| Crystal River and Citrus County offer a wide
variety of terrain for the interested hiker to
experience. Sand hills, scrub land, hardwood
hammocks, hydric swamps, prairie land, marsh
areas and beaches are just a sample of the
extreme range of hiking terrain to choose from
in this area. Some
trails are long and some are short. Most are
dry, some are wet, some are natural and some are
improved. All provide the hiker with nature's
beautiful visual gifts. |
|
The Withlacoochee is Florida's second largest
state forest and probably the most popular for
outdoor recreation and activities. You can
backpack, hike for an afternoon, fish or hunt,
explore caves, ride horses and even ride ATVs.
Only about a two hour drive from the Orlando
Resort area, the Withlacoochee is a great
weekend backpacking and hiking adventure.
There are more than 92 miles of hiking trails
throughout the Withlacoochee State Forest
including segments of the western loop of the
Florida National Scenic Trail. You can find
various ecosystems ranging from bald cypress
along the tannic Withlacoochee River, southern
magnolia forests, miles [and more miles] of
slash pine scrub or dense concentrations of oak
and maple in the northeastern sections of the
forest.
The 11 different hiking trails offer numerous
backpacking options. The trails are segmented
into three districts - Richloam, Croom, and
Citrus. Citrus provides the most opportunity for
the more avid backpacker. The Citrus Tract
houses some of the driest sections of the state
forest. In times of drought, streams and ponds
can completely dry out so plan your water
resources carefully. There are several horse
trails within this part of the forest so troughs
are available. The water from the troughs can be
potable if carefully filtered prior to
ingestion. Potable water is also available at
Holder Mine.
Holder Mine Recreational Area is one of the
easiest entry points to the Citrus Tract to
reach. The recreational area is just off SR 581
south of Inverness. Florida Trail signs are
easily visible and identifiable. Be sure to sign
the trail register prior to heading off into the
forest.
Permits: No permits are required for
utilizing the primitive campsite areas along the
trails. Groups do need to register however and
can do so by contacting the Visitors Center at
(352)-754-6896. There is no charge for group
permits.
Guides and maps: There is no shortage of
guidebooks covering these trails and any will
have good information on the basic trail areas -
including Croom and Richloam in addition to
Citrus. If you are planning to spend a full
weekend or even longer it is advisable to obtain
detailed maps identifying water sources and
camping areas. You can download an order form
for these at the
Florida Trail Association's website.
Contact Information:
Withlacoochee State Forest
Visitors Center
15003 Broad St
Brooksville, FL 34601
(352)754-6896
|
