Jonathan Lyons

Jonathan Lyons

Visit St. Marks Lighthouse

10/01/17

St Marks Wildlife Refuge is a nice day trip from Tallahassee. You can ride or walk along the levees park out by the lighthouse or take advantage of the boat ramps. Frankly, it’s just too hot out there in the summertime. However, the monarch butterfly migration in the autumn is spectacular. One nice thing about the refuge is that you are almost always guaranteed to large alligators and a wide variety of wading birds. If you get lucky, you might even spot some of the larger mammals in the park, like deer and wild hogs. Armadillos are also plentiful in the area. Don’t miss the headquarters pond if you are bird watching. I’ve seen everything from cormorants, and ducks to rare visitors like wood storks and spoonbills. The downside of the refuge are the crowds and drivers who aren’t watching traffic. If you are on and off the levees with a bike or riding a touring bike on pavement, it’s important to watch who has their eyes on the road and who’s looking for wildlife without pulling off.

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