Weeki Wachee, Florida – Along the “Nature Coast”
Weeki Wachee, Florida – Along the “Nature Coast”
Located along the Gulf Coast in Hernando County, Florida, Weeki Wachee is a quaint town with a lot to offer in its surrounding area. The city proper is home to only 12 people, providing the ideal getaway for those looking for peace and quiet.
Nearby, the community of Glen Lakes offers its residents a tranquil environment along the “Nature Coast,” home to idyllic beaches, pure, spring-fed lakes, unspoiled rivers, and a state-owned Nature Preserve of 85,000 acres. This gated golf-club community, located approximately forty-five minutes north of Tampa, has been named a “Top 75 Community” by Living Southern Style and ideal-LIVING magazine yearly since 1999.
Three miles north of the clear springs waters of the Weeki Wachee River and only three miles the Gulf of Mexico, GlenLakes appeals to the active person, with its 35,000 square foot clubhouse, which houses a junior Olympic pool, clay tennis courts, a fitness room, and array of social activities. The avid golfer will be able to enjoy membership in the private golf club, with its meandering course that winds through the neighborhoods of the community.
Among the attractions of Weeki Wachee is the Weeki Wachee Spring, a State Park where one attraction is the underwater performers dressed as mermaids, who put on spectacular shows and perform incredible underwater feats. Buccaneer Bay is Florida’s only spring-fed waterpark. There, you can take the lazy river ride, coasting down the Weeki Wachee on a relaxing tube ride. Other attractions of the Weeki Wachee Springs include River Boat Cruises, where, while gliding down the river, you can also learn about the natural wildlife of the area, from birds like the Florida Scrub-Jay to plants such as Cooley’s Water-Willow.
The Spring itself is lovely, with clear, cyan-colored water and a rich variety of fresh and salt-water fish and aquatic turtles. The River, which flows westward from the spring into the Gulf of Mexico, winds through low and densely forested swamplands. With such a beautiful surrounding landscape, it is no wonder that Weeki Wachee is such a wonderful place to visit. Imagine being able to call this landscape home.
Another nearby attraction is the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge, which is the home of over 250 species of birds, over fifty species of reptiles and amphibians, and at least twenty species of mammals, including the endangered West Indian Manatee. Located on over 31, 000 acres of saltwater bays, estuaries and marshes, the Chassahowitzka Refuge is at the mouth of the Chassahowitzka River. The Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail runs through this area, with access from multiple points and promises of viewing a variety of species, including Anhinga, Osprey, Short-tailed Hawk, Eastern Screech-Owl, Palm Warbler, Nelson’s Sparrow and Eastern Meadowlark.
With so much wildlife and untouched landscape within minutes of Weeki Wachee, it is no wonder that this place feels almost too beautiful and perfect to be true. Come and see for yourself the wonders of the springs, rivers, beaches, swamps, and forests surrounding Weeki Wachee, Florida.
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