#1 - Hardwood Swamp

You have been driving through a slash pine flatwoods that was planted shortly after the Refuge was established. The Lighthouse Road was only a sandy high spot back then, and many visitors can remember when the early paving of the road wasn't much better. Some visitors remember when the potholes were so bad, you either had to have a four-wheel drive vehicle or be prepared to walk most of the way down to the lighthouse. Wakulla County transferred ownership of the road to the Refuge in 1989.

Here at these two bridges, you'll notice that the habitat has become a hardwood swamp. One of several water gauges is set up here to help the refuge biologist determine how much water is available to manage the pools. The water beneath these bridges is flowing into the East River Pool, which you will soon see. Osprey like to nest in the tall cypress trees near here and wood ducks nest in tree cavities in the swamp. Many visitors like to fish at these bridges after a hard rain and birdwatchers enjoy looking for warblers here in spring and fall.