organization that supports
educational, environmental, and biological
programs of St. Marks National Wildlife
Refuge. Visit www.stmarksrefuge.org for more
information.
9/2010
Wakulla Beach: site of
Wakulla Beach Hotel and
West Goose Creek Seineyard
84°8.892' W
30° 7.797' N
30° 9.099' N
6
5
4
Mandalay: site of Aucilla River
St. Marks Lighthouse: site of
Lighthouse, Ft. Williams, and
Spanish Hole/Shipwreck
Mounds Station: site of
Shell Mounds and Naval Stores
83° 58.769' W
84° 10.955' W
84° 9.869' W
St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge History Trail
1
Plum Orchard: site of Port Leon
84°8.710' W
30° 6.316' N
2
East River: site of CCC and
Salt Works
84°15.703' W
3
GPS Coordinates:
84° 10.955' W ~ 30° 4.658' N
30° 6.985' N
30° 4.658' N
30° 5.282' N
Fort Williams, in a drawing from Frank Leslie’s
Illustrated Newpaper, February 22, 1862 (detail). (Courtesy State Archives of Florida)
watery woods
Before the Civil
and engaged
War, Florida was
Confederate
thinly populated
forces on March
with few cities of
6 at the Battle of
any size. St. Marks
Natural Bridge.
had been the
Their goal was to
fifth largest town
capture Tallahas
in Florida and a
see, but the Union
busy port. But in
troops withdrew
the decade before
after the battle.
the war shipping
Tallahassee
business shifted
remained the
to other towns.
only southern
The beginning
capital east of
of the conflict
This drawing shows the lighthouse, Ft. Williams and the three-masted U.S. gunboat Mohawk firing on the Confederate
the Mississippi
signaled a short
gunboat Spray. The Spray was a modern steam-powered side wheeled boat armed with three guns that carried
that was never
men
and
supplies
between
St.
Marks
and
the
lighthouse.
The
Spray
is
in
the
background,
between
the
fort
and
the
lived revival for the
lighthouse. (Courtesy State Archives of Florida)
captured by Union
port of St. Marks;
forces.
blockade
The exact location of Fort Williams
stockade to shelter the
runners easily slipped in and out
is unknown, but it is thought to be
soldiers who were guarding
until President Lincoln authorized
near the end of Cedar Point Trail.
the
salt
workers
and
the
a blockade of southern ports –
townspeople of St. Marks.
These items (not shown to scale) were
Musket
including St. Marks – on April 19,
recovered during an archeological dig
ball
On June 15, 1862, a
1861.
near the site of Fort Williams. They
shot
party of Union Marines
Shortly after the blockade began,
could have been left behind by Civil
landed near the lighthouse.
War soldiers or nearby residents.
the Confederates
(Artifact photos courtesy of the Florida
They
burned
the
barracks
and
the
built a fort near
Division of Historical Resources,
Handcut
keeper’s home. The fort was not
the St. Marks
Bureau of Archaeological Research)
button
rebuilt, but it had provided a sense of
Lighthouse
safety for a few months.
and named it
The St. Marks Refuge Association, Inc.,
On March 4, 1865, soldiers from
Ft. Williams in
with a matching grant from the National Fish
the 2nd and 99th U.S. Colored
and Wildlife Foundation, produced the signs
honor of Colonel
and brochures for the St. Marks National
Infantry landed
J.J. Williams,
Wildlife Refuge History Trail. The association
near the
a Tallahassee
is a 501(c)(3) organization that supports
lighthouse.
planter who led
educational, environmental, and biological
They slogged
the 2nd Florida
programs of St. Marks National Wildlife
Bristol Glazed
north
Refuge. Visit www.stmarksrefuge.org for more
Cavalry. The fort
Albany slipped
information.
