One of America's first wildlife refuges, a 68,000 acre preserve, is located in Florida's Big Bend Region. Here on the Gulf Coast, St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge is made up of an upland pine belt and lowland marsh, dotted with small islands, seven fresh water estuaries and a web of tidal creeks.
   A seven mile park road cuts through a pine forest and then, heading toward the coast, the roadway is built up from the lowland marsh and wetlands, which make up over half of the park's habitat. Each year over a quarter of a million visitors enjoy the refuge. One of the popular attractions here is the lighthouse which dates back to 1866. Florida National Scenic Trail also passes through the refuge and is part of the 1000 mile trail. Lying on the western edge of the eastern zone flyway, the preserve is a winter home for a variety migratory birds. Birders have logged more than 275 species, including scoters, bay and marsh ducks, grebes, shorebirds, eagles, heron and ospreys. And naturally, with thousands of acres of marshland, the American alligator attracts a great deal of attention. During cooler months, visitors may find hundreds of alligators basking in the sun along refuge dikes. During summer months, gators are still present but are mainly seen in the water. In the longleaf pine belt, a mix of sandhills, mesic flatwoods and savannas, threatened refuge species include the eastern indigo snake and the gopher tortoise. Spread over three Florida panhandle counties, the refuge is home to a diverse community of plant and animal life.

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