The Big Bend area of Florida is an informal geographic region located where the Florida Panhandle transitions into the Florida Peninsula, primarily in North Florida. It is characterized by vast woodlands, marshlands, and a largely undeveloped coastline along the Gulf of Mexico. The Big Bend Coast stretches about 350 kilometers (220 miles) from the western end of Apalachee Bay near the mouth of the Ochlockonee River down to the Anclote River or Anclote Key further south along the west coast of peninsular Florida
. Geographically, the Big Bend region includes coastal counties such as Wakulla, Jefferson, Taylor, Dixie, Levy, Citrus, Hernando, and Pasco, among others. It is often divided into two parts: the Big Bend Proper (from the Ochlockonee River to the Withlacoochee River) and the Springs Coast (from the Withlacoochee River to the Anclote River)
. The area is known for its unique drowned karst topography, salt marshes, mangrove forests, freshwater springs, oyster reefs, and the absence of barrier islands along much of the coast
. The principal city in the Big Bend region is Tallahassee, and other notable towns include Apalachicola, St. Marks, Carrabelle, Perry, Steinhatchee, and Cedar Key
. The region is also noted for its natural springs, including the largest single spring in the United States, the Alapaha Rise, and the extensive Wakulla-Leon Sinks cave system
. Overall, the Big Bend area is a largely rural and sparsely populated region with significant ecological and recreational value, featuring a mix of coastal marshes, forests, rivers, and springs along Florida’s Gulf Coast
