🌴Suncoast Outdoors🥾

Mark your calendars!

Start your 2026 trip around the sun off right with a New Year’s Day hike and a visit to the "Hidden Jewel"!

New Year's Day "C" loop trail hike. Meet at parking lot next to the Tucker Hill Fire Tower. $2.00 day use fee that can only be paid online before or after the hike.

Withlacoochee State Forest website lists hiking trail distances as: A Loop is 7.39 miles; B Loop is 8.97 miles; C Loop is 8.09 miles. This is a moderate hike with some elevation changes and sections of sandy trail. Please plan according to your abilities.

I'll be at the trailhead at 8:30 a.m. to start welcoming hikers. We will be stepping out on the trail ASAP but no later than 9:00 a.m.

I will be having lunch at Coney Island Drive-Inn in Brooksville after the hike. Please join me!
https://goo.gl/maps/jrCdmcemywyWioLc8

Make sure to:
wear proper hiking footwear and clothing.
adequate quantity of water. 1 liter/quart required. 2 liters/quarts recommended.
bug spray/sunscreen.
food/snacks.

(813) 376-5040 day of the hike.

Tucker Hill Day Use Area information weblinks. http://floridanaturecoast.org/County/Hernando/TuckerHill/TuckerHill.aspx#:~:text=The%20Tucker%20Hill%20day%20use%20area%20of%20Withlacoochee,bicyclists%20at%20the%20entrance%20to%20the%20hiking%20trailheads

YOUR RSVP TO ATTEND A "SUNCOAST OUTDOORS " SPONSORED EVENT IS YOUR EXPRESS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF UNDERSTANDING AND UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE OF FULL PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY AND LIABILITY FOR ALL ASSOCIATED RISKS.
Possible risks from participation include, but are not limited to:
Injury from a trip & fall, venomous snakes, stinging insects, venomous spiders, wildlife encounters, heat stroke, noxious vegetation, weather related injury, insect or airborne transmissible virus and disease, smoke inhalation, wildfire, falling trees.
This list is not all inclusive.

This hike will be a patchwork of a little of this and a little of that.....
Let's check out the boardwalk. Then hike out the nature trail behind the big picnic pavilion. After a scenic lakeside stroll along the twin ponds we end up near the parking lot. At this point your hike can end, or continue on at your option.
If you continue on, we'll cross the floodgate and go off trail into Flatwoods Park.
Bring a ground cloth to sit on if you want. (garbage bag, old plastic sheet, etc)
Bring hydration, snacks, proper footwear, hat, whatever personal items you need.
$2.00 day use fee - restrooms available

NO DOGS ALLOWED🐊🐊

YOUR RSVP TO ATTEND A "SUNCOAST OUTDOORS " SPONSORED EVENT IS YOUR EXPRESS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF UNDERSTANDING AND UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE OF FULL PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY AND LIABILITY FOR ALL ASSOCIATED RISKS.
If you bring a guest who is not currently a member of Suncoast Outdoors, you have assumed such liability for that guest. Your guest is free to join our group and register individually, thereby releasing you from any such liability.
Possible risks from participation include, but are not limited to:
Injury from a trip & fall, venomous snakes, stinging insects, venomous spiders, wildlife encounters, heat stroke, hypothermia, noxious vegetation, weather related injury, insect or airborne transmissible virus and disease, smoke inhalation, wildfire, falling trees, drowning

PLEASE NOTE this is a 6-MILE HIKE more or less TOGETHER AS A GROUP.

We will meet at the SOUTH entrance at 7 am to be 1st in line before the gates open. (They only allow me 8 permits to the DEEP HOLE so that other can enjoy it to). I will have a YELLOW HARD HAT on my CAR to find me. There is a Parking fee to enter $4 for 1 person and $6 for 2 or more persons or State Pass. Once you have entered go to the 1st parking lot to left after the Ranger Station, park and bring your license plate # and model of your car you are in and walk to the Ranger Station to get our permit together. We need to do this together as a group so please be quick to be in line.

Once we have gotten our permit, we can take are time before we drive to the DEEP HOLE entrance. There are bathrooms right there at the Ranger Station.
From there we will drive to the DEEP HOLE entrance with our code # to get into the gate.
Total miles we will be hiking is around 6-miles more or less off the beaten path. I hope everyone can go with the flow together at a relax pace into the woods.
.
Bring: lots of water at least 2 liters, lunch, snack, long pants and closed shoes, walking stick, BINOCULAS, whistle.
{Your shoes may get wet and muddy.}

No pets, kids, plus 1 or guest or music.
PEASE reframe from talking about POLITICS or RELIGION on my events.

I'm hoping that the water level will be low enough at the DEEP HOLE, to see Hundreds of GATORS sunning themselves on the banks.

If you have any question, please text me with your name and phone # at 941-993-5752.
YOUR RSVP TO ATTEND A "SUNCOAST OUTDOORS " SPONSORED EVENT IS YOUR EXPRESS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF UNDERSTANDING AND UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE OF FULL PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY AND LIABILITY FOR ALL ASSOCIATED RISKS.
Possible risks from participation include, but are not limited to:
Injury from a trip & fall, venomous snakes, stinging insects, venomous spiders, wildlife encounters, heat stroke, hypothermia, noxious vegetation, weather related injury, insect or airborne transmissible virus and disease, smoke inhalation, wildfire, falling trees, drowning