On Water
Fishing
Fishing is fertile along the coast and in inland waters. Prize catches are tarpon and shark, which are released. In the Spring Hill area, there are fishing piers at Hernando Beach Park, 6400 Shoal Line Blvd. (Rte. 597), Bayport Park, 4140 Cortez Blvd. (Rte. 550), and Jenkins Creek Park, 6401 Shoal Line Blvd. (Rte. 597).
For $4 (kids under age 16, $3) you can shore-fish all day on the Mud River at Mary's Fish Camp, 8092 Mary's Fish Camp Rd., four miles west of Weeki Wachee on Rte. 550, tel. 352-596-2359. Pole rental, RV sites, and cabins are available. It's open for fishing daily 8-10.
For fishing gear and bait, visit Hernando Beach Bait & Tackle, 4211 Shoal Line Blvd. in Hernando Beach, tel. 352-596-3375.
Boat Ramps
You can find ramps into the Gulf in Spring Hill at Bayport Park, 4140 Cortez Blvd. (Rte. 550) and Hernando Beach Park, 6400 Shoal Line Blvd. (Rte. 597). Rogers Park, 7244 Shoal Line Blvd. in Spring Hill provides access to Weeki Wachee River and charges a $2 per vehicle entrance fee in season.
Boat Rentals
Weeki Wachee Marina, 7154 Shoal Line Blvd. in Spring Hill, tel. 352-596-2852, rents 14-foot Jon boats with 6hp motors for use in the river. They hold up to four people and cost $60 for a half-day and $75 for a full day.
Paddling
For canoeing and kayaking, you can't beat the Nature Coast. Sea kayakers favor the estuaries around Bayport and Pine Island.
Conveniently located in the parking lot at Weeki Wachee Springs, Weeki Wachee Canoe Rental, 6131 Commercial Way (Hwy. 19), tel. 352-597-0360, www.floridacanoe.com, rents canoes and two-person kayaks for $38 a day, single-seat kayaks for $30.
Paddlers can head to Rogers Park to put into Weeki Wachee River, which leads to a spring six miles upriver.
Weekiwachee Preserve, accessible from Shoal Line Blvd. and Rte. 595, offers terrific kayaking in confined water.
Snorkeling & Diving
Hernando County offers freshwater and Gulf diving for divers of all levels. For beginners, 20-foot dives into the Weeki Wachee River and at artificial reefs offshore eight-13 nautical miles supply a variety of underwater scenery. Caves and sinkholes challenge advanced divers at Hospital Hole, Eagle's Nest and other locales. For more information, contact local dive shops.
On Foot
Weekiwachee Preserve, tel. 800-423-1476 or 352-796-7211 ext. 4470, www.swf wmd.state.fl.us/recreation/areas/weekiwachee.html, is accessible from Shoal Line Blvd. and Rte. 595. Marking 10 miles of biking and hiking trails through the hardwood swamps, limestone lakes, and hammocks along Weeki Wachee River, it is home to black bears and other rare critters.
Neighborhood Park at 14755 Coronado Drive in Spring Hill offers a 2/3-mile walking trail through its more than eight acres.
On Wheels
Weekiwachee Preserve, accessible from Shoal Line Blvd. and Rte. 595, provides 51/2 miles of paved and limerock biking trails into lowland and upland vegetation.
