International Bat Night
Free (registration required)
An evening celebration of bats at the Chinsegut Conservation Center with live presentations and after-dark bat viewing, 6:30–8:30 PM.
Hernando is the heart of Florida's Nature Coast. Paddle the crystal-clear Weeki Wachee River, swim in spring-fed parks, hike and bike miles of trails, fish or scallop the Gulf, and spot manatees, birds and more. Here's the best of the outdoors.
Outdoor Activities in Hernando County
65Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz
Free
A free family-friendly community-science morning (8 AM–12 PM) documenting local pollinators and wildlife with the iNaturalist app at Tom Varn Park.
National Public Lands Day at Weeki Wachee
Free
A volunteer day — invasive removal, native replanting, and river cleanup.
Sisters of the Moon — Witches Paddle
See organizer
An annual witches-themed kayak paddle on the spring run.
Wild n' Wicked Nights
~$12/person
The park's Halloween event — haunted attractions, an underwater mermaid show, and a spooky boat ride.
Fall Festivals & Pumpkin Patches
~$12–$16
Corn mazes, hayrides, and pumpkins at Sweetfields, HarvestMoon, and Beasley Farms.
Spooky Spectacular
Free / low cost
A family-friendly, nature-themed Halloween event on the conservation grounds.
Turkey Paddle
$30
A festive morning kayak paddle on the spring run after Thanksgiving.
Brooksville Christmas Bird Count
Free
An annual citizen-science bird census with Hernando Audubon.
First Day Hike at Weeki Wachee
Free (park admission may apply)
A guided New Year's Day behind-the-scenes trail walk.
HangCon Florida 2027
$15–$75 · RV pass $150
The world's largest hammock-camping gathering — workshops, gear demos, music and community campouts at Florida Sand Music Ranch.
Welcome Back Songbirds Festival
Free
A spring-migration festival with guided bird walks, talks, and kids' activities.
Florida Agriculture & Wildlife Expo
Varies
A regional farming, wildlife, and natural-resources showcase.
Earth Day Celebration at WellCome OM
Free / donation
An environmental-awareness Earth Day event.
Nature Coast Botanical Gardens Spring Plant Sale
Free admission
A spring sale with plants, produce, and garden goods.
Beach Bash at Buccaneer Bay
$8 / $6
The evening beach-party series returns for summer.
Free / low-cost
A City of Brooksville senior program (55+) — aerobics, resistance-band training and fun athletic games at the Jerome Brown Community Center.
Parking $10/day
Waterfront park at the mouth of the Weeki Wachee River — boat ramp, fishing pier, kayak launch.
Pay per pumpkin
Family fall festivals and u-pick pumpkin fields in October.
From $199/week (55+)
An upscale 55+ RV resort — full-hookup concrete sites, heated pool, hot tub, fitness center and pickleball.
Trees from $42
A choose-and-cut Christmas tree farm (late Nov–Dec) with cider, candy canes, and photos.
Included
Florida's only spring-fed water park — slides, lazy river, and a sandy beach. Slides run spring–summer.
Price varies
A gated RV park with 66 paved sites, a geothermal heated pool, Sparkman Lake fishing, shuffleboard and a rec hall.
A nature center with trails, guided walks, wildlife programs, and a monthly 3D archery shoot (first Saturdays).
$45–$70/night
A 49-acre RV park and fish camp with a catch-and-release catfish pond, canoe/kayak rentals and nature trails.
Low-cost (call 352-754-4031)
Low-cost Hernando County recreation classes at Delta Woods Park and the Lake House — Taekwondo, belly dance and youth cheerleading.
Free
A 20-acre neighborhood park — basketball, tennis, soccer, volleyball, shuffleboard, bocce, horseshoes, playgrounds and a half-mile lighted walking trail.
By reservation (daily–weekly rates)
A delivery-based rental company that brings kayaks and SUPs to any Hernando County launch — free basic lessons and a free youth rental with each adult rental.
A 113-acre youth sports park with baseball/softball and soccer fields, basketball courts, a playground, picnic shelters and grills.
$25/day per kayak
A budget mobile outfit delivering kayaks to Hernando Beach-area launches — the lowest day rates in the area, booked by phone or Facebook.
From $49.50
Guided clear-bottom kayak tours on the Weeki Wachee River; manatee-season and LED sunset paddles too.
A paved rail-trail running east from the historic 1885 depot — a great family bike ride.
~$14–$16
U-pick sunflowers (May), a fall festival (Oct), Christmas lights (Dec), and a petting farm.
