The Nature Coast is an informal, unofficial

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...

of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...

. The broadest definition of the Nature Coast includes the eight counties that abut the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United ...

along the Big Bend Coast defined by

geologist A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid, liquid, and gaseous matter that constitutes Earth and other terrestrial planets, as well as the processes that shape them. Geologists usually study geology, earth science, or geophysics, althou ...

s: from west to east, Wakulla, Jefferson, Taylor,

Dixie Dixie, also known as Dixieland or Dixie's Land, is a nickname for all or part of the Southern United States. While there is no official definition of this region (and the included areas shift over the years), or the extent of the area it cove ...

Levy Levy, Lévy or Levies may refer to: People * Levy (surname), people with the surname Levy or Lévy * Levy Adcock (born 1988), American football player * Levy Barent Cohen (1747–1808), Dutch-born British financier and community worker * Levy ...

Citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is native to ...

, Hernando, and Pasco counties. (Note that the Big Bend Coast differs from the Big Bend region of Florida.) Many businesses and organizations incorporate "Nature Coast" in their names, but most of them do not explicitly define the region, or define a smaller region. For instance, the

Nature Coast State Trail The Nature Coast State Trail (NCST) is a 31.7-mile long segment of Florida's Statewide System of Greenways and Trails System built along abandoned railroad tracks, and designated by the U.S. Department of the Interior as a National Recreation Trai ...

, which is officially designated as part of Florida’s Statewide System of Greenways and Trails, is located in Dixie, Gilchrist and Levy counties. The Nature Coaster website covers only Citrus, Hernando and Pasco counties. This region of Florida is culturally partially southern, with the

Deep South The Deep South or the Lower South is a cultural and geographic subregion in the Southern United States. The term was first used to describe the states most dependent on plantations and slavery prior to the American Civil War. Following the wa ...

culture extending to Levy County. The lower southern end (Pasco, Hernando, and Citrus County) are often considered part of the

Tampa Bay Area The Tampa Bay area is a major populated area surrounding Tampa Bay on the west coast of Florida in the United States. It includes the main cities of Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater. It is the 18th largest metropolitan area in the Unite ...

. The name "Nature Coast" was devised in 1991 as part of a marketing campaign to attract vacationers to the eight county area. The name eventually began to be used locally, and describes the area formally known as the "Big Bend" of Florida.St. Petersburg Times article, St. Petersburg Times - Feb 23, 1994
Activities common in this area include hunting, fishing, boating,

bird watching Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, by ...

and nature hiking.

Snorkeling Snorkeling ( British and Commonwealth English spelling: snorkelling) is the practice of swimming on or through a body of water while equipped with a diving mask, a shaped breathing tube called a snorkel, and usually swimfins. In cooler waters ...

spots are found in the rivers along the Nature Coast. Diving and

manatee Manatees (family Trichechidae, genus ''Trichechus'') are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows. There are three accepted living species of Trichechidae, representing three of the four living speci ...

tours are available, predominantly in areas such as Crystal River,

Homosassa Homosassa is a census-designated place (CDP) in Citrus County, Florida, United States. The population was 2,578 at the 2010 census. History Homosassa is derived from a Seminole Indian name meaning either "river of fishes" or "pepper ridge". In ...

and Homosassa Springs. The Nature Coast is home to wildlife including deer,

wild pig A wild pig may be: *Suina, a suborder of even-toed mammals, including: **Suidae, a family of animals that are pigs or pig-like, including the Suinae and more distantly related extinct Old World tribes ***Suinae, a subfamily which includes the ''S ...

roseate spoonbill The roseate spoonbill (''Platalea ajaja'') is a gregarious wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family, Threskiornithidae. It is a resident breeder in both South and North America. Taxonomy The roseate spoonbill is sometimes placed in its own ...

alligator An alligator is a large reptile in the Crocodilia order in the genus ''Alligator'' of the family Alligatoridae. The two extant species are the American alligator (''A. mississippiensis'') and the Chinese alligator (''A. sinensis''). Additional ...

raccoon The raccoon ( or , ''Procyon lotor''), sometimes called the common raccoon to distinguish it from other species, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest of the procyonid family, having a body length of , and a body weight of ...

opossum Opossums () are members of the marsupial order Didelphimorphia () endemic to the Americas. The largest order of marsupials in the Western Hemisphere, it comprises 93 species in 18 genera. Opossums originated in South America and entered No ...

s, snakes,

great blue heron The great blue heron (''Ardea herodias'') is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North America and Central America, as well as the Caribbean and the Galápagos I ...

egret Egrets ( ) are herons, generally long-legged wading birds, that have white or buff plumage, developing fine plumes (usually milky white) during the breeding season. Egrets are not a biologically distinct group from herons and have the same buil ...

s, turtles and at least 19 endangered species. There are also 50

golf course A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical hole in the ground, known as a "cup". ...

s in the area.

