St. Mark's Lighthouse — Attraction in Crawfordville

By visiting this beautiful wildlife refuge it brought back so many Wonderful childhood memories. As I was younger growing up in Tallahassee Florida we would love fishing with our Dad!! One of our familys favorite spots was St. Mark’s lighthouse just because it had freshwater on one side as well as the ocean salt water on the other. I remember spending countless hours my brother and I catching pin-fish that my dad would Cut in half and use for his bait hoping to catch even bigger fish and sometimes even sharks!! Over the years my dad had caught thousands of fish from this location including an alligator gar, a hammerhead shark and a smaller great white shark. We would walk out into the ocean as far as we could go without having water over our heads and fish all day long until nighttime - having to run to shore as the tide quickly came up along with the moon!!! There are many different picnic areas around and several different wildlife viewing spots. There are the most beautiful colored birds and even very large birds - the largest birds I’ve ever seen. We’ve seen bobcats as well as huge hairy fire-red ants and even An entire army of migrating crabs. Years ago there used to be tons of alligators everywhere lounging in the sun.. My mom even wants tripped over a gator that was laying across the path to our truck. It was so long , it stretched over the entire width of the whole path. I will never forget that time. Unfortunately due to the new gator hunting season, I never see any alligators at all anymore.. it’s sad. Overall this is an...

This is a great place to take out of town visitors or family and friends for a picnic, bird watching. Alligator sitings, over look towers, walk on the beach, look at the Lighthouse. Photo ops or just plain old relaxation, walk on the trails, fishing or putting a boat in at the boat ramp. Stop in the gift store and museum. The prices are reasonable and many very nice items to choose from. They also have a nice museum display of creatures in the area. Sign out front says gift store is closed at 4:00p but the time is wrong. They are open a little later than that. They advised the sign needs to be updated. I believe she said they close at 5:00 or 6:00. We actually have 1 real live Flamingo that stays down here. He can be sited from time to time. He came in with I believe Hurricane Michael and has been here ever since. They do have restrooms but not right at the beach unless you are by the boat ramp there is a porta potty. Bring a camera lots of beauty to see. If you have little children, elderly or dog(s) with you, be mindful around the water. There are alligators here and they can move very fast when they see -shall we say an "appetizer" close by. Please Do Not feed the wildlife. I hope you enjoy your visit....

I recently visited St. Marks Lighthouse, and it was an absolutely breathtaking experience! The lighthouse itself is beautifully preserved and offers a glimpse into the rich maritime history of the area. The surrounding wildlife refuge is stunning, with plenty of opportunities to spot various birds, alligators, and other wildlife.

The trails around the lighthouse are well-maintained and provide excellent views of the Gulf of Mexico. It's the perfect spot for a peaceful walk or a photography session. I especially loved the serenity of the area—it’s a great place to unwind and connect with nature.

The staff and volunteers were incredibly knowledgeable and friendly, providing insights about the lighthouse's history and the local ecosystem. If you're in the area, I highly recommend stopping by St. Marks Lighthouse. It's a hidden gem that's definitely...