You won't get both in equal measure anywhere, certainly not here in what some call Florida's Nature Coast. Interstate highways 75 and 10 aren't far away and both connect to urban areas and superhighways all over the state and the country. Great Outdoors Enormous stretches of Dixie, Gilchrist and Levy counties are protected by government preserves, private conservation groups and private hunting clubs. These wilderness areas include the Steinhatchee Wildlife Management Area in Dixie County, the Suwannee River Water Management District lands, the Waccasassa Flats section of Gilchrist County, the Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge in Dixie and Levy counties and the Goethe State Forest, the Cedar Key Scrub State Preserve and the Waccasassa Bay State Preserve, all in Levy County. As a result, much of the area is virtually inaccessible except by those with precise directions and permission from property owners.
Some areas are essentially off limits.
Some are attainable by boat but not by roads, even primitive ones. Yet human ingenuity has created many enjoyable ways to view the wildlife and the wilderness it inhabits without disturbing natural treasures unnecessarily. One good way is tubing down the Ichetucknee River's famous four-mile tubing run that takes about four hours to enjoy. Another comfortable way for families to enjoy the sights of eagles, herons, alligators and otters, is to rent a houseboat and travel up the Suwannee from the Gulf of Mexico into the pristine interior. Good Sports For hunting, fishing and diving, its hard to beat this part of Florida.