Cypress Creek Preserve is a 7,400 acre (3,000 ha) park in

Pasco County, Florida Pasco County is a County (United States), county located on the west central coast in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2024, the population of the county is 656,851, making it the tenth-most populous county in the state. Its county seat is Dade ...

at 8720 Pump Station Road in Land o' Lakes, Florida. According to the

Southwest Florida Water Management District The Southwest Florida Water Management District (or SWFWMD, pronounced as "swiftmud" based on the word acronym) is one of five regional agencies directed by Florida state law to protect and preserve water resources. Established in 1961, the agen ...

(SWFWMD) the land was purchased to provide flood protection and as a public water supply. The park includes several trails covering . Habitats include

cypress Cypress is a common name for various coniferous trees or shrubs from the ''Cupressus'' genus of the '' Cupressaceae'' family, typically found in temperate climates and subtropical regions of Asia, Europe, and North America. The word ''cypress'' ...

and hardwood forests as well as

slash pine ''Pinus elliottii'', commonly known as slash pine,Family, P. P. (1990). Pinus elliottii Engelm. slash pine. ''Silvics of North America: Conifers'', (654), 338. is a Pinophyta, conifer tree native to the Southeastern United States. Slash pine is n ...

longleaf pine The longleaf pine (''Pinus palustris'') is a pine species native to the Southeastern United States, found along the coastal plain from East Texas to southern Virginia, extending into northern and central Florida. In this area it is also known as ...

and palmetto in Florida flatwoods. Cypress Creek, a tributary of the Hillsborough River runs through the property. Butterflies, woodpeckers, wild pigs,

deer A deer (: deer) or true deer is a hoofed ruminant ungulate of the family Cervidae (informally the deer family). Cervidae is divided into subfamilies Cervinae (which includes, among others, muntjac, elk (wapiti), red deer, and fallow deer) ...

, pygmy rattle snakes,

armadillo Armadillos () are New World placental mammals in the order (biology), order Cingulata. They form part of the superorder Xenarthra, along with the anteaters and sloths. 21 extant species of armadillo have been described, some of which are dis ...

gopher tortoise The gopher tortoise (''Gopherus polyphemus'') is a species of tortoise in the family Testudinidae. The species is native to the southeastern United States. The gopher tortoise is seen as a keystone species because it digs burrows that provide she ...

s, and several species of bird reside in the park. It is surrounded by a road and grazing lands in an area rapidly populating with suburban housing developments. The park can be accessed along Parkway Boulevard. Recreational opportunities in the preserve include off-road bicycling and horseback riding. There are sites for equestrian and group camping as well as primitive camping. There are also picnic tables and fire rings/ grills. A free reservation is required for camp sites and must be displayed on vehicle dashboards. Cypress Creek Preserve is open from sunrise until sunset. It is on the same road as Pine View Middle School. The west gate is at the west end of Pump Station Road, and is accessed from Ehren Cutoff (CR 583), midway between SR 52 and US 41 by following the signs to Cypress Creek Well Field. Due to private land holdings, there is no public access beyond TBW (Tampa Bay Water) to railroad tracks or State Route 52.Cypress Creek Preserve
Southwest Florida Water Management District

References

{{Reflist Protected areas of Pasco County, Florida Southwest Florida Water Management District reserves Land o' Lakes, Florida