Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge provides a safe haven for wildlife and terrific recreation opportunities for people in the Gulf of America. The 13 islands of the Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge began many thousands of years ago as fish camps of First Peoples on the peninsula of Florida.
Announcements

News:

In the early 1840s, what is now Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge was the site of Cantonment Morgan. The military post briefly imprisoned captured Seminoles before they were forcibly shipped west along the Gulf of Mexico coast to Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. The post, located on Seahorse Key, served as a staging area for U.S. troops deployed during the Second Seminole War. Its hospital treated both the federal troops and Seminoles. Cantonment Morgan was abandoned in 1843.

Read the complete story of National Wildlife Refuges on the Trail of Tears.

Visit Us

To reach the Refuge, you must travel southwest on highway 24 or 347 to the town of Cedar Key. You'll need a vessel to paddle, operate, or rent to get out to the islands.  Boundary signs are on all Refuge islands; other islands are private.

The Refuge is open from sunrise to sunset.  Visitors access the Refuge by paddling kayaks, by tour boat, private or rented vessels. For tour guides and boat rental information check these  on the .  Fall, winter, and spring are much milder than summer months, but sunscreen is still a good idea along with a hat and sunglasses.  Think green and bring along your own refillable water bottle.

Location and Contact Information

      Special Message from the Refuge Manager

       Entry to/on the Cedar Keys NWR islands

      Open areas:  All of Atsena Otie Key and the sand beaches of the other islands.
      Closed areas:  All interior and/or vegetated areas of North Key, Snake Key, Deadmans Key, Live Oak Key, Scale Key, Cedar Point, and Seahorse Key.
      Waters around Snake Key (~100m) are closed to all entry March through June.  
      Should the birds nest again on Seahorse, then we would need to close some waters there again.

      Entry to the closed areas are by permit only.

      Tours

      No tours are planned at this time.

      Our Species

      Once 200,000 birds nested in the Cedar Keys; now, the numbers near 20,000.  Egrets, night herons, brown pelicans, white ibis, cormorants, and in the past few years, reddish egrets and roseate spoonbills have made themselves at home in the Seahorse Key rookery

      Our Library

      Cedar Keys General Information Brochure
      Name
      Cedar Keys General Information Brochure
      PDF
      Public Use Map of Cedar Keys NWR
      Name
      Public Use Map of Cedar Keys NWR
      PDF

      Get Involved

      Getting involved at Lower Suwannee and Cedar Keys NWRs will connect you to the natural world more than you could ever imagine. It could be through volunteerism or as a member of our Friends group.