Bringing an RV to New Port Richey, FL: A Quiet River Base

The Town That Aimed for the Screen

New Port Richey incorporated on 24 October 1924, the younger, upriver twin of Port Richey, which had been named for the settler Aaron M. Richey. The town rode the 1920s Florida land boom hard, courting wealthy residents and film people. For a few years it meant to be a Hollywood colony. The silent-film star Thomas Meighan built a house on the river in 1928 and wintered here, and a theatre named for him opened in 1926. Then the boom collapsed, and the ambition ended.

What remains is a town of 17,057 people with a median age of 53.5 years, where 718 of 9,423 housing units sit empty for seasonal or recreational use. The median home value is $164,600, the median gross rent $1,154. About 15.7 percent of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and unemployment sits at 2.8 percent. The median household income is $46,160. It is not a wealthy place, and it never became Hollywood. That is part of its charm.

Where to Park and Walk It Off

Bringing an RV means finding the right base. The public parks here are the real draw, and they range from riverfront lawns to deep wilderness.

Sims Park is the town's founding gesture, accepted by the city council on 2 December 1924 and named for its donor, George Sims. It sits at Grand Blvd & Bank St and holds a 4.7 rating from 5,659 reviews. It is the closest thing to a town square, with the Cotee River running alongside.

Just down Grand Blvd, Cotee River Park (7004 Grand Blvd) earns a 4.8 from 224 reviews. It is smaller, quieter, and closer to the water. For a longer riverside stretch, Eagle Point Park at 4499 Strauber Memorial Hwy offers a 4.4 from 541 reviews and a different angle on the same river.

If you want space and solitude, Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park (10500 Wilderness Park Blvd) is the big one, rated 4.7 from 1,609 reviews. It has miles of trails through pine flatwoods and oak hammocks. Adjacent to it, Starkey Wilderness Park Playground (11115 Wilderness Park Blvd) is rated 4.8 from 550 reviews, a solid stop if you have kids who need to burn energy after a long drive.

The Rest of the Green Map

Robert K Rees Memorial Park (3503 Green Key Rd) is rated 4.4 from 2,951 reviews and sits on the water with boat ramps. James E. Grey Preserve (6938 Plathe Rd) is rated 4.6 from 1,251 reviews, a quieter nature walk with boardwalks. Moon Lake Park (8985 Lake Dr) is rated 4.3 from 876 reviews, a smaller neighborhood spot. W. H. Jack Mitchell, Jr., Park (4825 Little Rd) rates 4.5 from 642 reviews. Frances Avenue Park (5580 Frances Ave) rates 4.5 from 608 reviews. Meadows Dog Park (Larch Ln & Meadowbrook Ln.) rates 4.0 from 566 reviews, if the dog needs off-leash time.

For a swim, the New Port Richey Recreation & Aquatic Center (6630 Van Buren St) is rated 4.5 from 1,270 reviews and offers a pool without the Gulf crowds.

The Odd Ones Out

The list of "parks nature" places includes a few that are not parks in the usual sense. Tractor Supply Co. (8447 FL-54) is rated 4.4 from 883 reviews and is where you buy RV supplies, not where you picnic. Landscape Creations (8030 Plathe Rd) is rated 4.6 from 266 reviews, a nursery. Hacienda Village (7107 Gibraltar Ave) is rated 3.9 from 252 reviews, a mobile home community. The Sod Farm (8751 Ridge Rd) is rated 3.8 from 240 reviews, which is exactly what it sounds like. They are all on the map, but none of them are destinations for an RV traveler unless you need a part, a plant, or a patch of grass.

The Takeaway

New Port Richey is not a paradise, and it does not pretend to be. It is a town that once bet everything on becoming a movie colony and lost. What survived is a river, a park donated by George Sims in 1924, and a theatre that still carries Thomas Meighan's name. The ambition is the charm. Bring your RV, park near the water, and walk the same banks a silent-film star walked in 1928. The boom is gone. The river is not.