Natural waterfront. Mangroves. Picnic tables with a view of Tampa Bay. Apollo Beach Nature Preserve is a perfect place for birders, a place to scan the skies for osprey.
This is not a swimming beach, but a coastal waterfront. One small corner of the preserve is allotted to passive recreation.
Wetlands comprise most of the preserveResources
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Overview
Location: Apollo Beach
Length: 0.3 mile round-trip
Trailhead: 27.790778, -82.419128
Address: 6760 Surfside Blvd, Apollo Beach
Fees: Free
Restroom: At the parking area
Land manager: Hillsborough County
Phone: 813-672-7876
Leashed pets welcome but not on observation tower. Picnic tables provided. No swimming allowed.
Directions
From Interstate 75 take Big Bend Rd west to US 41. Continue south on US 41 for 1.7 miles to Apollo Beach Blvd and follow it for 2.4 miles through a residential area. Turn right on Surfside Blvd. It ends after a half mile at the preserve gate.
About the Preserve
Preserving a tiny spit of natural Tampa Bay waterfront in an otherwise terraformed landscape, the nature preserve sits within sight of a power plant and the Port of Tampa.
A sweep of natural land for wildlife and aquatic species along the eastern shore of Tampa Bay, the preserve has one small corner devoted to outdoor recreation.
While no swimming is allowed, visitors can sunbathe on a sandy beach or fish along the shoreline.
Beach with Tampa skyline on the far horizonA new paved path connects the parking area to a zigzag of ramps to an observation tower with a view across Tampa Bay to downtown Tampa.
The Red Trail towards the point has been closed to hikers. A quarter mile circuit or round-trip on the sidewalk along the waterfront is possible.
Start of Red TrailExplore More!
Slideshow
See our photos from this preserve
Nearby Adventures
Golden Aster Scrub Nature Preserve Protecting uplands immediately east of Tampa Bay, Golden Aster Scrub Nature Preserve immerses hikers within oak scrub habitat along a sandy loop trail.
E.G. Simmons Park E.G. Simmons Park in Ruskin offers a campground along with its beaches and mazy mangrove-lined waterways for paddlers and anglers along Tampa Bay.
Jeanie and Pete Johnson Nature Preserve Showcasing an impressive variety of habitats within a relatively small preserve, a mile long loop trail provides exceptional natural scenery along an easy, well-maintained path.
Wolf Branch Creek Nature Preserve Along an ecologically important creek basin that empties into Tampa Bay, two loop trails traverse an intriguing environment that slowly transitions from fresh to salt water. 
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