The Inglis Island Trail is a 3.9 mile walking trail at the Inglis Dam on Lake Rousseau in northern Citrus County. The trail starts at the dam on Lake Rousseau. Walk across the dam to Inglis Island. The trail follows the lake front east through the Boy Scout campground and turns north through hardwood swamp for 1.2 miles to the canal. Turn east and follow the canal to the point where canal and lake meet. The trail doubles back along the canal to the trail south of the barge canal locks. The trail will bring you back to the lakefront and the dam. Allow three to four hours to bird this trail. Be sure to have insect repellant and water.

Inglis Island Trail is an easy access trail, and the area around the dam is handicap accessible. The rest of the trail is a wilderness walking trail. Location of the trail is in northern Citrus County nine and half miles north of the Crystal River.

Lake Rousseau and Inglis Dam entrance is located on Riverwood Road one and half miles east of US19. Take Basswood or Riverwood Drive east from US19 to the dam entrances. There is plenty of parking at the dam.

Lake Rousseau and Inglis Island Trail is a beautiful, unspoiled, island wilderness walking trail of 1,200 acres. The marked birding trail only covers the eastern end of the island, but there is no reason one cannot bird all parts of the island.

The trail is in a cypress swamp. Spring warblers are abundant: prothonotary, yellow throated, oven bird, northern parula, to name some. The grassy fields on the island provide food and shelter for wintering sparrows such as white crowned, white throated, grasshopper, song, field, chipping and vespers. Evenings and early morning the air is filled with the sounds of the chuck-will's-widow, nighthawks and barred owls.

Other wildlife is common on Inglis Island. Fifty to sixty bird species can be seen in a morning during a spring or fall walk. On the year 2000 bird census, this trail produced 132 bird species, the second largest tally of all the Citrus County birding trails.

Photography by Bill Garvin