Cedar Key Chamber of Commerce

Explore from Cedar Key

Levy County is bigger than you think.

Cedar Key is the island getaway. Levy County is the day-trip playground around it: clear springs, quiet forests, old railroad trails, wildlife refuges, hidden gardens, and miles of unhurried backroads.


Use Cedar Key as your home base.


If you’re staying in Cedar Key for more than a day or two, we’ll usually tell you the same thing we tell folks at the Welcome Center: save time for the rest of Levy County. You can have coffee on the island in the morning, wander a spring-fed boardwalk before lunch, and be back in Cedar Key for sunset and seafood.

The trips below are close enough for a relaxed half-day or full-day outing. Distances are approximate from downtown Cedar Key, and drive times can vary with weather, road work, and how slowly you choose to take the backroads.

Favorite Levy County Outings

These are the places we recommend when visitors ask, “What should we do while we’re here?”
Cedar Key Museum State ParkFor a slower, close-to-town outing, stop by Cedar Key Museum State Park.
Goethe State ForestGoethe is for visitors who want quiet trails, horseback riding country, and longleaf pine forest instead of a beach crowd.
Nature Coast State TrailBring bikes if you have them. The Nature Coast State Trail follows old railroad corridors!
Waccasassa Bay Preserve State ParkThis is the wild side. It is best for people who are comfortable on the water or who go with a knowledgeable local guide.
Cedar Key Scrub State ReserveWhen you want a quick nature break without giving up your Cedar Key day, go here.
Cedar Lakes Woods & GardensThis one surprises people. Cedar Lakes began as an old limestone quarry and has been transformed into a 20-acre botanical garden.
Blue Grotto Dive ResortBlue Grotto is one of the best-known freshwater dive spots in the Williston area.
Devil’s Den Prehistoric SpringIf someone in your group wants a story they can tell when they get home, send them here.
Manatee Springs State ParkManatee Springs is the Levy County day trip we recommend most often.
Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge & Shell MoundThis is one of the easiest “wow, we are really in old Florida” trips from Cedar Key.

Small-town stops, local food & places to browse

Levy County is not just springs and trails. These are easy day-trip towns where visitors can buy lunch, grab coffee, shop a little, and see more of the county.

Yankeetown & Inglis: river roads, seafood & Old FloridaYankeetown and Inglis make a great southern Levy County loop.
Williston: downtown, coffee, gardens & family attractionsWilliston is the county’s “make a day of it” town.

Easy ways to plan your day

The quick nature loop

Cedar Key Scrub in the morning, Shell Mound before lunch, then back to Cedar Key for shops, dinner, and sunset.

The springs day

Manatee Springs as the main stop, with the Nature Coast State Trail added if you brought bikes or want a longer walk.

The Williston adventure

Devil’s Den, Cedar Lakes Woods & Gardens, Blue Grotto, then a downtown Williston coffee, lunch, or dessert stop.

The river-road loop

Drive toward Yankeetown and Inglis for Withlacoochee Gulf Preserve, Follow That Dream Parkway, seafood, ice cream, or a tiki stop.

Local tip: For water-based trips, check tides, weather, and current conditions before you go. For springs, gardens, and parks, confirm hours, fees, reservations, and seasonal closures directly with the attraction before driving over.