Homosassa, FL

Homosassa is an unincorporated community in Citrus County on the Homosassa River, which runs from a warm spring to the Gulf. People come for the wildlife state park, river boating and some of the world’s best tarpon fishing, in a setting that still feels like old Florida.

Where is Homosassa?

Homosassa lies just west of US 19/98 (Suncoast Boulevard), about 7 miles south of Crystal River. The original river settlement, often called Old Homosassa, sits on the south side of the river, and Homosassa Springs is a separate community about 3 miles east along the highway. The Suncoast Parkway connects the area to Tampa. Tampa International Airport is about an hour and 15 minutes away by car.

Things to do in Homosassa

Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, on US 19, is the headliner. Manatees gather in the warm spring where the river begins, and the park’s underwater observatory lets you watch them and schools of fish from below the surface. The park also cares for native wildlife that cannot survive in the wild, including black bears, red wolves and Key deer.

Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins Historic State Park preserves the remains of a steam-driven sugar mill on a plantation founded by David Levy Yulee in 1851 and worked by enslaved people. On the water, the Homosassa River leads out through marsh and islands to the Gulf. Sport Fishing magazine counts Homosassa among the best places anywhere to catch Atlantic tarpon, and the shallow grass flats nearby are popular for scalloping in summer.

When to visit Homosassa

Winter, from November through March, brings the most manatees into the spring. Late spring and summer are the main seasons for tarpon and scalloping. Weekends in scallop season can be busy at boat ramps, so launch early.

Homosassa is part of the Nature Coast.