Dennis Creek Trail, Lower Suwannee NWR

Just a short walk from the Shell Mound County Park campground in Cedar Key is the Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge. There is an archeological site here, hiking trails, boat ramp, and a wildlife viewing platform overlooking the water.

This refuge adjoins the Cedar Keys NWR which protects habitat and critical nesting areas.

The road into the refuge. Thistle and I took an afternoon walk.

We hiked the Dennis Creek Trail, a one-mile loop.

The trail passes through several different coastal habitats.

Here it crosses a salt marsh.

View of the salt marsh.

An observation platform looks over an island pond.

It was not the best time of day for seeing wildlife around the ponds.

I think we'll try this trail again early in the morning.

Minnows in the pond.

A bench along the trail for birders.

The trail crosses a forested island.

Salt water encroachment has killed some of the trees.

Three kinds of bees can be found here.

This one is apparently the Metallic Green Sweat Bee.

Approaching Dennis Creek. The wooden pilings are the remnants of an old fish camp.

A cormorant sits on one of the pilings.

Down by the shore tiny crabs scurry about.

This one scurried into the grass to camouflage itself.

Can you find it?

Speaking of crabs, that's a crab fisherman coming to check his traps.

They circle the buoy and snag the line to pull it up.

Checking for crabs.

Looking down Dennis Creek toward the Gulf.

An Osprey or Bald Eagle nest.

Pioneers in the 1800s logged the pristine forests of the Gulf islands. Later they profited from timber and turpentine.

A shell midden. Early native cultures recycled their debris (mollusk shells, bones, and broken tools) in order to fortify the mud flats where they lived, fished and raised their families. Construction of these shell mounds began over 3,000 years ago. There is another trail that I will take later to a huge mound that has been excavated by archaeologists.

Back over the salt marsh in another place. A sign says this is critical habitat for the endangered Florida salt marsh vole.

Perhaps this is a vole tunnel?

Thistle said it was getting too warm, so after that hike, we headed back to the campground.

On the way we saw this Gray Catbird.

This is a nice and economical campground. Electric sites are $10 a night and electric and water sites are $14. There is a dump station where you can also fill your tank with fresh water.

Playground...looking toward the boat launch area.

My site.

When it cooled off, Thistle and I walked down to watch the wading birds and the sunset.

Sun setting behind Hog Island.