There is a lot of exquisite scenery in Florida. The tall green forests of northern Florida, the palm-studded coasts in the southwest, the blue waters where the Gulf meets the Atlantic Ocean in the Keys, the magnificence of the St. John’s River in the northeast to the crystal clear springs throughout Florida. All are just amazing sights.
However, if there is one region that convinces you that God is an unequaled artist. It would be the Nature Coast of Florida.
What is the Nature Coast of Florida?
An excellent way to plan 8 Florida day trips is to visit each of the counties of the Nature Coast of Florida.
The Nature Coast is an unofficial region of eight counties along the Big Bend region of Florida’s Gulf Coast down to the Suncoast that begins in Pinellas County. There are no specific boundaries, the Nature Coast scenes of natural features will tell you where you are!
The eight counties in the Nature Coast from north to south include;
- Wakulla
- Jefferson
- Taylor
- Levy
- Dixie
- Citrus
- Hernando
- Pasco
Each of these counties is known for its exceptional fishing, natural springs, historical significance, some unspoiled coastal grass flats, and relatively under-developed coastlines that can take you back hundreds of years as the explorers roamed the region.
We start our day trips in Florida from north to south.
WAKULLA County
In Wakulla County, we have written about the Wakulla State Park and one of the largest springs in the world located a few miles inland from the Gulf Coast. Along the coast, you will find the city of St. Marks. The city’s history goes back to a Spanish fort built in the 1600s.
If you visit St. Marks on the Florida Nature Coast, you must visit the Riverside Cafe. A fun place with a tiki bar built on poles that float up and down with the St. Marks River tides. Make sure they show you the “Hurricane Pole”.
You will find other towns in the region like Panacea, and Sopchoppy, and don’t miss a protrusion into the Gulf called Alligator Point. Don’t sell these small towns short. Each one has character and picture-perfect views.
Most of these towns are on or just off Rt. 98, a Florida coastal federal highway that is also a designated Florida Scenic Highway that seems to need reconstruction after each hurricane.
Our Florida day trips will spend a couple hundred miles on Rt. 98 along the Florida Nature Coast. There are not many highways that have better views for so many miles.
JEFFERSON County
Down the road in Jefferson County, which only has a little sliver of land on the Gulf Coast, but has a lot of history in the north part of the county.
The capital of Jefferson County is Monticello. If your American history classes are recalled, Monticello was the name of Thomas Jefferson’s plantation, thus the name for the county seat!
Created in 1827, Jefferson County is the only one that runs all the way to the northern border of Florida. The population today (15,000) is just slightly less than it was in 1880!
Jefferson County along the Nature Coast of Florida IS old Florida. There are plenty of signs of history as you travel the back roads and towns in Jefferson County. Check out the Old Spanish Trail that goes through Jefferson County. This is a road that takes you deep into Florida’s southern past.
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This article originally appeared here and was republished with permission.
