Cedar Key
Cedar Key is an island town on the Nature Coast of the Florida West Coast.
Get in
Cedar Key is located on a small island on the west coast of Florida accessible by a single road, FL-24. There is a small asphalt airfield.
Get around
Although roads provide access throughout the island, the entire island can be walked in well under one hour.
See
A concrete pier hosts a number of wonderful seafood restaurants.
Atsena Otie Key is accessible by boat tour, or rentable boats or kayaks. It is the original town site for Cedar Key, before it was decimated by a severe hurricane in the 1890s.
- 1 Cedar Key Historical Society Museum, 609 2nd St, ☏ +1-352 543-5549, cedarcedar@bellsouth.net. 1PM to 4PM Sunday through Friday, 11AM to 5PM Saturday. $3.
- 2 Cedar Key State Museum, 12231 S.W. 166 Court, ☏ +1-352 543-5350. 9AM to 5PM Thursday through Monday. A Florida State Park. It includes the St. Clair Whitman house. The house depicts life in Cedar Key circa 1920 - 1930 and focuses on the life of St. Clair Whitman and his collections of sea shells and Indian artifacts. In addition to the museum, there is a short nature trail. Among the wildlife of the park are gray squirrels, doves, mockingbirds, Blue Jays, woodpeckers, and green tree frogs. $2.
- 3 Shell Mound Trail, 17650 SW 78 Pl (on CR 326m, 3 miles off CR 347), ☏ +1 352 4930238, friends@friendsofrefuges.org. Sunrise to Sunset. Shell Mound (8LV42 to archaeologists), is a large shell-bearing archaeological site that was once the location of special gatherings for Native American groups across the broader region. The site rose to prominence as a ritual center at about 400 AD and continued through 650 AD. Archaeologists refer to places such as this as “civic-ceremonial centers,” locations of both residence and ritual activity. Like other civic-ceremonial centers in the region, Shell Mound drew its significance from a nearby cemetery, the hallowed ground of ancestors from far and wide. Free.
- 4 Cedar Key Railroad Trestle Nature Trail, 12506 Grove St (Florida State Road 24 then west on Grove St half a block), info@floridasnaturecoastconservancy.org. Sunrise to Sunset. The Florida Railroad went from Fernandina Florida to its terminus in Cedar Key Florida, at the end of the Cedar Key Railroad Trestle Nature Trail you'll find the last standing pylons that held up the trestle bridge. The trail is less than a half-mile thru beautiful natural flora, many signs have been placed for you to learn more about the many types of flora, there are, also, a few benches on which to rest on your way. The trail has lots of roots, so be careful walking. Watch for the many birds that inhabit the area and fish the waters at the end of the trail. Free.
- 5 Cedar Key Cemetery, 12451 Gulf Blvd (West on Rte 24, west on Whiddon Ave, north on Gulf Blvd), ☏ +1 352 543-5132, cityhall@cedarkeyfl.us. Sunrise to Sunset. The Cedar Key Cemetery established in 1886. Take a moment to remember those that have been interred here in Cedar Key Cemetery for over 140 years. For 'tombstone tourists' you will find many very unique gravesites and tombstones. Free to Visit.
Do
A sleepy, relaxing location, the main activities include dining on seafood, enjoying the beautiful Gulf view, and drifting around the few shops. The Cedar Key Arts Festival is in March. The Fourth of July is celebrated as "Clamerica Festival" to celebrate the local clam growing industry. The Seafood Festival is held in mid-October every year. One activity in the area is birdwatching (list of birds[dead link]).
- Kayak Cedar Keys, ☏ +1 352 543-9447. Ocean kayaking.
- 1 Cedar Key Scrub State Reserve (6 mi (9.7 km) northeast on FL-24), ☏ +1 352 543-5567. Has a picnic shelter with two table, plus there is one other table not undercover, grills near each table, at the entrance. The scrub is dominated by species such as sand live oak, myrtle oak, and Chapman's oak, along with rusty lyonia, and saw palmetto. Advanced level hikers and off-road bicyclists who want to experience a mosaic of Florida habitats will find it on the miles of trails that wind through the park, the majority of these trails are soft sand, so hiking and off-road bicycling is only for the very advanced. The shallow waters and numerous creeks near the salt marshes are ideal for canoeing and kayaking. Rental canoes and kayaks are available in the city of Cedar Key. Free.
Buy
There are some art and tourist shops, but no major stores.
Eat
Seafood, seafood, seafood. Many choices on the concrete pier opposite the town park and beach.
- 1 Tony's Seafood Restaurant, 597 2nd Street (On the other side of SR 24 from the Cedar Key Historical Museum), ☏ +1-352 543-0022. 11AM to 8PM Sunday through Thursday, 11AM to 9PM Friday and Saturday. Fresh seafood. Also clam chowder that won the Annual Great Chowder Cook-off three years in a row.
Drink
- Black Dog Bar & Tables (BDBT), Dock St. 3-close. The Black Dog Bar & Tables is the coolest drinking establishment in Cedar Key. Meet your host - Otis Edge, a Black Labradoodle. No food, just good drinks and the most interesting company. $.
Sleep
There are a number of guest houses. The Island Hotel is the most famous place on the island to stay.
- 1 Shell Mound Campground and Boat Ramp, 17650 SW 78th Place (north on Rte 347, west on Rte 326, 3 miles), ☏ +1 352 221-4466. 8am - 6:30 pm. Primitive camping & RV sites available, cost is $10 to $25 per night, first come, first served, they do not take reservations. Boat Ramp is free & open to the public. Next to the campground is the Shell Mound Archaeological Site. Shell Mound attracts thousands of visitors each year. Some come to fish from the pier. Others put in their kayaks and small boats at the tide-dependent launch area. $10, $20 or $25.
- 2 Island Hotel & Restaurant, 373 2nd St, ☏ +1 352 543-5111, toll-free: +1-800-432-4640. Check-in: 2 PM, check-out: 11 AM. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. $80-$135.
- Serenity, 11 Old Mill Dr, ☏ +1 706-485-7586. Waterfront 2/2 vacation rental condo overlooking Waccassassa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, leased by owner.
- Tranquility on the Water, 11 Old Mill Dr. Vacation rental condo with a great view.
- Island Place, 550 1st St, ☏ +1 352-543-5307, IslandPlaceRentals@att.net.
- 3 Beach Front Motel, 873 1st Street, ☏ +1 352 543-9960, cedarkeybeachfrontmotel@gmail.com.
Go next
Nothing after sundown but the bars on the pier.