New guided tours help you follow the Big Bend Shellfish Trail

Grass growing from an oyster bar off the coast of Cedar Key, Florida. UF/IFAS Photo by Tyler Jones.

Big Bend Shellfish Trail

Florida’s Big Bend is one of the last places in Florida with wide swaths of undeveloped coastline. Here, natural shorelines mix with abundant wildlife and clean water to produce amazing visitor experiences. But, many visitors might miss the hidden world of shellfish fisheries that contribute a rich history and culture to the area. Thanks to new self-guided tours, visitors can unlock the secrets of shellfish! Read on for more details about how you can get a deeper look at the shellfish of Florida’s Big Bend.

screenshot of shellfish trail tour in Cedar Key

About the tours

The Big Bend Shellfish Trail covers coastal counties from Levy to Wakulla. The BBST website has great information about planning your road trip and shellfish-related restaurants and activities. The new self-guided tours offer walking or driving directions to points of interest along the trail. Tours feature narration from local experts with insider knowledge about our shellfish industries.

Tours are now available for Cedar Key, Town of Suwannee, Horseshoe Beach, and Steinhatchee/Jena. Additional tours are in development for Yankeetown and Wakulla, so stay tuned for more. Self-guided tours are available for free on the PocketSights app, available from Google Play and the Apple App Store.

We hope you enjoy the tours and that you sample some of the delicious shellfish our region has to offer. Let us know in the comments how your visit goes, and don’t forget to share photos of your trip using #floridashellfishtrail!

About the Trail

The Big Bend Shellfish Trail is a collaboration between the UF/IFAS Shellfish Aquaculture Extension program, the UF/IFAS Nature Coast Biological Station, and the local tourism boards of Levy, Dixie, Taylor, Jefferson, and Wakulla Counties.

 

 

 

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Posted: March 9, 2022


Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, Recreation
Tags: Fisheries, Florida Sea Grant, InsideNatureCoast, Oysters, Scalloping, Seafood, Suwannee River, Tourism


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