Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge, Florida, United States

5Sean D 5:00 PM May 13, 2018

great place to visit
great place to visit on the west coast of florida. If you get the chance drive the 9 mile loop in the lower suwannee management area. you will get the chance to see lots of Florida wildlife. We saw several large alligators in ponds, wild hogs, loads of beautiful birds, various snakes and a florida panther

5cdub333 5:00 PM Dec 30, 2016

Atsena Otie Key kayaking; superb sunrise; Faber College
This chain of small islands off Cedar Key are a paddler’s paradise. From several launch sites on Cedar Key, you can paddle out to historic Atsena Otie Key (once a major population center; now abandoned) or other keys. These islands played small but interesting roles in the Seminole Wars and Civil War, and have been battered by hurricanes. I decided to circumnavigate Atsena Otie Key, which is 1.2 miles from Cedar Key’s municipal beach, a nice sandy launch site with free parking. If time and conditions allowed, I would paddle the 3.5 miles of open water to Seahorse Key, once an internment facility for Seminoles being shipped out to reservations. I toted my 15’ inflatable kayak out before sunrise, quickly inflated it and was joined by two other kayakers seeking a sunrise paddle. One fellow tells me “there aren’t any dogs on Dog Key or seahorses on Seahorse Key, but there sure as hell are snakes on Snake Key.” The other guy says we’re in a horseshoe crab mating area. Great. Chilly, windy conditions, small waves, low tide. Had to drag the boat quite a ways before launching. Then, on cue, the sun rose, and due to Cedar Key’s site and the low winter sun, it illuminated the Gulf a fiery red. Fantastic. About a half-mile offshore, I started taking on water as the waves grew. I thought of the woman at the hotel who said there are sharks in the waters by Atsena Otie. I arrived at the island in about 40 minutes, then circled it clockwise starting at the east side. There’s a tiny sandy beach amid clamshell mounds at the east end where I put in, drained the kayak and reorganized my gear. On the southern side of Atsena Otie, the wind seemed to shift and the paddling was a struggle. I found the break leading into the middle of the island and searched for the ancient Indian water trail I read about, but the tide was too low. Next time. On the west side of Atsena Otie there’s an abandoned dilapidated jetty. Sort of spooky, with hundreds of gulls, pelicans, egrets and even a hawk staring at me as I glided by. Then the large sandy beach, where I put in again and had a snack, knowing I was the only human on this island this December dawn. The lights of Cedar Key were turning off as the sun rose higher. The hiking trail is to the west of the beach. It meanders through pine and mangrove clusters. No more cedars here; all used up by the Faber Pencil Company best known for endowing Faber College. At one time, 10,000 people lived here before a hurricane storm surge leveled the island. No sign of human settlement today. I hoped to take the trail to the end where there’s an old cemetery, but had neither the footwear nor bug spray to forge ahead. The paddle back to Cedar Key was harrowing. Bigger waves hitting me from the side, a slight leak in my inflatable’s inner chamber, more motor boat traffic coming from Cedar Key. Made it in a half-hour. Next time I’ll add Snake Key & Seahorse Key to the itinerary. A great place to paddle. But bring footwear and insect repellent!