• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Florida Hikes logo

Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides

  • Trails
  • Maps
  • Guidebooks
  • Search
  • Hike
    • Scenic Hikes
    • Loop Trails
    • Dog-friendly Hikes
    • Hikes for Kids
    • National Parks in Florida
    • Florida State Parks
  • Bike
    • Major Bike Trails
    • Paved Bike Trails
    • Off Road Biking
    • Biking Articles
  • Paddle
    • Canoe & Kayak Rentals
    • Paddling Destinations
    • Paddling Articles
  • Camp
    • Cabin Rentals
    • Car Camping
    • Primitive Camping
  • Florida Trail
    • Plan your Hike
    • Best Scenic Hikes
    • Best Backpacking
    • Section Hiking
    • Thru-Hiking
    • Trail Updates
  • Travel
  • Hike
    • Scenic Hikes
    • Loop Trails
    • Dog-friendly Hikes
    • Hikes for Kids
    • National Parks in Florida
    • Florida State Parks
  • Bike
    • Major Bike Trails
    • Paved Bike Trails
    • Off Road Biking
    • Biking Articles
  • Paddle
    • Canoe & Kayak Rentals
    • Paddling Destinations
    • Paddling Articles
  • Camp
    • Cabin Rentals
    • Car Camping
    • Primitive Camping
  • Florida Trail
    • Plan your Hike
    • Best Scenic Hikes
    • Best Backpacking
    • Section Hiking
    • Thru-Hiking
    • Trail Updates
  • Travel
Eureka Springs

Eureka Springs

Eureka Springs Park includes what remains of a tropical botanical garden established in 1938 around springs that fed a lush floodplain forest along Six Mile Creek

Tampa      ( 28.006965, -82.343871 )      0.3 miles

118shares

In 1938, amateur botanist and world traveler Albert Greenburg established a botanical garden with tropical plants around springs that fed a lush floodplain forest along Six Mile Creek.

Years later, he started the first tropical fish farm in Florida in the springs, and in 1967 donated the 31-acre site to the county.

Construction of the Tampa Bypass Canal ruined the hydrology of the springs, so they rarely ever flow, but the gardens remain.

They include the largest publicly owned collection of ferns in Florida, a rose garden, and an orchid room, as well as boardwalks winding through a lush floodplain forest of red maples, cypress, and black gum.

Canal with cypress knees Canal through the garden


Resources

Resources for exploring the area

Exploring Florida's Botanical WondersHiker's Guide to the Sunshine State Orlando & Central Florida: An Explorer's Guide

Disclosure: As authors and affiliates, we receive earnings when you buy these through our links. This helps us provide public information on this website.


Overview

Location: Tampa
Length: 0.3 mile loop
Trailhead: 28.006965, -82.343871
Address: 6400 Eureka Springs Road, Tampa
Fees: $2 entry fee
Restroom: Flush toilets
Land Manager: Hillsborough County
Phone: 813-744-5536

Open Mon-Fri 9-5, Sat-Sun 8-6.


Directions

 
From Interstate 4 just west of the Interstate 75 interchange, exit onto US 301 north and drive to the first traffic light, Sligh Avenue; turn right, and right again, then follow the signs.

Hike

While a short walk, the quarter-mile loop trail through Eureka Springs Park shows off its best features, including the spring.

It is not a spring for swimming, but served as the water source for the fish farm that was here. You can look into it and see that it is dark and reflective.

Dark surface of Eureka Springs Eureka Springs


Follow the path around into the woods. A boardwalk leads you through the lush floodplain forest behind the spring drainage and over the spring run.

Notice the many tropical plants in the forest. The trail comes out behind the fernery and orchid house. Take the time to ramble through it and enjoy the plantings.

Plants inside a greenhouse In the greenhouse


Explore More!

Slideshow

See our photos of Eureka Springs


Nearby Adventures

More worth exploring while you’re in this area.

Lettuce Lake Park

Lettuce Lake Park

At the north edge of Tampa, Lettuce Lake Park protects 240 acres along the Hillsborough River, with a loop trail and boardwalk that shows off cypress swamps and uplands.

Bridge leading over Hillsborough River to boardwalk loop

Morris Bridge Park

While the gentle loop boardwalk at Morris Bridge Park is a major reason to stop and savor the Hillsborough River, the park also provides cyclists a trailhead to off-road adventure

Trout Creek Park Nature Trail

Trout Creek Park

Under a tight-knit canopy of live oaks, Trout Creek Park provides a pleasant place for a family picnic and a nature walk along the floodplain of the Hillsborough River

Alderman's Ford Park

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

Trail Map (PDF) Official Website

Category: Central Florida, Hikes, Loop Hikes, Natural Attractions, Nature Trails, Springs, TrailsTag: Birding, Boardwalks, Botanical, Brandon, Dog-friendly, Geology, Historic Sites, Picnic, Springs, Tampa, Wildflowers

Reader Interactions

Have an update? Contact us.

Primary Sidebar

CENTRAL FLORIDA

CENTRAL FLORIDA OVERVIEW
East Coast Greenway. Florida Trail

Brooksville. Coast to Coast Trail. Cocoa Beach. Cross Florida Greenway. Crystal River. Dade City. Daytona Beach. Kissimmee. Lakeland. Leesburg. Ocala. Ocala National Forest. Orlando. Sanford. St. Petersburg. Tampa.

Our Newest Books

Discovering the Florida Trail

Florida Trail mini coffee table book cover of trail into palm hammock

A visual journey the length of the Florida Trail, covering more than 1,500 miles from the Everglades to Pensacola Beach. Hardcover, 196 pages. $24.95 + tax and shipping.

