Pines that were not removed were tapped for naval stores, including turpentine. Pedestrian bridge built atop the old railroad bridge over the Pinhook River The Florida Trail follows part of the railroad route. Once the bounty of the forests were tapped out, the community evaporated and the railroad closed down operations. Remains of the wharf at Port Leon from when the Visitor Center was located at the ghost townĮstablished in the early 1900s for logging the cypress and pine out of this region, the Live Oak, Perry & Gulf Railroad extended east to the logging community of Flintrock. Six months later, both the town and the coastal portion of the railroad were wiped out by a hurricane and storm surge. Marks, connected to the town of Port Leon along the Wakulla River.Ī bustling port, Port Leon became the county seat of Wakulla County in 1843. In 1837, one of Florida’s earliest railroads, the Tallahassee to St. Remains of these salt-making operations still sit on high ground in the estuaries. Marks River.ĭuring the Civil War, local families boiled seawater to make salt for Confederate troops. Despite its light being quenched during the war, it remains a working lighthouse marking the location of the St. Marks Lighthouse played a pivotal role during the Civil War. It is a National Register property that opens on occasion for tours.īuilt in 1842, the St. Marks Lighthouse played an important role during the Civil War. Along the Tower Pond Trail Civil Warīuilt in 1831, the St. The Tower Pond Trail walks through layers of archeological deposits from four different time periods. Shell mounds within the estuary have yielded artifacts from the Archaic Period and the Weeden Island Period.
Human history runs deep along the Big Bend, with some of the earliest artwork in the Americas discovered along the Aucilla River. Marks National Wildlife Refuge protects this coastline. Entrance to the Aucilla Unit off US 98 just east of JR’s Store in Aucilla History Ancient PeoplesĪncient habitation sites are an important reason why St. Boat ramp fees apply at the Aucilla River. It includes river access and a very wild segment of the Florida Trail at the eastern edge of the refuge. The Aucilla Unit bounds the Aucilla River at the county line between Wakulla and Jefferson counties along US 98. It borders both sides of Surf Road and touches the boundary of Ochlockonee River State Park. The Panacea Unit is along US 98, surrounding Otter Lake and stretching northwest to Ochlockonee Bay and Sopchoppy. It is also the only unit to charge an entrance fee.
It is the primary unit and is the most heavily visited, thanks to its historic lighthouse and access to a broad array of hiking and multi-use trails. Each unit has its own separate access points and trailheads, all of which are off of US 98. The refuge encompasses three separate units. Continue 3.7 miles to the Visitor Center, stopping at the fee station to pay your entrance fee. At the T with US 98, turn left.Ī prominent entrance sign points to Lighthouse Road just after you cross the St. From Tallahassee, take SR 363 south to Wakulla. Marks NWR is from Lighthouse Road in Newport along US 98.