9/2010
through the
was more of a
Glass bottle neck
whiskey jug sherd
30° 9.099' N
6
5
4
Mandalay: site of Aucilla River
St. Marks Lighthouse: site of
Lighthouse, Ft. Williams, and
Spanish Hole/Shipwreck
Mounds Station: site of
Paleo Mounds
Indians and
Shell
and Naval
Naval Stores
Stores
83° 58.769' W
83° 10.955'
58.769' W
84°
84° 9.869' W
St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge History Trail
Wakulla Beach: site of
Wakulla Beach Hotel and
West Goose Creek Seineyard
Seineyards
84°8.892' W
30° 7.797' N
30° 6.316' N
1
Plum Orchard: site of Port Leon
84°8.710' W
84°15.703' W
2
East River: site of CCC and
Salt Works
GPS Coordinates:
84° 10.955' W ~ 30° 4.658' N
3
GPS Coordinates:
84° 10.955' W ~ 30° 4.658' N
(Courtesy St. Marks Refuge files)
30° 6.985' N
30° 4.658' N
30° 5.282' N
Fort Williams, in a drawing from Frank Leslie’s
Illustrated Newpaper, February 22, 1862 (detail). (Courtesy State Archives of Florida)
When Spanish explorers first
searched the shallow waters of
Apalachee Bay they found few places
to anchor near shore, but in the mouth
of the St. Marks River they discovered
deeper water which has long been known
as Spanish Hole. For centuries, vessels
that could not navigate up the St. Marks
River have anchored there.
In 1528, Spaniard Panfilo de Narvaez
led 300 men across Florida from near
Tampa into Apalachee territory. Instead
of treasure, they found hardship. Legend
says that the expedition stayed near
the mouth of the St. Marks River long
enough to build four rafts to carry the
men to rejoin their ships. Eight years
later, four survivors arrived in Mexico.
Cabeza de Vaca, one of the survivors,
wrote about their ordeal in 1536 or 1537.
Hernando de Soto came with 600 men
in 1539, and followed nearly the same
route, believing that he could find the
This WWI sub chaser may be similar to the
ship that sank in 1928. (Courtesy St. Marks
Refuge files)
gold that had eluded Narvaez. He did
not.
The first wooden fort at San Marcos,
at the confluence of the Wakulla and
St. Marks Rivers, was built by the
Spanish Governor in 1679. Pirates
likely anchored at Spanish Hole and
crept upriver to loot and burn the fort
in 1681. A second wooden fort, built
in 1718, was replaced by a third fort
constructed in 1739 with limestone
from a quarry that is on refuge property.
This fort fell into disrepair.
When Florida was under British
control between 1763 and 1783, the
Panton - Leslie Company trading post
was established on the west side of
the Wakulla River, just north of U.S.
Highway 98. The Spanish regained
control of San Marcos by 1786.
Occupation has not been continuous,
but the area around the St. Marks and
Wakulla Rivers has seen settlements
come and go since the first Europeans
arrived more than four centuries ago.
Not far from Spanish Hole lie the remains of a small vessel which is visible
at low tide. In 1928, a ship anchored off
Long Bar, west of the lighthouse, caught
fire and burned, according to the late Alton Gresham. Gresham’s father, John Y.
Gresham, was the lighthouse keeper at
the time. The elder Gresham attempted
to tow the remains up the St. Marks River, but the boat ran aground and sank.
The vessel may have been the former
World War I sub chaser that had been
purchased by the Florida Shellfish Commission and renamed Dispatch. Under-
Small boats called “lighters” shuttled goods
and people between the ships at Spanish
Hole and the upriver ports of St. Marks,
Magnolia, Port Leon, and Newport. (Courtesy State Archives of Florida )
water archaeologists from Florida State
University studied the site in 1998 but
could not find conclusive evidence that
would identify the vessel as the sub
chaser.
The St. Marks Refuge Association, Inc.,
with a matching grant from the National Fish
and Wildlife Foundation, produced the signs
and brochures for the St. Marks National
Wildlife Refuge History Trail. The association
is a 501(c)(3) organization that supports
educational, environmental, and biological
programs of St. Marks National Wildlife
Refuge. Visit www.stmarksrefuge.org for more
information.
9/2010
1
1
2
2
3
3
84° 10.955' W ~ 30° 4.658' N
East
East River:
River: site
site of
of CCC
CCC and
and Salt
Salt
Works
Works
30°
30° 9.099'
9.099' N
N
30°
30° 6.316'
6.316' N
N
84°8.892'
84°8.892' W
W
30°
30° 7.797'
7.797' N
N
84°15.703'
84°15.703' W
W
84°8.710'
84°8.710' W
W
5
5
4
4
Mounds
Mounds Station:
Station: site
site of
of Shell
Shell
Mounds
and Naval
Mounds
and Naval
StoresStores
6
6
St.
St. Marks
Marks Lighthouse:
Lighthouse: site
site of
of
Lighthouse,
Williams,
and
Lighthouse, Ft.
