28.5731°N -82.1997°WThe Little Withlacoochee River is a 16-mile (26 kilometer) long river[1] [2] with its headwaters starting in the Richloam Wildlife Management Area in Sumter County, Florida. The Little Withlacoochee River ends near River Junction Campground just east of Silver Lake in the Croom Wildlife Management Area. It makes up a portion of the Hernando-Sumter County border. Its drainage basin covers 145 mi2 (376 km2)[3] of Hernando County and Sumter County.
The course of the Little Withlacoochee River flows through mostly wilderness, mainly Richloam Wilderness Management Area (WMA), one of seven tracts of the Withlacoochee State Forest. Richloam covers 58,000 acres of pine flatwoods and cypress swamps; over 4 counties: Hernando, Sumter, Pasco, and Lake. Richloam features fishing, hunting, and hiking trails.[4] The exception is a small, undeveloped neighborhood near Ridge Manor. The river empties into the Withlacoochee River in Croom WMA, another tract of the Withlacoochee State Forest. Croom also covers 20,000 acres of pine flatwoods over Hernando and Sumter Counties, as well as Silver Lake. It features a combined 138 miles of biking, hiking, and horse trails.[5]
| Crossing | Carries | Location | Image | Coordinates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headwaters (Richloam WMA) | 28.4947°N -82.0097°W | ||||
| 180012 | State Road 471 | Hernando-Sumter Line | 28.5214°N -82.0544°W | ||
| 180071 | State Road 50 | Hernando-Sumter Line | 28.5247°N -82.0967°W | ||
| 080035 | US Route 301 | Ridge Manor | 28.5728°N -82.1553°W | ||
| Mouth (Confluence with Withlacoochee River) | 28.4942°N -82.0097°W | ||||