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Enjoy the many unique neighborhood amenities available right in your backyard! By taking advantage of these resources, you can truly enhance your lifestyle.
 
...and High Speed Internet Access
Around Cedar Key
HIKING, BIKING & BEACHCOMBING
A trail experience for almost every level of capability and interest is available in this area area from paved linear corridors of many miles to sugar-sand trails in scenic scrub, interpretive nature walks, and historic walking tours.
Cedar Key Scrub: 12 miles of interlocking trails through scrub, pine flat wood, swamp and marsh environments. Great hiking, wildlife watching and photography (Some sugar sand.)
Dixie Mainline Trail: 9 miles of linear trail between Salt Creek and Shired Island, through pine forest, hardwood hammock, wetlands and tidal creek environments. This is a motor/hike/bike trail with canoe/kayak access to several tidal creeks. Great wildlife watching and photography opportunities. (Hard packed surface, subject to seasonal flooding.)
Nature Coast Side Trail: 33 miles of paved linear trail in three sections. This “greenway” has been developed from disused railroad right-of-ways. Easy access and close to facilities at all trail heads. Ideal for families. Bike, hike, or skate. Many sections are also suitable for sports wheelchairs and golf carts.
Manatee Springs: 8.5 mile nature trail through hammock and sandhill.
Fanning Springs: 0.75 mile nature trail through a wooded area.
Shell Mound: 1.0 mile nature trail and 0.3 mile archaeological site trail.
Cedar Historic Walking Tour: 2-3 hour tour of the town’s historic buildings. (Guide book available from the Cedar Key Historical Society Museum.)
Atsena Otie Key: 0.5 mile loop nature trail to historic graveyard site.
Inglis Island: Several miles of scenic nature trails. (Mostly grassy surfaces.)
Goethe Forest: 30 miles of multi-use trails on three trailheads. Active Trail walker program. Ideal for equestrian access. (Sandy, not very suitable for bikes.)
HORSEBACK RIDING
Excellent horse riding trails in beautiful natural environments can be found within the Cedar Key Scrub (12 miles of trails) and Goethe Forest (30 miles of trails). Carriage drivers are welcomed to the Goethe Forest. All horses must carry Coggins papers for these trails.
PHOTOGRAPHY/ ARTISTS
The natural richness of the region makes it of special interest to photographers and artists who seek their inspiration from nature. Visitors and permanent residents are drawn to record the diverse beauty of the region in photographs, paintings, sculpture and textiles.
Cedar Key has become the artistic center of the region and hosts a Sidewalk Arts Festival every spring. Studios and galleries are plentiful in Cedar Key, especially among the historic buildings of the downtown area. The charming town has become not only a haven for those who translate nature into art, but those who come to buy.
BOATING: Canoe/ kayak/ sailing
Water activities dominate the area. From wild rivers to the intricate fingers of tidal creeks, to the serene Gulf, there is a water-related activity for almost every interest. While small motor boats have long been vessel of choice for the shallow waters of the Gulf, tidal rivers and up stream, increasingly the area is being discovered by canoeists and kayakers, and even shallow-draft sailors.
Launch sites, both public and private, are plentiful throughout the region. All waterfront communities in the region have marina facilities, which offer launch facilities, some docking, bait, fuel and limited marine supplies. Canoe and kayak rentals can be found in Cedar Key. Fishing and nature guides are also available.
Boaters should be aware of sandbars, oyster bars and rising and falling tides, especially around Cedar Key and Waccasassa Bay. At low tide channels from the Gulf into the Suwannee River and Cedar Key (northwest channel) can be very shallow in some area s and all larger vessels should exercise extreme caution. Paddlers should pay careful attention to tides when navigating shallow or fast flowing tidal waterways. Tidal effect can be felt many miles upriver.
Canoeing/ Kayaking: Suwannee, Waccasassa and Withlacoochee Rivers and estuaries. Shell Mound and Cedar Key (sea kayaking).
Sailing: Suwannee River estuary; Gulf coast. Docking and anchorages: Cedar Key, community of Suwannee, Yankeetown. Fishing in Cedar Key
The best in both freshwater and saltwater fishing experiences can be found throughout the Cedar Key region. Whether you enjoy the tranquility of bass boating or kayaking through peaceful creeks and river estuaries, or the excitement of deep-sea fishing miles offshore, Cedar Key offers a fishing experience for every budget.
For the serious fisherman and visitors unfamiliar with the Gulf waters, the best way to ensure a good day’s fishing is to hire a licensed and insured fishing guide. Always courteous and professional, these guides will do their best to give you a safe, comfortable and successful day on the water. Most guides offer half-or full-day trips, and also allow you to customize your outing to include island hopping, bird watching, sight-seeing and photography as well as world-class fishing.
Saltwater: The shallow inshore waters of the Gulf are rich in nutrients from the rivers of the region, while the grass beds and oyster bars offer sanctuary and breeding grounds for plentiful species such as speckled trout and redfish. These waters are often extremely shoal, especially around Shell Mound and Waccassa Bay, and suitable only for very shallow draft boats.
Offshore, the waters are deeper, clearer, and no longer affected by major estuarine systems. Larger boats are a safer choice in these waters, where ocean swells and big waves are common.
Year-round (inshore): speckled sea trout, sand trout, whiting, and redfish
Year-round (offshore): grouper, sea bass, and snapper
Jan-Mar: Sheepshead
Mar-Nov: Spanish and king mackerel
May-Oct: Cobia, tarpon, shark |
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