This is a nice preserve on S.R. 52 east of the junction with 41. It is used by remote control…read moreaircraft operators and has a landing strip. There are some wide trails (ie. dirt roads) that get hot in summer. There are some blackberry bushes for foragers... Cypress Creek Preserve and Upper Pithlachascotee River Preserve are also in the area

Florida's natural habitat at it's finest Hope it never…read morechanges Animals wild & free & trees hundreds of years old Make this place a historical hidden treasure

This is a nice little park with a grassy area, smallish playground, and bridge that connects to…read moreGill Dawg, Hooters, and a few other eateries and a bar with pool tables along the river. There's also a kayak (probs SUP too. ) rental place. Bathrooms. Picnic area. Nearby Green Key Park and the parks in the Trouble Creek road area are nice too. :)

VERY small area (I personally would not call it a park). Well maintained but NO wildlife or natural…read moreenvironment. Did not see ANY birds or wildlife. LOTS of cement. So if you are from a large city, don't like nature and most comfortable with concrete, cars, city noises, etc. you will like it. I did not enjoy my experience. I walked my dog past the tiny playground that looked really old. Very short trail for bikes, short grassy trail for walkers. It looked overly manicured to me like most small yards around houses in our area. My back yard is almost as big as the only small grassy area that had a few trees, but my yard has birds, butterflies, more native plants and trees, much more enjoyable. The path was mostly sunny without shade. I walked around a lot because I wanted exercise, but ten minutes could cover the entire area even walking very slow. There are benches and a bridge that are nice but I don't plan to return. To me it was a waste of my time. I love nature and long walks so this was not for me.

Beautiful place to walk with the biggest mountains to climb in the area. Try picking up some trash…read morewhile you are there and make the world a better place.

I got married to my husband here in October of 2022 at sunset, it was where we had our first of…read moremany many dates. The views from the Sandhills are like no other, and the walking trails are so much fun! This is a great place to hike, take your dogs and families!

Went on a wander and came across the Weeki Wachee preserve…read more Free parking and a nice long paved walking trail. I didnt go far, i was trying to get the sunset and I was too late. I still got some very nice shots.

I was looking for a local place to get a few steps in. I've been here now, three times in one…read moreweek. I've rarely seen other people. Beautiful place to walk, and watch the sun set. Plenty of parking. A picnic table here or there.

Stumbled upon this park on a wander…read more It was well tender and cared for, and in use. Always good to see parks being used!

Just a short drive North out of Brooksville, in a historic locale you'll find this off the beaten…read morepath gem. I prefer to call it a hidden gem. You won't find tons of traffic, people, noise or banter. IF that's what ya want, head to the beach! Instead you will find solace. Serenity. Quiet. A place to relax and reflect. The park is 'anchored' by a small lake. No speed boats, just reflections of the clouds above. There are a few small trails to conquer. And a short rickety wooden bridge, not much higher than tall grass, and no longer than a moment. But it's all a portrait of simple pleasures. I will sometimes just sit at one of the rustic wooden picnic tables and wonder how that huge oak got uprooted but still thrives. For me that's a symbol of pure survival, and a reminder to us humans. If you let it, time can slow down or even stand still here. Leave the driving to Mother Nature, and relax. Enjoy!

Lake Dan Preserve is a cool enough place to spend a bit of time. It gives us a glimpse of untamed…read moreFlorida and reminds us that before tourism and theme parks forever changed the landscape of the Sunshine State, Florida was wild and untamed. I enjoy seeking out these places when I am traveling for business. It is great to find these hidden gems. One of the great things about traveling for work are these discoveries. I seek them out and am better for finding them. I encourage you to check this place out and seek out these hidden gems whether in your travels or even right there in your community.

Lake Dan Preserve is hidden in the back of a neighborhood with no signs on Tarpon Springs Rd…read moreindicating it's existence. If I lived nearby I'd keep it that way because this Hillsborough county park was an unexpected find that I thought was a beaut. At first glance, a small parking lot, playground and pavilion isn't much. However, once on the hiking trail a nice boardwalk with benches goes over a large lake. I used a trail guide from a QR code that led me to a Hillsborough park website to help me navigate because most signs in the park are colored posts and colors on trees indicating the path the hiker is on. I didn't see any signs indicating where paths went or their distance once at the park When I visited Lake Dan Preserve, I went straight (over the bridge/boardwalk) and took the second left (the red trail) and a few feet down is a picturesque lake that would make a great back drop for photos or an amazing place to relax by a small pond. Turn right and go down the yellow trail and you can hike into neighbouring Lake Francis Preserve. I choose to vear off and hike the connecting blue trail. The blue trail goes down a gravel road into several large open pastures. I must've said this is gorgeous 15 times. A short time later the trail turns as the back side of Trinity starts to come into view in the distance. As the path continues, it leads to Lake Dan and a fishing pier. It's basically a shorter version of the park's entrance bridge looking out a vibrant and large lake. Birds, fish and some cows mooing in the distance makes the pier a nice place to relax. Although, I can't imagine hiking that distance to find it crowded. When I visited Lake Dan my car was the only one in the parking lot and I didn't see another person inside the park. I plan on visiting this preserve again as I thought some it's views we're nice enough to be back drops in movie scenes. It's wide open spaces and lack of people inside made it's trails an excellent place to enjoy a peaceful hike.

