St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge
St. Marks, FL
St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge is better known for its lighthouse and its birds than for swimming, but the Wakulla Unit does have a real tidal beach at the end of the levee road, where the sandy bottom of Apalachee Bay is shallow enough to wade for a good while. The 1831 lighthouse a short walk away is the oldest working one on Florida's Gulf coast.
The lighthouse and the birding are the real draw here, not the beach itself, which is small and better for a wade than an actual swim.
How we score beachesTime a visit for cooler months if birds are the draw, the refuge is one of the best wintering spots on the Gulf coast for waterfowl. The beach at the levee's end is small and shell strewn, come for the wade and the lighthouse view rather than expecting a real swim beach.
The entrance fee is 5 dollars per vehicle or 1 dollar for anyone arriving on foot or by bike, paid at the visitor center. The lighthouse parking area is the busiest spot and can fill on weekends.
The levee road out to the lighthouse and beach is flat gravel and dirt, walkable but not paved, so it's a rougher trip for strollers or wheelchairs than a typical beach boardwalk. There's no path directly to the water beyond the end of the levee.
Leashed pets are allowed in designated areas of the refuge, though alligators in the marshes and impoundments make it worth keeping a close eye on small dogs near the water.
Winter brings the best birding and the mildest hiking weather, while summer humidity and hurricane season, June through November, make the shadeless levee walk a tougher call. The wading beach stays warm enough to enjoy from late spring into fall.
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