Attractions

Citrus

Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge The Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge is part of the United States National Wildlife Refuge System, located on the west coast of Florida, about north of St. Petersburg. It is famous as the southern wintering site for the re-introduced eas ...

, partly in Hernando County :

Crystal River Archaeological State Park Crystal River State Archaeological Site is a Florida State Park located on the Crystal River and within the Crystal River Preserve State Park. The park is located two miles (3 km) northwest of the city of Crystal River, on Museum Point o ...

Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge The Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge is part of the United States National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) System, located in Kings Bay, in the town of Crystal River, and consists of 20 islands and several small parcels of land. The refuge (only a ...

Crystal River Preserve State Park Crystal River Preserve State Park is a Florida State Park, originally known as the Crystal River Buffer Preserve. The Preserve comprises 27,500 acres of salt marsh, tidal creeks, mangrove islands, hardwood forests, coastal scrub and pine fla ...

Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park is located near Homosassa Springs, Florida, in the United States. The park is one of the notable locations in the state to view manatees. Visitors can get close to the animals on a floating observatory. Bl ...

Lake Rousseau Lake Rousseau is a reservoir on the Withlacoochee River in central Florida, on the boundary of Levy County to the north-west, Marion County to the north-east, and Citrus County to the south. It was created in the early 1900s when the river was ...

Withlacoochee State Trail Withlacoochee State Trail is a long paved, multi-use, non-motorized rail trail in Florida located in Citrus, Hernando and Pasco counties. It follows along the Withlacoochee River and passes through the Withlacoochee State Forest. It is the ...

: Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins State Historic Site

Hernando

: The Heritage Museum :

Weeki Wachee Springs Weeki Wachee Springs is a natural tourist attraction located in Weeki Wachee, Florida, where underwater performances by " mermaids," women wearing fish tails as well as other fanciful outfits, can be viewed in an aquarium-like setting in the spri ...

Jefferson

: Letchworth Mounds

Levy

: Cedar Key Museum State Park : Cedar Key Scrub State Reserve :

Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge The Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge is part of the United States National Wildlife Refuge System, located near Cedar Key Cedar Key is a city in Levy County, Florida, United States. The population was 702 at the 2010 census. The Cedar Keys a ...

Fanning Springs State Park Fanning Springs State Park is a Florida State Park, located on US 19 U.S. Route 19 (US 19) is a north–south U.S. Highway in the Eastern United States. Despite encroaching Interstate Highways, the route has remained a long-haul roa ...

: Manatee Springs State Park : Waccasassa Bay Preserve State Park :

Goethe State Forest The Goethe State Forest is in the U.S. state of Florida. The forest is located near the gulf coast, north of Dunnellon. Four trailheads are located on County Road 337. The main trail usage is equestrian, both riders and carts. Goethe is know ...

Marion

Rainbow Springs State Park Rainbow Springs State Park is a Florida state park located on U.S. 41, 3 miles (5 km) north of Dunnellon, Florida. It comprises upland (which includes around of wetlands) and submerged. The most significant natural feature is the fi ...

: Silver Springs State Park

Pasco

: Pioneer Florida Museum and Village : Starkey Wilderness Preserve : Werner-Boyce Salt Springs State Park : Conner Preserve

Taylor

Forest Capital Museum State Park Forest Capital State Museum is a Florida State Park located south of Perry on US 19/US 98. The museum contains displays that recount the history of the forest industry as well as the wildlife of the forest. Adjacent to the museum is the Cracke ...

Wakulla

Bradwell Bay Wilderness The Bradwell Bay Wilderness is part of the United States National Wilderness Preservation System, located in the Florida panhandle adjacent to the Apalachicola National Forest. The wilderness was established on 3 January 1975 by the Eastern Wild ...

: Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park : Ochlockonee River State Park : San Marcos de Apalache Historic State Park : St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge : Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad Trail State Park

References

External links

Nature Coast Coalition
List of attractions and events
Florida's Nature Coast Conservancy
{{coord missing, Florida Regions of Florida Central Florida North Florida Coasts of Florida