Facility Activities

Chassahowitzka NWR has several activities available to visitors such as wildlife viewing, boating/paddling, fishing and photography. 

Visitors to the Refuge can paddle the calm, quiet Chassahowitzka River to view crystal clear springs and an abundance of wildlife. Fishing, crabbing, and shell-fishing opportunities abound in the estuaries along the Gulf Coast. Motorized boating along with air-boating make for exciting sightseeing adventures. Walk the paths and climb the tower at Salt Marsh Trails to get an up-close and bird’s eye view of the unique habitat which over 300 species of animals call home.  

Hunting

Twenty years ago, tens of thousands of ducks landed at Chassahowitzka NWR, making this one of the most important waterfowl refuges in the state. Migratory patterns have since changed, and today only a few thousand ducks land on the 31,000-acre refuge. Duck hunting has thus been very difficult in...

Fishing

The refuge is composed of approximately 30,500 acres of coastal wetlands, salt marsh and open Gulf of Mexico. Fishing season is year-round, with closed harvest seasons for certain species. Freshwater species include largemouth bass and sunfish. Saltwater species include red drum, cobia, tarpon,...

Photography

Perhaps the fastest growing activity on national wildlife refuges in the past ten years has been wildlife photography.  That’s not surprising – the digital camera population explosion and cell phones with ever-improving picture-taking abilities are increasing the number of nature...

Camping

Camping is prohibited on the refuge. However, camping and boat rentals are available nearby. Please contact Chassahowitzka River Campground, a county park and recreation area, for more information call: 352-382-2200.

Birding

 The refuge provides a place for approximately 250 species of birds, including double-crested cormorants, great blue herons, green herons, ospreys, white pelicans, and various species of waterfowl and songbirds are observed on the refuge. 

Hiking

Salt Marsh Trails - The property is open to the public from sunrise to sunset. It is a pack-in, pack-out (leave only footprints) property with no facilities. Enjoy the Salt Marsh Trails, BUT remember this is a wildlife refuge and not a park. There is room to ...

Picnicking

There is a large pavilion available at Salt Marsh Trails. It is available on a first-come-first-served basis. There are no facilities on site.

There is also a pavilion located on the Chassahowiska River with picnic tables and a composting toilet. this is only accessible...