Order Now

Florida Trail Hikes

Florida Trail HikesThe best day hikes, overnights, and weekend trips on the Florida Trail. Full hike descriptions and maps, full color. 376 pages. $24.95 + tax and shipping.

Order Now


50 Hikes in Central Florida
Explorers Guide North Florida Panhandle
The Florida Trail Guide (third edition)
Five Star Trails Orlando
Five Star Trails Gainesville & Ocala

The Florida Trail

Florida Trail large coffee table book cover of trail down swamp causeway under ancient pines

Our history of the first 50 years of the Florida Trail, from its founding in 1966 to becoming a National Scenic Trail to volunteer efforts today.

Learn More

Florida Trail App

Guthook GuidesGuthook Guides Comprehensive logistics and offline maps for the Florida National Scenic Trail.

Get the App!

Explore More

Our recent park & trail updates in this region

Red Trail Golden Aster Scrub

Golden Aster Scrub Western Loop

Golden Aster Scrub Western Loop
Trail under oaks flanked by ferns

Edward Medard Conservation Park

Edward Medard Conservation Park
Cabbage palms adjoining a trail

Cockroach Bay Nature Preserve

Cockroach Bay Nature Preserve
Florida myrtle blooming next to a trail with a puddle

Pine Lily Preserve

Pine Lily Preserve

Footer

FIND A TRAIL OR PARK

NORTHWEST FLORIDA
Apalachicola. Apalachicola National Forest. Blackwater River State Forest. Blountstown. Bonifay. Bristol. Cape San Blas. Carrabelle. Chattahoochee. Chipley. Crawfordville. Crestview. DeFuniak Springs. Destin. Ebro. Eglin Air Force Base. Fort Walton Beach. Freeport. Gulf Islands National Seashore. Madison. Marianna. Milton. Monticello. Mossy Head. Navarre Beach . Niceville. Panama City Beach. Pensacola. Ponce De Leon. Port St. Joe. Quincy. Sopchoppy. South Walton. St. Marks. St. Marks NWR. Tallahassee. Vernon. Wakulla. Wewahitchka

NORTH FLORIDA
Alachua. Amelia Island. Baldwin. Branford. Bunnell. Cedar Key. Chiefland. Dowling Park. Ellaville. Fernandina Beach. Flagler Beach. Gainesville. Green Cove Springs. High Springs. Jacksonville. Keystone Heights. Lake Butler.Lake City. Live Oak. Mayo. Macclenny. Micanopy. Olustee. Orange Park. Osceola National Forest. Palatka. Palatka-Lake Butler Trail. Palm Coast. Perry. Salt Springs. St. Augustine. Starke. Steinhatchee. Suwannee River Wilderness Trail. Suwannee Springs. Talbot Islands. Timucuan Preserve. Trenton. Welaka. White Springs. Williston

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

MULTI-REGION
Big Cypress Swamp. East Coast Greenway. Everglades National Park. Florida National Scenic Trail

CENTRAL FLORIDA
Apopka. Belleview. Brandon. Brooksville. Bushnell. Canaveral National Seashore. Christmas. Chuluota. Clearwater Beach. Clermont. Coast to Coast Trail. Cocoa Beach. Cross Florida Greenway. Crystal River. Dade City. Daytona Beach. De Leon Springs. DeBary. Deland. Deltona. Dunedin. Dunnellon. Frostproof. Geneva. Inverness. Kenansville. Kissimmee. Lake Mary. Lake Wales. Lakeland. Largo. Leesburg. Longwood. Melbourne. Melbourne Beach. Merritt Island. Merritt Island NWR. Mims. Mount Dora. New Port Richey. New Smyrna Beach. Ocala. Ocala National Forest. Ocklawaha. Orlando. Ormond Beach. Osteen. Oviedo. Palm Bay. Ridge Manor. Sanford. Silver Springs. Spring Hill. St. Cloud. St. Petersburg. Tampa. Tarpon Springs. Titusville . Walt Disney World. Weeki Wachee. Winter Springs. Withlacoochee State Forest. Withlacoochee State Trail. Yeehaw Junction

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA
Bradenton . Charlotte Harbor. Ding Darling NWR. Englewood. Estero. Fort Myers. Immokalee. Naples. Pine Island. Port Charlotte. Punta Gorda. Sanibel Island. Sarasota. Venice

SOUTH FLORIDA
Arcadia. Basinger. Big Cypress National Preserve. Big Cypress Seminole Reservation. Clewiston. Everglades City. Fisheating Creek. Lake Okeechobee. Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail. Lake Placid. LaBelle. Lakeport. Moore Haven. Okeechobee. Pahokee. Port Mayaca. Sebring. South Bay

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA
Big Pine Key. Biscayne Bay. Biscayne National Park. Boca Raton. Boynton Beach. Coral Gables. Davie. Delray Beach. Northeast Everglades Natural Area. Florida Keys. Fort Lauderdale. Fort Pierce. Hobe Sound. Hollywood. Homestead. Islamorada. Jensen Beach. Jupiter. Juno Beach. Key Biscayne. Key Largo. Key West. Marathon. Miami. Ocean to Lake Greenway. Overseas Heritage Trail. Palm Beach. Port St. Lucie. Redland. Sebastian. Stuart. Vero Beach. West Palm Beach

  • Trails
  • Parks
  • Beaches
  • Gardens
  • Springs
  • Ecotours
  • Attractions
©2006-2021, Sandra Friend & John Keatley | Disclosure | Site Index | Work with Us | Advertise with Us
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy | Florida Hikes PO Box 93 Mims FL 32754| Contact