St. Marks River

View from my kayak heading up the
St. Marks River late on a Fall afternoon.

The St. Marks River is a real scenic gem.  Located 20 miles from Tallahassee, Florida, it is the terminus of the old St. Marks railroad and was originally known as San Marcos de Apalache, this town was founded by the Spanish in the 17th century.  Now the quiet town is home to a large marina and several seafood restaurants.  The rail line has been turned into a magnificent rail-to-trail for bicyclers.  The St. Marks Trail is 16 miles long and begins at the edge of the truck route around Tallahassee and ends 50 feet from the rivers' edge.  A nice public boat ramp is adjacent to the ruins of the San Marcos fort.  Putting the kayaks in is easy there as there are two concrete ramps.  The ramps are located at a point where the St. Marks River meets the Wakulla River.  The river is scenic no matter where you are.   One of the funnier things that happened on the trip was mullet that would jump out ahead of our kayaks.  Some were getting two feet of air and they just seemed so happy!  We would chuckle as one would jump here, flap around and splash and another would jump over here repeating the motion.  Near our turnaround point, we quit paddling, sat still and just listened...to nothing!  It was the quietest moment I have had in years as not a single sound could be heard.  I won't soon forget that.  Boaters have options of going up river, around the corner and up the Wakulla River or out the St. Marks River and into the Gulf of Mexico.  We were there on a warm early November afternoon and were inundated by 'No-see-ums.'  Basically, we were there afternoon snack.  In case you have never encountered them, they nearly invisible flies that have teeth the size of shark teeth and just as sharp!  According to a salty friend of mine, it all depends on which way the wind is blowing as to whether the no-see-ums make landfall or not.  The reward for surviving them is a delicious meal at one of the local seafood restaurants.  We enjoyed a delicious meal on the river at Riverside Restaurant just as the sun was setting.
The Vitals
Gas:  Convenience stores 2 miles from St. Marks
Food:  Several restaurants in St. Marks.  Tallahassee 20 miles north.
GPS Coordinates:  30.151499,-84.209872

Heading back to the ramp at dusk.