Spanish
Hole/
Spanish Hole/Shipwreck
Shipwreck,
Ft.
Williams
Mandalay:
Mandalay: site
site of
of Aucilla
Aucilla River
River
St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge History Trail
The Aucilla River forms north of Thomasville,
Georgia, and meanders some 75 miles to the
Gulf of Mexico. About five miles of the river
flow through the eastern portion of the St.
Marks National Wildlife Refuge. The drainage
basin covers nearly 750 square miles. The exact
meaning of the word ‘Aucilla’ is lost but it is one
of the oldest place names in Florida.
Wakulla
Wakulla Beach:
Beach: site
site of
of Wakulla
Wakulla
Beach
Hotel
Beach Hotel
and
Westand
Goose
West Goose Creek Seineyard
Creek
Seineyard
Plum
Plum Orchard:
Orchard: site
site of
of Port
Port Leon
Leon
GPS Coordinates:
83° 58.769'
W ~ 30° 6.985' N
GPS Coordinates:
84°
84° 9.869'
9.869' W
W
84°
84° 10.955'
10.955' W
W
83°
83° 58.769'
58.769' W
W
Photo by John Kunkel Small (Courtesy of the
State Archives of Florida)
30°
30° 6.985'
6.985' N
N
30°
30° 4.658'
4.658' N
N
30°
30° 5.282'
5.282' N
N
Fort Williams, in a drawing from Frank Leslie’s
Illustrated Newpaper, February 22, 1862 (detail). (Courtesy State Archives of Florida)
In the Paleo-Indian Period (13,000
– 7,900 BC), the climate of this region
was much cooler, sea levels were
lower, and more land mass was above
water. The region’s karst foundation
of water-soluble limestone was pocked
with sinkholes and catch basins. As
the climate changed and the sea level
rose, the limestone aquifer filled with
fresh water. Springs bubbled up from
the sinkholes. Gradually, rivers such
as the St. Marks and Aucilla carved
their channels to the Gulf. Camps
where people had lived and places
where animals had been captured and
butchered were covered by water.
For many decades, curious searchers
have found tools and bones in the river
beds. The Aucilla River has been little
disturbed and is particularly rich in
artifacts, which have been preserved for
thousands of years because of the lack
of oxygen under the water. The river
has yielded tools and seeds, as well as
bones from extinct mastodons, sloths,
Pleistocene horses, and bison. Growth
rings on mastodon tusks indicate that
the animals may have migrated to
follow a reliable food supply. These
artifacts provide a glimpse into how
the human populations lived and what
types of plants they ate or used for
other purposes.
Mammoths and mastodons once
lived in Florida. Mammoths were
larger than mastodons, but the primary
difference was in what they ate. Like a
modern elephant’s tooth, a mammoth’s
tooth is almost flat with slightly raised
ridges like the sole of a running shoe
and shows that mammoths were grazers
Aucilla River
of the grasslands. The mastodon’s
teeth have conical shapes that are
more suited to grinding leaves and
tender twigs of a forested habitat.
This is one clue that indicates the area
around the Aucilla was forested when
those animals lived there.
The mastodon’s
tooth was adapted
to grinding small
tree branches.
(Courtesy
Florida Division
of Historical
Resources, Bureau
of Archaeological
Research)
Mastodon skeleton (Courtesy of the State Archives of Florida)
Below: The massive Bison antiquus (right)
was nearly a foot taller and may have been a
full ton heavier than the modern bison, Bison
bison (left), which can weigh up to about 2,000
pounds. (Drawing by Hal Story, courtesy of Texas
Beyond History.net, Texas Archeological Research
Laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin)
The Aucilla River is a historically
and culturally significant watercourse,
beautiful and mysterious. Just off
Highway 98, about a mile west of the
turn-off to the refuge boat ramp, is a
smaller county-maintained boat launch
area perfect for beginning a canoe or
kayak trip upstream or downstream.
There are a few houses along the
river, but a float along this stretch is
generally quiet and pleasant.
The St. Marks Refuge Association, Inc.,
with a matching grant from the National
Fish and Wildlife Foundation, produced
the signs and brochures for the St. Marks
National Wildlife Refuge History Trail. The
association is a 501(c)(3) organization that
supports educational, environmental, and
biological programs of St. Marks National
Wildlife Refuge. Visit www.stmarksrefuge.
org for more information.
9/2010