The Hidden Lake Project is 585 acres of land in the growing West Pasco area, completely surrounded by residential development. Owned by the Southwest Florida Water Management District, it is not generally suitable for public access or recreation, and is largely unexplored, because it is mostly a swamp. In the midst of the reserve is Hidden Lake with an area visible from the air of probably 50 to 60 acres - making it one of the largest and most recognizable lakes in the area. It is impossible to miss this landmark when viewing a Google Earth image of West Pasco County.
As far as I can tell, there are two public access points to the Hidden Lake Project. One is at the dead end of Doe Court, where SWFWMD property fronts on the public right of way. And the other is from Ridge Road where a strip of land owned by Pasco Country, with a SWFWMD easement, runs north to the Project. The easiest access for proximity to Hidden Lake is the Doe Court gateway. There is a gate at that location and a cleared path into the preserve. It is permissable to climb over the gate - please do so at the hinged side of the gate.
This cache is a matchstick holder tethered to a small tree in the swamp very close to the end of Doe Court. From here you can make your way deeper into the preserve to find another cache titled "Hidden Lake Swamp Margin". Hopefully, as time goes by, other caches will appear in the Hidden Lake Project, and the area will be thoroughly explored.
Since the SWFWMD property fronts on a dead-end cul-de-sac, and there are no "no parking" signs, I would think that parking would be allowed at this location. It is, after all, a public right-of-way. So legally, it should be okay to leave your car here for a long time to explore other parts of the Hidden Lake Project. I am not, however, sure how the neighbors would feel about a strange car parked at the end of their street.
Congratulations to BulldogLove for the FTF.