Located in the far northeastern corner of Pasco County, Lacoochee is a small,
unincorporated rural community with a rich boomtown history of lumber and
railroads.
The name Lacoochee is drived as a shortened version of the name of the
Withlacoochee River, which flows along its northern border. Lacoochee’s modern
identity was forged in 1922 when the Cummer Sons Cypress Company established one
of the largest and most technologically advanced electric sawmills in the
American South. What followed was the rapid creation of a classic "company
town."To support hundreds of workers harvesting old-growth bald cypress and
longleaf pine from the surrounding swamps, the Cummer family built an extensive
infrastructure network. Lacoochee quickly grew to feature worker housing, a
company-run general store, a doctor’s office, two-story hotels, and schools.
During the Great Depression of the 1930s, when much of rural Florida faced
severe economic hardship, Lacoochee stood out as a resilient outpost. High
demand for durable cypress wood—prized for its natural resistance to water and
insects—kept the mill running continuously, providing stable wages in an
otherwise bleak economic landscape. However, by the late 1950s, after years of
continuous logging, the region's commercial-grade timber stock was exhausted.
The mill shuttered permanently, dismantling the primary economic engine of the
community overnight and prompting a prolonged period of economic contraction.
In the decades following the mill's closure, Lacoochee evolved into a quiet,
low-density residential community. Today, a variety of features make it a
destination for eco-friendly activities. Now home to an elementary school, Pasco
County's Stanley Park, several churches, and an RV park and canoe/kayak rental
facility, it continues to attract outdoors enthusiasts and others who enjoy a
rural lifestyle.
Activities & Facilities
Playground
Picnic shelter
Dogs allowed
Short hiking trails
Paved bike trails
River or lake kayaking
RV sites