Local Places, Local Faces

So we’ve got this great birding trail right around the corner from us. Seriously great. Three birding trails, a picnic pavilion, a kayak dock, a viewing tower that we climb to gaze out at the Chaz. And we seem to be the only ones that use it!  Well, we did see a few surly teenagers that were playing some kind of war game back there once. Probably “airsoft” which has scary looking weapons and ouch producing pellets. 

After visiting the Chassahowitzka Salt Marsh Trails numerous times and posting  about those visits more than once, I realized I didn’t know much about it.  So with a little research on the Internet, I stumbled across the website for the Friends of Chazz and discovered that they are responsible for this beautiful retreat.

According to their website, this project was completed on approximately 10 acres of the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge property and is the only land accessible property in the Refuge System. After completed, the Friends donated it to the Crystal River Wildlife Refuge.

There are no restrooms or drinking water on the property. Also, you need to know that the kayak launch is about ¼ mile from the road and if you want to use it, you will either need to carry your kayak or bring a cart–no vehicles allowed.

As I said before, the view from the tower is awesome. And it’s practically our own private park! But we’ll share it with you. The trailhead is on Mason Creek Drive, about a mile out of Old Homosassa.  Whether you are a bird enthusiast, a photographer, or just want to take a short walk on a beautiful trail, you should check it out.