Return to Dixie County RECREATION

LOWER SUWANNEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE There are four sites in the north end (Dixie County): Dixie Mainline, Shired Island Beach, Fishbone Creek and Salt Creek.  Birds range from wintering shorebirds to bald eagles. Dixie Mainline was previously a logging tram and traverses 9 miles. Habitats include managed pine forests, hardwood swamps, marshes and tidal creeks. Paralleling the coastline this area was made accessible when five small bridges across the tidal creeks were recently rebuilt.   A Trail Guide is available.  Shired Island access offers trails through coastal hammock, mudflats and open beach.  Look for everything from wintering shorebirds to migrant songbirds. Fishbone Creek is off the Dixie Mainline Road and provides an observation deck, small boat launch, creek access and  bank fishing opportunities.  Bald eagles ferquently nest in these marshes. Salt Creek is also accessed off the Dixie Mainline Road.  A boardwalk overlooks the salt marsh.

ROAD TO NOWHERE Southeast of Steinhatchee - this 15 mile road thru the salt marshes to the Gulf of Mexico is home to waders, red knots, songbirds,  and black rails

BIG BEND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA JENA UNIT Speciality birds in this area include:  Mottled Duck, Magnificent Frigatebird, Bald Eagle, Black Rail, Clapper Rail, King Rail, Limpkin, Wilson's Plover, American Oystercatcher, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Bachman's Sparrow, Seaside Sparrow, Least Bittern, Reddish Egret, Roseate Spoonbill, Wood Stork, Swallow-tailed Kite, Mississippi Kite, Purple Gallinule, Chuck-will's-widow, Gray Kingbird, Acadian Flycatcher, Yellow-throated Vireo, Wood Thrush, Prothonotary Warbler, Swainson's Warbler, Lousiana Waterthrush, Kentucky Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, Summer Tanager, Blue Grosbeak, Orchard Oriole, Whippoorwill, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow, Whimbrel and Black Tern.