The Tucker Hill day use area of Withlacoochee State Forest is your gateway to a
variety of hiking, biking and equestrian trails. Located at the Forestry Service
fire tower along Croom Road, there is ample parking and facilities for everyone
interested in exploring the west side of Croom Tract.
A
large parking area is available for hikers and bicyclists at the entrance to the
hiking trailheads. Restrooms are provided, as well as a picnic area with barbecue
grills. Just a short distance away is a parking area intended specifically for vehicles
with horse trailers. The Forestry service facilities and fire tower at the site
are not open to the public.
There are three loop hiking trails with trailheads at this location. The "A"
(northern) loop is 7.39 miles in length, the "B" (middle) loop is 8.97
miles long, and the "C" (southern) loop is 7.70 miles. All three trails
are "stacked" ... which means you can do various combinations of the loops
to extend your hike. See the hiking trail map for details. The main trails are blazed
in yellow, with connectors marked in blue. A portion of the "A" loop is
also part of the Florida National Scenic Trail, and is blazed with orange markings.
This area is also home to an extensive network of off-road bicycle trails, maintained
by the SWAMP mountain bke club. The "Yellow" loop trail is 12 miles long
and the "Blue" loop is 32 miles in length. There are an additional network
of 8 miles of trails used as connectors and shortcut bailouts. Hikers are allowed
on the bicycle trails, but bikers are only permitted on trails specifically designated
for bicycles.
A large network of horse trails also wind through the Croom Tract of the Wiothlacoochee
State Forest, although much of the trail network consists of designated forest roads
that are dirt, shell or sand. Horse riders are not allowed on hiking or off-road
bicycling trails. Equestrian trails are marked with wide blue bands that circle
the tree trunk.
None of the trails in this area have any water or facilities, other than what is
available at the trailheads. So be sure to bring what you need for your hike or
ride. Although not designated specifically as a camping area, a few primitive campsites
are available north of the Tucker Hill trailhead and north of Croom Road between
Forest Road 9 and Nobleton Road. Camping areas are marked with white banded trees.
Full featured campsites are available at the nearby Silver Lake and Hog Island Recreation
Areas.
History buffs will also want to visit the Tucker Hill Cemetery, located in the forest
just south of the entrance to the hiking trailheads. The cemetery, dating from the
late 1800's, is the final resting place of Civil War veteran Henry Crawford
Tucker, his family, and other early pioneers who settled the area.
Activities & Facilities
Dogs allowed
Short hiking trails
Long hiking trails
Paved bike trails
Mountain bike trails
Horse trails