Bear Bay

Bear Bay: crowds and conditions

Typical pattern: usually quiet; mostly local visitors. Been there recently? Post today’s status and it shows here for the next traveller.

Status options for this sanctuary: Open, good conditions · Very crowded · Approach road bad · Closed / not accessible.

Best time to visit Bear Bay

Season: November to March for sightings; sanctuaries may close in peak monsoon.

Crowd: Usually quiet; mostly local visitors.

Typical week: Mon quiet · Tue quiet · Wed quiet · Thu quiet · Fri light · Sat light · Sun light.

How to reach Bear Bay — distance from nearby cities

Coordinates: 30.01689, -83.18430. Road distances are estimates; the road-trip planner uses real routes and adds stops worth the detour.

Places to visit near Bear Bay

• Steinhatchee Falls · waterfall · Taylor · ~42 km · Must-see
• First Baptist Church of Live Oak · church · Suwannee · ~46 km · Must-see
• Twin Rivers WMA · sanctuary · Madison · ~50 km · Must-see
• Fort White Wildlife and Environmental Area · fort · Gilchrist · ~50 km · Must-see
• Suwannee River State Park · sanctuary · Hamilton · ~53 km · Must-see
• Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park · park · Suwannee · ~60 km · Must-see
• Ginnie Spring · park · Gilchrist · ~63 km · Must-see
• Alligator Lake Dam · lake · Columbia · ~69 km · Must-see
• Andrews Wildlife Management Area · sanctuary · Levy · ~70 km · Must-see
• Rachel Lake · lake · Madison · ~70 km · Must-see
• Columbia County Historical Museum · museum · Columbia · ~70 km · Must-see
• River Rise Preserve State Park · sanctuary · Columbia · ~73 km · Must-see
• Big Shoals State Park · sanctuary · Hamilton · ~73 km · Must-see
• O'Leno State Park · park · Columbia · ~74 km · Must-see
• Land Bay · sanctuary · Lafayette · ~6 km
• Still Bay · sanctuary · Lafayette · ~6 km
• Double Run Bay · sanctuary · Lafayette · ~8 km
• Tool Bay · sanctuary · Lafayette · ~8 km

See everything within a day’s drive of Bear Bay

Other wildlife, forests & gardens near Bear Bay

• Twin Rivers WMA · sanctuary · Madison · ~50 km · Must-see
• Suwannee River State Park · sanctuary · Hamilton · ~53 km · Must-see
• Andrews Wildlife Management Area · sanctuary · Levy · ~70 km · Must-see
• River Rise Preserve State Park · sanctuary · Columbia · ~73 km · Must-see
• Big Shoals State Park · sanctuary · Hamilton · ~73 km · Must-see
• Osceola National Forest · sanctuary · Columbia · ~75 km · Must-see
• Econfina River State Park · sanctuary · Taylor · ~89 km · Must-see
• San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park · sanctuary · Alachua · ~97 km · Must-see
• Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge · sanctuary · Dixie · ~97 km · Must-see
• Big Gum Swamp Wilderness · sanctuary · Baker · ~100 km · Must-see

All wildlife, forests & gardens in Florida

Frequently asked