Lake Fern

Florida's ghost towns are railroad towns Flagler built, 1920s land-boom subdivisions that busted, and phosphate and turpentine camps.

Lake Fern is an unincorporated community in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. Although a separate community, it is a part of the census-designated place (CDP) of Keystone. The ZIP code for the community is 33556. In 2000, it was part of the Citrus Park-Fern Lake [sic] census county division (CCD), which recorded an estimate population of 117,574 in 2007.

The on-the-ground condition of Lake Fern is unverified — it's listed here with unknown status. That could mean standing buildings, or an empty field. Go prepared for either, and consider sharing what you find so the record improves.

Nobody has confirmed the access situation, so treat any visit as reconnaissance: verify land ownership first, and be ready to admire from the road.

Here's the honest truth: access to Lake Fern is unverified. We couldn't confirm whether the site sits on public land, private property, or something in between — so verify land ownership and local rules before visiting, and respect private property at all times. The mapped point for Lake Fern is roughly 28.1494, -82.5797 — use it as a starting point and cross-reference a current topographic map before leaving pavement.

Ghost-town etiquette is simple: take only photographs. Removing artifacts is illegal on public lands and disrespectful everywhere else — and on federal land it can be a serious offense.