Naturally, Florida’s Adventure Coast is home to some of the best hiking trails in Florida. Hike under a canopy of hardwood and longleaf pine, past unspoiled lakes and rivers, and into the heart of the Sunshine State. View our Parks Preserves listings to get on the trail of a hiking trip that’s miles beyond the everyday.
From the Gulf of America coastline, riversides, and lakeshores to environmentally sensitive and deeply forested, a third of Hernando County land is devoted to outdoor recreation. Leave the roads behind and find fun on trails, in recreation areas, and in vast natural spaces away from it all. View nature, soothe your soul, get outside.
Step outside onto our numerous hiking trails and view landscapes from hilly to coastal plains. Walk among longleaf pines and cypress knees. Miles of paved trails trace the relatively flat terrain of former train tracks and nearby highways. Other trails include the challenging topography of Brooksville Ridge and its rolling hills. There is something for every trails enthusiast with many miles of scenery to explore year-round in Nature’s Place to Play.
A great place for hiking enthusiasts, Cypress Lake Preserve offers 600’of frontage on the Withlacoochee River where you can enjoy the peace and tranquility of the walking and hiking trails. A 1.7 mile portion of the Florida Trail runs through this protected area, one of Hernando County’s Environmentally Sensitive Public Lands, which is home to a variety of uncommon wildflowers and uncommonly large cypress trees.
The Chinsegut Big Pine Tract features a 1.25-mile loop weaving through towering old-growth longleaf pines, aptly named the Longleaf Loop, with several short side trails to explore. Keep a lookout for Red-headed or Pileated woodpeckers tapping away high in the pines and the white flag of a deer’s tail as it bounds away into the brush. A 2-mile Prairie to Pines connector trail joins the Nature Center and Big Pine Tracts.
The Croom Loop Trails offer hilly walking through deeply forested ravines on the northern section, gently rolling sandhills to the south, and low-lying floodplain forests along the river. Named one of the “10 Coolest Places You’ve Never Been in North America” by the World Wildlife Fund, Withlacoochee State Forest is a haven for the outdoor enthusiast.
The Weekiwachee Preserve offers a rich mosaic of habitats including several miles of Weeki Wachee River frontage, portions of the Mud River, dense hardwood swamps, freshwater and saltwater marshes, and pine-covered sandhills. The Preserve is home to variety of birds and wildlife, including the elusive Florida Black Bear.
DISCOVER PARKS & TRAILS
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MILES OF UNPAVED TRAILS
Leave the pavement behind and explore trails specially designed for discriminating off-roaders. Florida’s Adventure Coast is all about the mix of trail landscapes and terrain. It’s a great fit for powered off-road enthusiasts on two or four wheels.
For those who prefer their adventures on horseback, miles of winding trails traverse the Withlacoochee State Forest, while an unpaved trail parallels the Withlacoochee State Trail, inviting riders of all ages to explore.
STEP OUTSIDE
CELEBRATE TRAILS
WILDLIFE VIEWING
Having an abundance of natural spaces and undeveloped coastline, Florida’s Adventure Coast, Brooksville-Weeki Wachee is brimming with opportunities for wildlife viewing. Many native species thrive here in Nature’s Place to Play, including many endangered or threatened species such as gopher tortoises, bald eagles, red cockaded woodpeckers, Florida scrub jays, green sea turtles, southern fox squirrels and the beloved West Indian manatee.
Hiking on Florida's Adventure Coast
Get outside and enjoy the outdoors on Florida's Adventure Coast, Brooksville-Weeki Wachee-
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