Hillsborough River State Park also canceled our reservations due to hurricane damage in the campground, so we booked the nights at Seven Sisters Campground in Homosassa FL. The Crystal River and Homosassa area of Florida is another favorite of ours. There is so much to do in this area and there is history as well.
The campground has a kayak launch to the Chassahowitzka River. We kayaked 4.5. miles to the Crack the afternoon we arrived. Eventhough there are numerous springs in the area the water level was low. On the off shoot to the crack the water was barely 6 inches deep and near the end we had to walk in the little trickle of a stream to get to the crack. Once we made it to the headspring (the crack) the famous tree swing was still there but the water level was too low to enjoy it. The last time we were here there was more water and the locals were swimming and swinging.
We visited Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park and saw manatees, Lou the hippo who just turned 65 years old. He had some sores on him from being in the water and the sheepshead fish had been pecking at his skin. The vets and rangers were tending to his wounds. Getting up close to the birds made for some more fun photography.
We learned about the early inhabitants of Florida at Crystal River Archaeological State Park and then did some hiking in Crystal River Preserve State Park. We visited Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins Historic State Park and learned about the pioneer David Yulee who built the first cross state railroad and was Florids first US Senator.
We visited Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge at Three Sisters and walked the boardwalk watching the manatees swim in and out of the springs. Several years ago at Thanksgiving we snorkled with the manatees in the springs. This trip we did not get a chance to snorkel. The next day we lauched our kayaks at Hunter Springs Park and kayaked throughout Kings Bay to see the manatees. When the Gulf waters get cold the manatees come into the springs to the 72-73 degree water for warmth. Manatees do not have a lot of fat on them and can get cold stunned easily.
Lastly we drove up to Cedar Key to visit this quaint village. Hurricane Helene damaged the city in 2024. The city is rebuilding and we found a unique pirce of driftwood art at the local artisan shop. There was a fire on the warf that damaged a few businesses but others are still open. We saw an RV place on the outskits of town that we will come back and stay. We want to explore the many trails for hiking and kayaking in the area.
Wildlife sightings: Manatee, Brown Pelicans, Wood Storks, Bald Eagle, Belted Kingfisher, Great Blue Heron, Mullet, Black Vultures, Cooter turtles, Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Cormorant, Black Skimmers, Seagulls ( I did not list the animals we saw at the wildlife park)
Nature Moments
Manatee swimming in Three Sisters
Note: All photos and videos unless otherwise stated are property of Wayne and Margaret Shoemake. If you would like to use any of them please email us at [email protected].