Upper Pithlachascotee River Preserve

Cool park with a few trails with boardwalk and little bridge to walk over. Nice area to run around or walk your dog. Marsh area and many cypress heads, heavy underbrush and animal tracks.

We enjoyed our time here. As others have said, the drive back requires a slow pace due to it being a mix of old pavement, gravel, and dirt. This is a RURAL area...don't let the presence of the fancy new developments fool you. The park itself has a nice playground plus 2 buildings, both of which were locked from 2:30-4pm on Friday. Do not count on having access to restrooms or water. Trails were clearly marked and the 2 loops we took were well-maintained, clear of debris, and easy to follow. We visited January 2, 2026. The Boardwalk Trail was closed, which meant the South Trail was also closed. The Ryals Branch and Scrub Loops were open. There is little elevation change, however there are areas with cypress knees or small roots present, and one area looked like it might get muddy in the wet season, so wear appreciate clothing and footwear. We saw lots of native plants and a few birds. I REALLY appreciate the easy to read trail maps, arrows, and signs. The other park we visited (about 15 minutes away-Crews) had none of this, despite being larger.

I feel like this preserve is so beautiful and is underrated to a lot of other places that I’ve been to in Pasco County. Yes, it feels like something from “The Cabin in The Woods” to get there, but it the only other noise I heard besides my child giggling on the slide, was someone who owned geese off in the distance. It’s a place to enjoy what Florida has to offer and I recommend it to those who just need to step back into nature.

Second time here. Great walking trail! We love this place.

We went their for the first time and it was due to rain so we knew it would be short. We enjoyed the little bit of trail we did go through, we took the boardwalk and trail that lead from it part way until we needed to turn back from the rain. It was shaded and nice. They had part of the boardwalk closed.(You could see they have been repairing parts of it as needed) The little bit of trail we did hike, it would have been nice if their was some kind of markers about how far we went or something like that so we don't have to be dependent on a trail app. Next time we will try to do the loop trail. But it was clean and nice. Worth a stop in. Tons of butterfly's.