Silver Lake Campground is located within the Croom Tract of Withlacoochee State Forest (Hernando…read moreCounty), and a short 5-mile drive from I-75. This park requires an admission fee or annual pass. The shore of Silver Lake is part of the Withlacoochee River system. The three campground areas are adjacent to the Silver Lake Day-Use Area which has a picnic shelter and a boat ramp. Recreational activities nearby include: boating / paddling / watersports, wildlife viewing, bicycling, hiking, and fishing. Facilities include many miles of trails for hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, and paddling. Seasonal hunting is available in most of the forest, and fish are plentiful in the many lakes and flowing waterways. Full-facility, primitive, and group camping are available at numerous locations. Many day-use facilities are available on Withlacoochee State Forest for picnicking and wildlife viewing. Due to the location of this campground near I-75, road noise may be heard at times. The campgrounds have a bathhouse and a dump station. Each site has a picnic table and a fire ring with grate and/or a grill. There are 23 sites (#1-23) at Silver Lake Campground with water and electric with 30 and 50 amp hookup. Maximum of 1 RV and 1 tent or 2 tents per site. Campsites 19, 20 & 21 have enhanced accessibility. The Day Use Area has a pavilion which is available to rent for events. Access to boat ramp and hiking trails including the Withlacoochee State Trail. Day use areas are open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Facilities include fishing, boating/canoeing/kayaking, Leashed Pets are allowed. Only licensed, street legal vehicles are permitted in the complex. The use of horses, go-karts, golf carts, ATV's or dirt bikes is prohibited. Services & Amenities within the park: Bathhouse Bird Watching Boat Ramp Boating Canoeing Campground Host Camping Dump Station Fire Rings Fishing Geo Caching Grills Hiking Hiking Trails Jet skiing Kiosk Nature Study Parking Picnic area Restrooms Sightseeing Stargazing Swimming/Park/Lake Walking Trails, Easy Water for Drinking Water Skiing Wild Life Viewing Less Than 1000 Feet there is a River/Stream and swimming in the river is allowed. Amenities less than a mile away: Fishing River/Stream Horseback Riding Hunting Jogging/Running Picnic Pavilion Trails Bicycle/Mountain Biking Trails Equestrian The information center has QR codes for park maps, trail details and general park/campground information. Paper brochures are also available. A Florida State Parks Annual Pass costs $60 for an Individual Pass (unlimited entry for one person) or $120 for a Family Pass (up to eight people), valid for one year from purchase; additional people with an individual pass pay $2 each, but these passes don't cover camping or special activities like boat tours, and there are separate options for Sportsman Licenses or Foundation Memberships. The Unlimited pass includes entry into most of Florida's state parks for the pass holder(s). The annual pass does not cover: Camping, boat tours, tubing, garden admissions, or other special-use fees. Purchase online through the Florida State Parks website: https://www.floridastateparks.org/learn/florida-state-parks-annual-pass or in person at any state park with a ranger station.

Wait until they are done remodeling and reserve seats on longer tour nothing was open when I went…read morelonger tour booked up for a month

On our quests to find new places to walk/home we found Fickett. It's a nice, dirt path with a few…read moresigns about every half mile. There are a couple little bridges also. It is a completely dirt path so expect lots of bugs, dress appropriately and bring bug spray. However, it's completely shaded the whole path, so while it does get hot and humid, at least you don't have the actual sun beating down on you! Our only complaint was no benches or picnic tables to sit down and snack afterwards. Not a horrible complaint as out car works just fine, we just enjoy having a snack after we walk and eating it outside. We will definitely be returning to this oayh more often!

Fickett Hammock is about 148 acres and a one mile hiking trail loop located northwest of…read moreBrooksville on Centralia Road. The address is: 15482 Centralia Road, Brooksville, FL 34614. According to the county website the hardwood forest hammock includes seasonally flowing streams and saw palmetto thickets with tree species including hickory, dogwood, longleaf pine, hophornbeam, ironwood, American holly, and swamp chestnut oak. Ecosystems include oak hammocks, hickory groves, sparkleberry thickets, and flatwoods. A second trail was supposed to be in the works.. I will investigate!!! More info and a link to a map and photos at http://www.hernandocounty.us/plan/esl/preserves/