A Nature Lover's Paradise - Aucilla River St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge

The Moorings at Mandalay, Aucilla River Florida is ultimate and unique eco-tourist destination – a true nature lover’s paradise inside the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge -- birding, boating, sailing, canoeing, hiking, hunting, scalloping, fishing, artifact hunting, wildflower collecting, wildlife observation, nature photography, and painting. You can enjoy the pristine beauty of the Aucilla River. You’ll love the panoramic view of the refuge across the river through the 40 feet of sliding glass doors or from the dock. Pets are allowed with a $50 pet fee and modern flea protection.

This retreat is beautifully furnished with objects collected from around the world. The 2-bedroom, 1 ½ bath home has a queen-size bed, a comfortable double size futon, and a double Tempur-Pedic bed and plenty of floor space for inflatable mattresses. The home is fully furnished including linens, dishes, a dishwasher, a microwave, a washer, a dryer, a flat-screen TV, a VCR/DVD player, CD's, DVDs, games, books and more.

The rambling yard that has 160 front feet right along the riverbank. From the dock, you are just upstream about 10 minutes from the Gulf of Mexico with a public boat ramp nearby. The area has abundant wildlife. Seasonal sightings include ruby-throated hummingbirds, ospreys, bald eagles, pleated woodpeckers, swallow-tailed kites, great blue herons, white pelicans, turkeys, and flocks of iron head storks. In the river, teeming with fish, we've also seen manatees, otters, and porpoises. All around in the forest raccoon, deer, fox, coyotes, bobcats, and wild boar abound.

It’s a short hop up to Tallahassee, just 45 minutes; to Perry it’s 20 minutes. About 30 minutes away is the village of St. Marks, on the St. Marks River where it converges with the crystal clear Wakulla River. At the headwaters of the Wakulla River, twenty minutes away, is the Wakulla Springs Lodge State Park, a “river boat adventure” tour, swimming, dining, and lodging. For your convenience, JR’s Aucilla River Store is within 5 miles at the US 98 bridge. A guide service is available that provides licensed charter captains intimately familiar with the Big Bend waters.

This area has a rich archaeological history. You will walk the same trails of our ancestors from the Pleistocene era. For hiking, about three miles from the house, a segment of the Florida Trail runs east and west through the forest of the National Wildlife Refuge. It parallels US 98, then turns north up the Aucilla River basin through the many sinkholes to the upper run. That segment has white water rapid canoeing.

You can enjoy a half-day pristine canoe or fishing trip from the headwaters of the Wacissa River merging with the Aucilla River’s lower run ending at the house. Nearby recreational areas include Hickory Mound Impoundment, especially good for birding, Goose Pasture Recreational Area for canoeing and picnicking, and the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge for scenic beauty and abundant wildlife.

Like us on Facebook, The Moorings at Mandalay, for additional pictures and Map of Aucilla River channel, overlaid on a satellite photo.