#6 - Salt Marsh

Shorebirds and wading birds enjoy the protected waters of the marsh during stormy weather. Notice the prickly pear cactus that grows along the side of the road. Note that the plants look more scrubby and have a more arid appearance in this area where the salt content of both land and water has increased. In the fall, thousands of monarch butterflies dot the goldenrod blooms as they gather food for their long migration across the Gulf.

The pinewoods have thinned out and you are now driving through an area with the Wilderness Area salt marsh on both sides. Many small pine islands dot the marsh. Geologists think that these could be the remnants of a barrier beach ridge that existed several thousand years ago when sea level was higher than today. Bald eagles enjoy perching on the tall trees in these marsh islands.