A suburb of Tampa created during the huge influx of residents that came along with two major air bases during World War II, Brandon provides a gateway to rural east Hillsborough County and its conservation areas along the Alafia River and Manatee River basins.
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Trails and Parks near Brandon
Alafia River State Park - One of the few saving graces of former phosphate mines is that they provide awesome air for mountain bikers in Florida, and Alafia River State Park is one of the rare places where you can launch on a Florida downhill. 
Alderman’s Ford Nature Preserve - Alderman's Ford Nature Preserve offers a surprising treat for a Central Florida hike: whitewater, showcasing the Alafia River churning as it winds through a deeply eroded channel
Alderman’s Ford Park - An easy loop at Alderman’s Ford Park, the Nature Trail slips behind the nature center for a walk in under ancient trees along the river’s floodplain corridor - Apollo Beach? - Perched above Tampa Bay on crumbling bluffs, the Apollo Beach Nature Preserve wasn’t quite what I expected. Perhaps the name, with its Greek roots, or the recognition of how Jules Verne predicted Florida space travel, albeit it launched from the shores of Tampa Bay, wrapped an aura of romance around the idea of a nature […]
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.
Little Manatee River State Park - With sandy shores around every bend and a canopy of trees overhead, Little Manatee River State Park provides a place for a pretty paddling trip for families.
Little Manatee River Trail - Scenery, rugged landscape, and botanical diversity are all important factors for a great Florida hike. You'll find that on the 6.5-mile Little Manatee River Hiking Trail, one of our long-time favorites.
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