Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, Homosassa Springs

An excellent way to spend a summer day with family or friends! The boat ride over was fun, but a little hot (you might want to take the tram which is $3 cheaper, beautiful, and shaded if you're sunburn-prone). The entire walk around the park is only one mile, most of it is in shade, and there are many amazing local animals to see that have been rescued. And there's the ancient hippo! I highly recommend if you have little ones, but I also enjoyed it with adult friends. My only complaint is the steep $16 entry cost which is a lot more than the typical Florida state park day entry, but if it's to maintain this little slice of Florida and to care for the animals, I think I'm ok with paying it once or twice a year.

A must visit if you’re in the area. There are raised walkways throughout the park which are easy to navigate and there are plenty of benches and water fountains should you need a break. Most of the walkways are shaded as well. The assortment of animals was awesome. There is also a snack bar with hot food and ice cream at the entrance. We are a fairly fit family and made it through in about 2 hours taking time to read the informative plaques and enjoy the animals. The highlights were the hippo and the underwater viewing capsule in the spring, the assortment of fish we saw was mind blowing.