Outdoors + Nature

Sitting in the heart of Florida’s Forgotten Coast, Wakulla, Franklin and Leon counties offer the most unique and unspoiled natural resources in Florida. With over 100 miles of total coastline, our area offers nearly unlimited access to a world of coastal fishing, recreation, bird watching, kayaking, and beachgoing. Several state parks and natural white sugar sand beaches dot the coastline from St. Marks to St. George Island.

Fort San Marcos is one of the oldest military settlements in Florida at the confluence of two spring-fed rivers. It houses many great opportunities to explore the nearby river sheds and St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, a 36,000-acre wildlife sanctuary highlighted by the St. Marks lighthouse and museum. Heading west you can explore the unique coastal fishing communities of Shell Point, Spring Creek, Panacea, Ochlocknee Bay, and one of the most unspoiled and natural beaches in our area, Alligator Point. Alligator Point features a 6500-acre wildlife preserve, Bald Point State Park, several hiking and birding trails, as well as canoe and kayak launches.

The landscape is dotted with lakes and ponds of nearly all sizes, but the most prominent area lakes are Lake Seminole, Lake Talquin, Lake Jackson, Lake Iamonia, Lake Miccosukee, and the picturesque Lake Ellen. Inland you find one of the largest national forests in the country, Apalachicola National Forest, which encompasses 632, 890 acres– all open to the public for hunting, fishing, and more.