Sunday, January 24, 2021
Withlacoochee Bay, Crystal River, Fort Island Beach
This was to be a recovery day from the 50-miler, and as such, we had no specific plans - until we made some. We wound up doing two bike rides today, then visiting an Indian archaeological site, and topping it all off with a trip to the beach. The weather was sunny and gorgeous, and we made the most of it!
After sleeping in, we drove 45 minutes northwest to the coast, where we rode the best part of the Withlacoochee Bay Trail. We considered hiking instead, but the bikes were with us, so why not? We took a very pretty 4.3-mile ride on a berm between a marsh and the never-completed Cross Florida Barge Canal, ending at an observation deck overlooking the Withlacoochee Bay of the Gulf of Mexico.
First ride of the day
Marshy goodness
Withlacoochee Bay
Fisherman at the edge of the canal
A few more miles south, we came to Crystal River Preserve State Park, 27,500 acres of almost untouched marsh set aside for outdoor enjoyment, because, honestly, what else are you going to do with it? The boat tours weren't running while we were there - I suppose due to Covid - but one can still ride a bike, so we did.
Crystal River
Just down the road from the (closed) Crystal River visitor center is the trailhead for the 7-Mile Loop Trail, an unpaved hiker-biker path. Going clockwise, we rode the more interesting section of the trail first, riding slowly past the small tidal creeks while looking for alligators.
7-Mile Loop Trail
Tidal creek in the Crystal River Preserve
Sunbathing gator
Halfway through, the trail becomes more wooded and the trail surface gets grassy, like riding through somebody's lawn. The 7.3-mile 7-Mile Loop Trail took us an hour and a half with all the photo stops. Our hybrid bikes were perfect for the trail in its current dry condition, but had it rained recently, it would have been a no-go.
Wild wetland
Jana and Tom pause for a picture
After loading up the bikes yet again, we continued to the Crystal River Archaeological Park, a sub-unit of the larger preserve. The area was a ceremonial center for American Indians for around 1,600 years. The complex consists of multiple mounds, built almost entirely of shells, centered around a central plaza. The large Temple Mound has a staircase with a deck at the top overlooking the Crystal River.
Moon over the Crystal River Archaeological Park
Elegant osprey
Crystal River from the Temple Mound
Being January, the days are short, and we were running out of daylight, but we drove on out to Fort Island Beach, a tranquil crescent of sugary sand on a barrier island about an hour's drive from the Crystal River, where we looked for shells, stuck our feet in the Gulf, walked out on a fishing pier, and enjoyed a stunning sunset. Not a bad way to end the day!
Fort Island Beach
Boardwalk between the beach and pier
From the fishing pier
Jana at sunset
Tom
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