- Located In: Pasco County
- Mailing Address: P.O. Box 490, Port Richey, FL 34673
- Phone: 727-816-1890
- Size: 3,400 acres
- Date Park Opened: March 2001
Werner-Boyce Salt Springs State Park is a relatively recent addition to Florida’s State Park system. A small area of the park has been developed for public use and was officially opened in 2001. The balance of the park is still in the process of being developed and will eventually offer visitors more extensive recreational opportunities.
- Boating
- Fishing
- Birdwatching
- Wildlife Viewing
- Hiking
Florida state parks are open from 8 a.m. until sundown 365 days a year.
Werner-Boyce Salt Springs State Park can be reached by turning west off of U.S. Hwy. 19 at Cinema Drive in Port Richey. Cinema Drive dead ends at the park entrance.
Camping Fee: No camping is permitted at this time.
As one of the newest additions to Florida’s State Park system, Werner-Boyce Salt Springs State Park remains in an embryonic form with only a few basic amenities offered. Restroom facilities, for example, are in the form of a Clivus – a self-composting toilet which is ADA accessible. There also is a picnic pavilion, tables and an information kiosk.
The salt spring at Werner-Boyce Salt Springs State Park may look small, but it is actually 320 feet deep. Wildlife viewing opportunities are ever-present as the park is home to gray fox, gopher tortoises, alligators and manatees. Birdwatchers may spot a variety of raptors, wading birds, shore birds and migratory songbirds.
The park currently offers one half mile of hiking on a nature trail allowing visitors a glimpse at the area’s natural beauty. Additional trails are planned along with primitive and group camping sites and marked canoe and kayak trails with a launch.
Visitors are also able to reach the park from the west by boat, but must launch from an offsite boat ramp. At this time, the park does not have a launch, ramp or docks. Visitors will find inshore saltwater fishing can yield catches of flounder, snook, trout, redfish, snapper, whiting, sheepshead and tarpon.
Though still largely undeveloped, an outing to Werner-Boyce Salt Springs State Park is advised for those interested in witnessing the evolution of a state park. As new trails are blazed and amenities expanded, frequent visitors will be rewarded with ever-changing landscapes and the discovery of new vistas within this 3,400-acre ecosystem.