The Nature Coast is an informal, unofficial region of the U.S. state of Florida . The broadest definition of the Nature Coast includes the eight counties that abut the Gulf of Mexico along the Big Bend Coast defined by geologists : from west to east, Wakulla , Jefferson , Taylor , Dixie , Levy , Citrus , Hernando , and Pasco counties. (Note that the Big Bend Coast differs from the Big Bend region of Florida.) The name "Nature Coast" was originally devised as part of a marketing campaign to promote tourism in Levy, Citrus, Hernando, and parts of Marion and Pasco counties.
5-813: Many businesses and organizations incorporate "Nature Coast" in their names, but most of them do not explicitly define the region, or define a smaller region. For instance, the Nature Coast State Trail , which is officially designated as part of Florida’s Statewide System of Greenways and Trails, is located in Dixie, Gilchrist and Levy counties. The Nature Coast Aquatic Preserve includes 800 square miles (2,100 km) of coastal water in Citrus, Hernando and Pasco counties. The Nature Coaster website covers only Citrus, Hernando and Pasco counties. The lower southern end (Pasco, Hernando, and Citrus County) are often considered part of
10-751: A 1902 train trestle bridge over the Suwannee River near Old Town and train stations in Trenton , Cross City , and Chiefland . At Wilcox Junction abandoned rail tracks cross and connect with several communities. The trail is available to hikers, cyclists, and horse riders. Florida has many abandoned railway tracks in the Suwannee River Valley. In the early 1900s freight and passenger steamships were replaced by trains that carried crops and timber and also made passenger stops in small towns such as Chiefland, Cross City, and Trenton. These lines consisted of
15-678: The Tampa Bay Area . Activities common in this area include hunting, fishing, boating, bird watching and nature hiking. Snorkeling spots are found in the rivers along the Nature Coast. Diving and manatee tours are available, predominantly in areas such as Crystal River , Homosassa and Homosassa Springs . The Nature Coast is home to wildlife including deer, wild pigs , roseate spoonbills , alligators , raccoons , opossums , snakes, great blue herons , egrets , turtles and at least 19 endangered species. There are also 50 golf courses in
20-705: The Thomasville—Dunnellon Line and the Jacksonville—Wilcox Line . The Nature Coast Trail follows this historic route. The 31.7 miles of the Nature Coast State Trail connects several counties and five communities (Cross City, Trenton, Fanning Springs Old Town and Chiefland). In 2010, then-Florida governor Charlie Crist approved the purchase of a 9.33-mile corridor, known as the Trenton–Newberry Rail Trail. This will extend
25-584: The area. Nature Coast State Trail The Nature Coast State Trail (NCST) is a 31.7-mile long segment of Florida's Statewide System of Greenways and Trails System built along abandoned railroad tracks, and designated by the U.S. Department of the Interior as a National Recreation Trail . It has two primary sections following unused rail lines that were originally built by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad . It includes historic sites such as
#217782