Price varies (call for rates)
A value-focused RV park with clean sites, showers and a community garden, minutes from Weeki Wachee Springs.
Free (park fees may apply)
Free guided birding walks across the county's preserves and parks (roughly monthly, fall–spring).
Parking $5/day
A 45-ft observation tower, playground, kayak launch, and coastal trails — a birding and sunset favorite.
Included
World-famous underwater performances in a 400-seat submerged theater; included with park admission.
Kayaks $30–$40
A historic 1946 fish camp on the spring-fed Mud River — kayak and canoe rentals for quiet paddles through mangrove backwaters, plus cottages and camping.
Free entry
UF/IFAS Master Gardener plant sales and monthly Florida Native Plant Society programs.
Free (donations)
Volunteer-run themed gardens with butterfly and rose beds, ponds, and a gazebo. Open daily dawn–dusk.
Floats $30–$50 incl. shuttle
The classic Withlacoochee River livery — 5, 8 and 10-mile canoe/kayak float trips with shuttle service and a riverside cafe at the takeout.
A riverside park on the Withlacoochee River with a boat ramp, canoe/kayak launch, basketball, picnic tables and a shelter. Open 24/7.
Free drop-in open-court basketball and pickleball at the Jerome Brown Community Center — plus a first-responder open-court night on Wednesdays.
Parking $5/day
The county's main Gulf swimming beach — lagoon, playground, and picnic pavilions.
An 18,720 sq-ft skate park with ramps, obstacles and half-pipes, plus a basketball court, playground, horseshoe pits and pavilions.
Parking $10/day
Swim in the Weeki Wachee River with a boat ramp and picnic areas.
The county's first dog park — three fenced runs for large, small and service dogs, plus picnic shelters, a pavilion and restrooms.
Fishing from ~$275
Licensed captains run inshore, offshore, and summer scallop trips (season July 1–Sept 24, 2026). Hernando Beach & Bayport are the hubs.
Free family open gym with games and crafts, plus a monthly toddler sensory playdate, at the Jerome Brown Community Center.
By appointment (call for rates)
A certified-instructor paddleboard school on the Weeki Wachee River — SUP and kayak rentals, lessons, SUP yoga and guided manatee ecotours.
~$12–$14
An organic farm with a fall corn maze and pumpkin patch (Oct) and a spring sunflower maze.
$45 single · $70 double (all-day)
An all-day self-guided Weeki Wachee River adventure — kayaks and SUPs launching across from Rogers Park, gear and launch fees included.
Free
A City of Brooksville park with a paved trail around a pond (a National Recreation Trail), a splash pad, playground, ball diamond, volleyball and pavilions.
Seasonal u-pick blueberry and berry farms in spring (~April–May).
A 21.5-acre park with multipurpose fields, a ball field, playground and tot lot, and a half-mile lighted exercise trail with fitness stations.
Book online (hourly/daily)
Contactless grab-and-go paddleboard and kayak lockers — book online, get a code, and launch at Rogers Park, Bayport or Jenkins Creek minutes away.
~$40/person incl. shuttle
The official state-park paddling concession — launch at the Weeki Wachee headspring, paddle the full 5.5-mile run, and shuttle back to your car.
$45 single · $60 tandem
Kayak rentals from a private floating dock on the lower river — self-guided with no launch-time cutoff, gear and dry bags included.
Kayaks $35–$40 · boats $90–$120 (4 hrs)
A full-service marina on the river renting kayaks, canoes and small motorboats with walk-up availability — plus bait, tackle and a gift shop.
Quoted on booking
Paddleboards (standard and motorized), float tubes and small fishing boats — delivered to vacation-home docks around the river and Hernando Beach.
$35 kayak / $51 tandem
Rent a kayak, canoe, or SUP and paddle the crystal spring river; life jacket and shuttle included.
$13 / $8 / free
Florida's famous spring with live underwater mermaid shows, wildlife programs, and the Buccaneer Bay water park (seasonal). Kids 5 & under free.
Parking $5/day
11,000 acres of trails and striking blue former-quarry lakes for hiking, biking, and hand-launch paddling.
Day-use ~$2
157,000 acres for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, camping, and off-road riding at the Croom Motorcycle Area.
One of Florida's longest paved rail-trails (~46 mi) for biking, walking, and skating.
Keep exploring
Thinking About Buying or Selling in Hernando County?
I built this guide to help neighbors and newcomers fall in love with the area. When it's time to make a move, I'd be honored to help you or anyone you refer.
Keith Rainville
REALTOR® · Keller Williams Realty Elite Partners
keithrainville.com