The nine mile loop is a beautiful drive through wooded swampland. You can enter from the north or south. We saw gators, turkeys, and an otter. Nicely maintained walking trails are available. A great place to enjoy the natural beauty of Florida.
There are a few trails to walk around and the campground is rustic but right on the shoreline. There is a fishing pier and toilet, but no potable water. Closest little town is Horseshoe Beach over 10 miles away but there is not much in that town. Make sure you have food, gas, drinking water, etc when you visit. The gulf water was coffee colored and felt a little sticky. I am wondering if it is still from the Gulf Oil Spill that happened a few years back. Still a nice little place to see and be on the gulf. There are a few local fresh shrimp and crab fishing companies in the area.
The reserve covers a large area with a number of walking trails and a scenic drive. Lots of photo opportunities
we did the loop ride after a lunch at the fish camp up the road and i would skip it. just not much to see....go to the shell mound further down the road, much more interesting.
We love this park, the clear water in the spring, the peaceful atmospher, the quiet drifting in the canoes on the river,the dreamy watching of the dark vultures circling overhead.The current concession holders (as of Jan 2015) are wonderful: renting a canoe was super simple, easy and friendly. And we had the special BBQed ribs on Sunday. A delightful picnic in the shade while watching deer, squirrels, children, and birds We absolutely LOVED the ribs!
We like to hike and if you have time take some of the trails in to the refuge. Camera with long lens may get you some good bird images.
We took the drive and thought it was a long drive with the same topography. Lots of burned areas and a few ponds. Few birds as the it was an overcast day. I might have enjoyed taking a bicycle if the two points of entrance were not so far apart. Overall, not a memorable experience compared to other options in the area. 15 mph but the dirt road is in fine condition.
Spent the day in the LSNWR and it was awesome!The Refuge headquarters is a great place to start. Our trip took us through the town of Suwannee and on through the forest and swamp, then to Fishbone creek and Shired Island. A beautiful trip.
My husband and I visited this sight/site on our way home after two nights in Cedar Key. It was not difficult to find, and we drove on the gravel road to where it met the water's edge. We walked out on the wooden deck and sidewalk to overlook the water and just to bask in the Florida sunshine and the solitude. Our stay was only about 45 minutes, including the drive to the water, but the scenery was Florida beautiful. I remarked that when we were sitting on the deck that, because we live in an urban area, we don't often get the chance to look as far as the eye can see without the interruption of buildings, signs, poles, etc. We saw nothing but nature: water, trees, birds, sky. I could not verify if the area we saw had any of the amenities listed below on the TA review questionnaire because we did not see them on our short stay, such as food, bathroom, stairs, wheelchair access, lockers, stroller parking. There were none obvious from where we got on the road to the end at the water's edge. Because of the press of time, we did not go to the Shell Mound, which is close by.
Our National Wildlife Refuges are a real treasure and this one is no exception. There is a nice 9 mile drive and that also be a nice bike ride. The road is dirt but in great shape. The short side roads along the loop are also fun to explore. There is a short board walk trail along the loop to go out to an overlook. We saw many birds and several alligators. There is a county run campground called Shell Mound Campground that is great for camping and there is a wonderful one-mile trail just past the campground. It you have an interest in nature, I would highly recommend a visit.