When you think of Florida, sun, beaches, and theme parks come to mind. There are 8,000 miles of waterfront on two coasts, so it’s no wonder that America’s best-rated beach for 2025 is in the Sunshine State. Florida, however, has so much more to offer. There are four million acres of protected land to explore like parks, forests, and nature preserves, most with trails for hiking as well as other forms of recreation. One of Florida’s most scenic hiking trails is in a massive Central Florida state forest with an unusual name. Withlacoochee State Forest got its name from a Native American word for “crooked river,” and there is indeed a river of the same name that snakes through its 157,000-plus acres that stretch over four counties.
According to the World Wildlife Fund, Withlacoochee State Forest is one of the “Top 10 Coolest Places You’ve Never Seen” in North America. It’s not on the to-go list of many Florida visitors, but it should be. The WWF describes the state forest as a place “where mature stands of longleaf pines have created a habitat type found nowhere else on Earth.” The organization went on to write that the unique ecosystem has a forest floor growing “a rich collection of understory plants — as many as 200 species at a single site.”
Withlacoochee State Forest is an hour and 15 minutes west of Orlando International Airport and under an hour north of Tampa International Airport, which is consistently ranked among the top airports in America and is also Samantha Brown’s favorite airport.
About the Withlacoochee State Forest
Withlacoochee State Forest has multiple sections called tracts. Start at the visitor center in the Headquarters Tract where a two-mile trail provides a good introduction to the variety of pine trees, and possibly wildlife like deer and hawks. Visitor center staff will happily point you to the areas of the forest that suit your interests and available time, and they also provide maps. You can hike and bike as well as canoe and fish in the Jumper Creek Tract, which follows the east bank of the Withlacoochee River. In the Two-Mile Prairie Tract, you’ll find horse and hiking trails; and the trails in the Richloam Tract are multiuse, for hiking, bicycling, and horseback riding. The Audubon Society has designated both the Homosassa Tract and the Citrus Tract as Globally Important Birding Areas. Birders should be on the lookout for eastern meadowlarks and swallow-tailed kites along the 3-mile loop Rooks Trail in the Homosassa Tract; and a variety of woodpeckers and kestrels in the Citrus Tract. The Croom Tract is where motorcycle enthusiasts ride off road on 2,600 acres that include a former mine. Fishing and hiking are also available in the Croom Tract, and you can launch canoes at the picturesque Iron Bridge Day Use Recreation Area.
A Tripadvisor reviewer wrote “Beautiful terrain, forest types from basic swamp type to old oaks lining the roads. Loved the differences within a few feet from each other.” Another reviewer cautioned “check your clothes for ticks.”
What to do around Withlacoochee and where to stay
