Our Day Trip to Oscar Scherer State Park

A hidden natural gem surrounded by urban areas, the Oscar Scherer State Park is a personal favourite of Flordia.

Oscar Scherer State Park is a Florida State Park in Hernando County, Florida, in the United States. It contains 5,824 acres (2,355 ha) of protected area, including the southernmost stand of slash pines in the state. Most of the park’s land is forested, with 68% covered by sand pine scrub, 20% by sandhill, and 12% by flatwoods. The park is located on the western shore of Lake Oscar in northwestern Florida, along the Caloosahatchee River.

The park is named for Oscar Scherer, a cattle rancher who moved to Florida from Puerto Rico in the late 1880s. Scherer established a ranch on the site after purchasing several hundred acres (hectares) of land from the state, which had previously purchased much of the land from William H. Williams, a settler who had established a sawmill there. Scherer built a house in the 1890s, which was demolished in the 1950s due to termite damage. The house was replaced by a two-story wood frame building, which was destroyed by fire in 1968.

In the early 1960s, the state began to consider purchasing the land to make it a state park. The land was purchased in 1963, and the park was opened to the public in 1963. The park was named in honor of Scherer in 1965, shortly after his death.

The park contains a small campground that can be accessed by car from State Road 50. A boat ramp is also available for day use. Several hiking trails are available in the park, including a trail to Lake Oscar Scherer, which is located in the eastern part of the park. The lake has a boat ramp, but is closed to the public, as it is used by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for research. The park also contains a handicapped-accessible fishing pier and a visitor center.

The park is open from 8:00 AM until sundown year-round. The park is located on the western shore of Lake Oscar, which can be accessed by boat from the park. The lake is part of the Lake Oscar Scherer Wildlife Management Area, which is owned by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The park is located within the Florida Scrub-Jay Conservation Area, and is home to several endangered and threatened species, including the Florida scrub jay, bald eagle, and Florida panther. Other wildlife found in the park include gopher tortoises, wood storks, and sandhill cranes.

The park is located 3 miles (5 km) west of Brooksville, Florida. The park is located along State Road 50, and is accessible from the western terminus of State Road 569, which begins at CR 50. The park is located 24 miles (39 km) east of Tampa, Florida, and 22 miles (35 km) west of Ocala, Florida. The park is located along the northern border of the Ocala National Forest.

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