Only one Pasco County park page says outright that it costs nothing. Middle Lake Park in Dade City states, “There are not any fees at this facility.” Every other county park page checked for this guide simply lists no entry fee, which isn’t the same as promising there isn’t one. So “free” below means no fee is posted, and the costs that do exist are listed at the end. Everything was read from county, city and library pages on Oct. 24, 2026.
Parks and trails
Middle Lake Park, Dade City
18620 Townsend House Rd., dawn to dusk. 3.71 acres on a 200-acre freshwater lake, with a fishing pier, canoe launch, boat ramp for boats up to 16 feet and a picnic area. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission owns it and county staff maintain it. No camping and no ground fires.
Crews Lake Wilderness Park, Spring Hill address
16739 Crews Lake Dr., dawn to dusk, seven days. 113 acres with an observation tower, a boardwalk, a fishing pier, a paved bike path, a botanical garden and an outdoor amphitheater. Dogs are allowed on a six-foot leash in designated areas.
Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park, New Port Richey
10500 Wilderness Park Blvd., dawn to dusk. More than 8,300 acres, run jointly by the Southwest Florida Water Management District and the county. There are playgrounds, a 7.3-mile paved trail that connects to the 42-mile Suncoast Trail, and 13 miles of hiking trails. The Pasco libraries put a StoryWalk here: a 0.20-mile loop behind the playground with 18 purple posts, each holding a page of the picture book Make More S’mores, as of the library’s page this week.
Withlacoochee River Park, Dade City
12449 Withlacoochee Blvd., dawn to dusk. 406 acres on the river, with an observation tower, a boardwalk, a canoe and kayak dock, a playground, a 3.5-mile perimeter nature trail and a GPS orienteering course. It has the second StoryWalk, a 0.30-mile trail near the playground by shelters 3 and 4. Anyone 16 or older fishing from the bank needs a Florida fishing license.
Key Vista Nature Park and Anclote Gulf Park, Holiday
Key Vista is at 2700 Baillies Bluff Rd. and Anclote Gulf Park at 2305 Baillies Bluff Rd., connected by a boardwalk. Key Vista has a quarter-mile nature trail and an observation tower. Anclote Gulf has a playground, a fishing pier, canoe access and picnic shelters. Its hours aren’t posted on the county page.
Eagle Point Park and Pasco Palms Preserve, New Port Richey
Eagle Point, 4499 Strauber Memorial Hwy., has three fishing docks, Gulf canoe and kayak access, a shell-lined fitness trail with five stations, a playground and two first-come shelters. Hours aren’t posted on its page. Next door, Pasco Palms Preserve (4466 Strauber Memorial Hwy.) has a 0.18-mile trail through mangroves to a pavilion and observation deck. There are no restrooms and no dogs allowed.
Beaches and a lake
Robert K. Rees Memorial Park (3503 Green Key Rd., New Port Richey) has a beach and swim area, a playground, a boardwalk, an observation deck and an outdoor shower. Robert J. Strickland Memorial Park, known as Hudson Beach (6345 Clark St.), has a beach and swim area, a playground, an observation tower and a dock, with restaurants nearby. Both are open sunrise to sunset. The county pages don’t say whether either has lifeguards.
Moon Lake Park (8985 Lake Dr., New Port Richey) has a designated swimming beach on a freshwater lake. The county says plainly there are no lifeguards and you swim at your own risk. It also has a playground, two shelters and a path around the park.
Splash pads and playgrounds
Veterans Memorial Park splash pad, Hudson
14333 Hicks Rd. The county’s own description calls the splash pad “fun, free, and interactive,” with rainbow archways, water cannons and a tipping bucket. No operating hours or season are posted, so call (727) 861-3033 before you go. The pool next door is not free.
Hercules Park, Zephyrhills
A 12-acre city park that opened Feb. 13, 2025, with a multi-level splash pad, a nature-based playground and trails. It sits on the site of the Hercules Powder Company’s Camp No. 39, and the city calls it its first new community park in more than 40 years. The city’s own page gives two addresses, 38100 and 38110 County Road 54, and doesn’t post hours, fees or the splash pad’s season, so call the city at 813-780-0000.
Wesley Chapel District Park
7727 Boyette Rd. Open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, with an inclusive playground, a street hockey rink, courts, fields and pickleball. The recreation center is closed on Sundays, and its programs aren’t covered here. For how fast the area grew, see Wesley Chapel Grew 675% in a Decade and Still Has No City Hall.
Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park
5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. Open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., with a playground, a shelter, grills and sports fields.
Depot Park, Zephyrhills
39110 South Ave. A four-acre park with a wooded trail, an accessible playground, and a restored 1927 railroad depot that serves as a local museum, plus a caboose under restoration. The museum’s hours and cost aren’t posted, so don’t count on it being free or open.
Library
The Starkey Ranch Theatre Library Cultural Center in Odessa (12118 Lake Blanche Dr.) keeps a youth room open to the public during regular hours. When school is in session, public access begins after dismissal at 2:30 p.m. The library also runs online reading challenges for kids, teens and adults. Storytime days couldn’t be read from the library’s calendar, so check it for your branch.
What costs money, and what’s closed
- Boat-ramp parking at Anclote River Park and Hudson Beach’s boat ramp is a day.
- Sunwest Park in Hudson is a day, card only. It was built around a former limestone mine known locally as SunWest Mines.
- The two county pools charge for children and for adults, and the 2026 season ended Sept. 7.
- Hudson Regional Library is slated for a full renovation, with the library anticipating a reopening in late 2027. Confirm its status by phone at (727) 861-3040 before sending a family there.
- Anderson Family Park, a new park beside the Centennial Park Library in Holiday, is not open yet, and programs at that branch have been reduced.
- Anclote River Park has a redesign planned, with no construction date.
Dogs: the county bans them from Pasco Palms Preserve and Sunwest Park and from beaches, and we explain where they are allowed in our guide to dog parks and leashed-dog parks. For more park picks, see 4 Pasco County Parks Worth the Drive and Family Fun This Weekend: Pasco County’s Best Spots for Kids and Parents.
Good to know: Hours and details are as of Oct. 24, 2026. Shelter reservations, camping and cabins at county parks cost money, and their fees aren’t posted on the pages checked. Parks in New Port Richey’s city system, Port Richey and the state parks aren’t covered because those sites couldn’t be read.