WILDLIFE & CONSERVATION
St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge
Taylor County · North Florida & First Coast
One of the oldest refuges in the country, covering more than 86,000 acres across Wakulla, Jefferson and Taylor counties.
ABOUT THIS PLACE
It was established in 1931 by Executive Order 5740 and has grown through later orders into three units, St. Marks, Wakulla and Panacea. Roughly forty-three miles of Gulf coastline lie inside it, along with coastal marsh, islands, tidal creeks and the estuaries of seven north Florida rivers. More than 17,000 acres carry federal wilderness protection, which means no roads, no buildings and no vehicles. The refuge is a listed Globally Important Bird Area, its waters are designated Outstanding Florida Waters, and the air over it is held to Class 1 standards. The lighthouse most visitors photograph has stood since 1842 and still works; that part of the refuge is reached from Wakulla County, down the road south of Newport. The eastern end reaches into Taylor County, where Big Bend Wildlife Management Area picks up at the mouth of the Aucilla River. Wintering waterfowl arrive in large numbers, and the refuge is one of the recognized stopping points for monarch butterflies moving down the coast in the fall
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