San Marcos de Apalache Historic State Park — Attraction in Saint Marks

Mission San Luis, William Augustus Bowles, the Creek and Seminole Wars, the Civil War, this little fort, which has changed a great deal over the centuries (yes, centuries) has been a focal point of many episodes in local history. Soooooo few realize that there was a water route of some sort up the Wakulla to San Luis in the late 1600s. Much of it is filled in now and it was probably always only passable with effort by canoes, until reaching the Wakulla River but still. Then there are the many European wars and intrigues between Spain, Britain and France. Some Creeks took the fort from the Spanish under William Augustus Bowles, a Loyalist veteran of the Revolutionary War who established the short-lived nation of Muscogee before ending his days in Cuba's El Morro (his biography is well worth a read to those interested in Florida history). There is so much...

It is a walking around the grounds and reading a couple plaques kind of place. The river side placement is pretty and there are benches to sit on to watch the river and the birds. Last week we saw a bald eagle skimming the Wakulla river for fish. I give it 3 stars because it doesn't have much to see as a museum like you will find east of there at the St. Mark's Lighthouse national park, but it is in a quaint community of St. Mark's that does have restaurants, boat ramps, boat repair, rentals and sales, overnight lodging. It does serve as a nice walk about to stretch your legs while stepping up on a high point of the grounds. Insect repellent is good if you plan on walking the trail to the water. Of course you are in Florida so you should already have a couple cans of deet cologne ready to go as soon as you step out of...

Due to Covid, the museum was closed. But the grounds were open. Also, boaters were lined up for several blocks getting to the park & in the parking area where we got the last parking spot for our car. There were many boats out on the water, and many cars parked in the parking lot.

The bathroom facilities were closed, like the museum. A couple of pamphlets were in a freestanding covered box. We used one to walk around the grounds, returning it to the box when we were done. This is a largely shaded area, so it was not as hot as the temperature said. As we walked around, we encountered a family of four, and we all kept our social 6 foot distance.

We didn’t see any birds, which seemed strange, or any other wildlife except for butterflies. It was a very pretty area, and someday we’ll return to...