Withlacoochee State Forest
Withlacoochee State Forest | |
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Location | Citrus, Pasco, Hernando and Sumter counties, Florida |
Nearest city | Inverness |
Area | 157,479 acres (637.57 km²) |
Governing body | Florida Forest Service |
The Withlacoochee State Forest is 157,479-acre (637 km2) in the western central part in the U.S. state of Florida, near Lecanto, Inverness, Floral City, Brooksville, Ridge Manor, and Dade City.
The World Wildlife Fund listed the Withlacoochee State Forest as one of the "10 Coolest Places You've Never Been in North America" by the World Wildlife Fund. Activities include miles of trails for hiking, bicycling, horseback riding and canoeing. It includes several separate land tracts with many natural communities and habitats for wildlife. There are recreation activities for the use of visitors. Many hiking trails run through the forest including the Florida Trail. The many tree species in dense forests include slash pine, longleaf pine, pond cypress, bald cypress, oak, maple, and others, providing dense canopy trails for visitors.[1]
Withlacoochee State Forest was acquired by the federal government from private landowners between 1936 and 1939 under the provisions of the U.S. Land Resettlement Administration. The land acquired by the government would be named the Withlacoochee Development Service. The U.S. Forest Service managed the property until a lease-purchase agreement transferred the property to the Florida Board of Forestry in 1958.
Ghost towns within the community include Mannfield, Orleans, Oak Grove, Stage Pond, Croom, Rital, Richloam, Clay Sink, and others. Historic sites within the forest include the Etna Turpentine Camp Archeological Site and Richloam General Store and Post Office.
See also[]
References[]
- ^ "Withlacoochee State Forest". Florida Forest Service. Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
External links[]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Withlacoochee State Forest. |
- Florida state forests
- Protected areas of Citrus County, Florida
- Protected areas of Pasco County, Florida
- Protected areas of Hernando County, Florida
- Protected areas of Sumter County, Florida
- Florida protected area stubs