Bird Creek Beach

Located in Yankeetown in Levy County, Bird Creek Beach is a small white sand beach.  The beach is positioned at the mouth of Bird Creek, where it meets Withlacoochee Bay, and has a beautiful background of coastal vegetation.  Bird Creek Beach is part of the Waccasassa Bay Preserve State Park, which preserves the fragile ecosystem and biodiversity of the region, including tidal creeks, marshes, and wetlands.

Bird Creek Beach does not have lifeguards but offers many other amenities, including a boat ramp, picnic tables, picnic areas, covered pavilions, a barbecue grill facility, restrooms, and trash cans.

Bird Creek Beach offers many fun activities, including swimming, sunbathing, fishing, picnicking, kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding, sailing, watching birds, and hiking.  If you are planning to go into the water, the waves are usually calm, but we recommend being careful as the water here is murky.  The water near the beach is shallow, which is ideal for canoes, kayaks, and small boats.  Hikers can enjoy the nearby hiking trails, which offer unique insights into the local biodiversity.  It is an ideal spot for fishing; anglers may catch largemouth bass, bluegill, trout, flounder, and redfish, but we recommend complying with local fishing regulations.  However, this beach is ideal for visitors seeking a more quiet experience, as it sees fewer visitors than other nearby beaches.  Dogs are welcome here if they are on a leash, and the beach is open from sunrise until sunset.

Bird Creek Beach does not offer an access path for people with disabilities.

Getting to Bird Creek Beachis easy - the beach has a small parking lot located at 8000 Highway 40 West, which provides easy access to the beach.

Bird Creek Beach got its name from the abundant species of birds, including the roseate spoonbill, reddish egret, tricolored heron, American oystercatcher, bald eagle, osprey, and a wide variety of terns and plovers found along the shores of Bird Creek and nearby marshes.  In addition, it is a nesting and feeding site for many shorebirds.

There are many attractions near Bird Creek Beach.  Withlacoochee Gulf Preserve is spread over 419 acres and is home to coastal forests, marshes, wetlands, and salt ponds, which preserve the fragile ecosystem and biodiversity of the region.  It offers many amenities, including a 30-foot-tall observation tower, boardwalks, a boating dock, and an education center.  Coastal Heritage Museum aims to provide interesting insight into the history, culture, and natural heritage of the City of Crystal River through exhibits, artifacts, and related memorabilia.  Hunter Springs Park is a small park that offers many amenities, including a playground with swing sets, picnic areas, picnic tables, restrooms, a boardwalk, natural springs, and a kayak launch.  Three Sisters Springs Visitors Center is a preserved area of springs that serves as a natural habitat for manatees and offers interesting kayak tours and swimming experiences with manatees.  If you are looking for another nearby attraction, Ross Hammock Ranch is spread over 4000 acres and offers amazing hunting and fishing experiences.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants within a six-minute drive of Bird Creek Beach.  Blackwater Restaurant serves seafood, meat, and poultry dishes.  Mama Sally's Restaurant serves amazing soups, salads, sandwiches, burgers, pasta, seafood, meat, and poultry dishes.  Our Pub serves delicious salads, soups, sandwiches, burgers, pizzas, seafood, meat, and poultry dishes.  Ladybug's Snowcones & Mexican Food serves soups, burritos, wraps, nachos, and pre-designed Mexican bowls.   If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby restaurant, The Loft Bar & Grill offers outdoor seating areas and serves nachos, burgers, sandwiches, salads, prime ribs, seafood, meat, and poultry dishes.

If you are looking for a hotel near Bird Creek Beach, there are many great options nearby.  If you are looking for an upscale hotel, the 4-Star Plantation Inn & Golf Resort is twenty-eight minutes away by car and offers many amenities including a 27-hole golf course, an outdoor pool, a fitness center, hot tubs, a spa, and a restaurant.  A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Holiday Inn Express Crystal River, an IHG Hotel, which offers a few amenities, including a seasonal heated pool and a complimentary breakfast.  Another moderately priced option is the 3-Star Hampton Inn & Suites Lady Lake/The Villages, which has many amenities including an indoor pool, a fitness room, a hot tub, a convenience store, a lobby lounge with a fireplace, a restaurant, and complimentary breakfast.  A more reasonably priced option is the 3-Star Hampton Inn & Suites Ocala-Belleview, which offers many amenities including a fitness center, an outdoor pool, a hot tub, and complimentary breakfast.  If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby hotel, the 3-Star The Brownwood Hotel & Spa offers a few amenities including an outdoor pool, a spa, and a restaurant.