Resources
Resources for exploring the area
Disclosure: As authors and affiliates, we receive earnings when you buy these through our links. This helps us provide public information on this website.
Exploring New Port Richey
With a downtown residential district straight out of the 1920s, New Port Richey grabbed the attention of the movie industry before “talkies” were invented.
Growing up along the shores of the Pithlachascotee River, it edged a vast Gulf Coast estuary where fishing was a livelihood.
Over the past half-century, the town sprawled out and spun off suburbs up and down busy US 19.
But wild spaces remain. The most notable of them are the wilderness areas along the Gulf Coast, including Pasco Palms Preserve and the Robert Crown Wilderness Area, both popular with paddlers.
At Werner-Boyce Salt Springs State Park, you can walk right up to a half dozen springs along their trail system, or follow the winding waterways by kayak up along a wild shore.
To the east, where ranchlands once dominated the vast floodplains of the Anclote and Pithlachascotee Rivers, water management lands create a corridor for wildlife.
Seranova Preserve, Starkey Wilderness, and other public lands buffer against the constant addition of subdivisions along the Suncoast Parkway.
Paralleling the Parkway, the Suncoast Trail is part of the statewide Florida Coast to Coast Trail.
Trails and Parks around New Port Richey
Anclote Gulf Park A place for spectacular sunsets, Anclote Gulf Park offers several observation points along its waterfront overlooking Anclote Key and the Gulf of Mexico.
Anclote Key Preserve State Park A place to play Robinson Crusoe for a day or overnight, Anclote Key Preserve State Park is an offshore gem in the Gulf of Mexico made up of four islands within sight of Tarpon Springs
Aripeka Sandhills Preserve Historic limerock quarries present unique terrain and scenic views alongside a loop trail showcasing sandhill, scrub, and hardwood swamp habitats. 
Caladesi Island State Park Protecting a windswept shoreline and a variety of habitats on a barrier island, Caladesi Island State Park is one of the gems of the Florida State Parks system.
Caladesi Island Trail On the Island Trail, discover how virgin pines and mangrove swamps define the wild side of Caladesi Island, a slender barrier island north of Clearwater Beach.
Crews Lake Wilderness Park Popular for picnics under the live oaks and fishing on the placid waters of Crews Lake, this wilderness park shares beauty and shade along its nature trails.
Honeymoon Island Nature Trails On a barrier island just north of Clearwater Beach, the Osprey and Pelican Trails at Honeymoon Island State Park offers a close-up look at a rookery of ospreys.
Honeymoon Island State Park An offshore getaway accessible by car, bike, or paddle, Honeymoon Island State Park offers white sand beaches along the Gulf of Mexico.
James E Grey Preserve Hugging the shores of the winding Pithlachascotee River, James E. Grey Preserve follows its natural shorelines with an extensive accessible boardwalk.
Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park Explore an expansive landscape of pine flatwoods, prairies, scrubby flatwoods, and open scrub along over 16 miles of hiking trails east of New Port Richey.
Key Vista Nature Park Discover a new perspective on the Gulf of Mexico from the observation tower at Key Vista Nature Park, a coastal gem with a natural sandy beach and gentle footpaths.
Serenova Preserve Accessed via a trailhead along SR 52, the 6,533-acre Serenova Tract of Starkey Wilderness Preserve is the "wild space" to the north of J.B. Starkey Wilderness Park in New Port Richey. An effort is underway to try to put a road through the preserve, and locals are fighting against it. Here's what's going on and how you can help.
Starkey Wilderness Loop At popular Starkey Wilderness Park, string three loop trails together for a truly wild 13.8 mile backcountry trek across scrub, sandhill, flatwoods, and cypress swamps. 
Starkey Wilderness Nature Trail On a 1.3 mile route, the Nature Trail at Starkey Wilderness Park burrows deep into the Pithlachascotee River floodplain amid enormous trees and deep shade.
Suncoast Trail Stretching 41.3 miles from the Tampa metro to north of Brooksville, the Suncoast Trail is one of the longest continuous paved bike paths in Florida
Upper Pithlachascotee River Preserve With a long boardwalk over the Pithlachascotee River floodplain showcasing ancient cypress, Upper Pithlachascotee River Preserve delights with its variety of habitats.
Weeki Wachee Springs State Park Surrounding a sparkling first-magnitude spring, Weeki Wachee Springs State Park has been a draw for tourists since its mermaids first started wooing visitors in the 1940s. 
Werner-Boyce Salt Springs State Park Home to one of Florida's deepest springs, at 320 feet deep, Werner-Boyce Salt Springs State Park protects crucial coastal estuaries along the Gulf Coast.
Werner-Boyce Salt Springs Trail Connecting a cluster of geologic wonders, the 1.6 mile Springs Trail offers outstanding coastal scenery a world away from nearby US 19 in New Port Richey.
Werner-Boyce Scenic Trail A short walk long on beauty, the original loop within Werner-Boyce Salt Springs State Park grazes the edge of the floodplain of Double Hammock Creek.Featured Articles
The new 50 Hikes in Central Florida (10/5/2018) We launched a new full-color edition of 50 Hikes in Central Florida at the National Trails Festival in Deland the first weekend of October. Take a peek inside.
Three Days of Nature Coast Springs (10/10/2014) Between New Port Richey and Crystal River, explore a variety of springs along the Nature Coast that provide splashing fun in summer and manatee watching in winter.