Florida is rightfully famous for its beautiful beaches, but there are lesser-known outdoor gems tucked away in the Sunshine State’s interior. On the two-hour drive from Tampa to Gainesville, you’ll pass several wilderness areas, including Richloam Wildlife Management Area, a lush wilderness escape ideal for fishing and camping.
Extending across Hernando, Pasco, Sumter, and Lake counties, Richloam occupies more than 58,000 acres of the sprawling Withlacoochee State Forest, which the World Wildlife Fund named as one of the “Top 10 Coolest Places You’ve Never Seen” in North America. The park is mostly wooded, its landscapes dense with pine, oak hammocks, bottomland hardwoods, and cypress swamp. It’s part of the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail, and the Little Withlacoochee River flows through the area, fostering a natural habitat for wildlife, including white-tailed deer, gopher tortoises, wild hogs, and water snakes, as well as great blue herons, wood storks, and songbirds.
Hike and fish in Florida’s Richloam Wildlife Management Area
Miles of multi-use trails wind through Richloam Wildlife Management Area, the paths pleasantly shaded for horseback riding, hiking, and cycling. One to try is the Richloam Wildlife Management Area East Loop, a moderate 9-mile loop that takes about three hours to hike. Or you could venture along a section of the main 25-mile loop that runs along the banks of the Little Withlacoochee River and through cypress swamps and prairies.
All of the park’s hiking loops can be accessed from the Richloam Fire Tower trailhead off State Road 50, which offers a dedicated parking area and drinking water. Whichever hike you attempt, prepare with appropriate footwear: the low-lying wilderness is damp and sometimes muddy, especially after rainfall…