Upper Pithlachascotee River Preserve information

Upper Pithlachascotee River Preserve, also referred to as Upper Cotee Preserve, is a 129-acre area of protected land in Pasco County, Florida. It includes 69 acres of bottomland forest by the Pithlachascotee River and the Ryals Branch, a tributary that crosses the site.^[1] The park includes a Cypress tree believed to be between 200 and 300 years old, a specimen listed in the Historic Places of Pasco County.^[2] It was the first property purchased through the Pasco County's ELAMP program with funding from the "penny for Pasco" sales tax.^[3] It includes sandhill habitat,^[3] upland mixed forest and freshwater marshes.^[1] The Upper Cotee Preserve is located at 17135 Minneola Drive and includes a nature center, boardwalk and hiking trail.^[4] The area provides habitat for deer, wild turkey, gopher tortoises, barred owl, red-shouldered hawks, the Florida mouse, gopher frog, little blue heron and snowy egret.^[1][2]