A network of trails loops through the uplands on the west side of Lake Manatee State Park, with access from three points–the entrance station, day use area, and campground.
Longleaf Lane provides views of the lake, as does the start of Campground Alley, behind panoramas of scrubby flatwoods.
Glimpse of Lake Manatee where trails meetAfter they merge, the trail sweeps around the west side of the campground, meandering south of it to the park road.
On the east side of the park road is the Bobcat Trail, a loop with a trailhead by the ranger station.
We made a 1.8 mile circuit on the trail system, which can be extended to 2.5 miles by following the route described below.
On the Bobcat TrailResources
Disclosure: As authors and affiliates, we receive earnings when you buy through our links. This helps us provide public information on this website.
Overview
Location: Bradenton
Length: 2.5 mile loop
Trailhead: 27.48205, -82.34409
Address: 20007 SR 64 East, Bradenton
Fees: $4-5 per vehicle
Restroom: In the picnic area and campground
Land manager: Florida State Parks
Phone: 941-741-3028
Open 8 AM to sunset. Leashed dogs welcome.
Directions
From Interstate 75 exit 220 in Bradenton, follow SR 64 east for 8 miles to the main park entrance on the left. Once you stop at the ranger station, follow the park road back to the day use area at Lake Manatee.
Hike
A paved path connects the campground to the shoreline of Lake Manatee, crossing the day use parking at the handicapped spaces.
Longleaf Lane both starts from that path and crosses it by the paddlers’ launch, but we found no signage pointing it out to us.
Lake Manatee shoreline at the day use areaInstead, our hike started at the north end of the parking area at a junction of two broad mowed roads, following the the one that paralleled the lake.
It’s called Campground Alley, but the views are across a sea of saw palmetto to the longleaf pines close to the edge of Lake Manatee.
At 0.2 mile, a unmarked grassy path led towards a scenic spot on the lake. In another tenth of a mile, a Y junction marks where Longleaf Lane and Campground Alley meet.
Veer left, leaving the lake for scrubby flatwoods, the trail edging closer to the outer ring of campsites briefly. Pines dot a mix of saw palmetto and prairie grasses.
Scrubby flatwoodsThe broad two-track turns to bright white sand as the trail leaves the campground behind, ascending a low ridge.
Slip past sand live oaks and sand pines before descending to a view of a wet prairie. The trail reaches the park road at 0.6 mile.
Oaks and pinesIf you cross the road here, you skip the Bobcat Trail, which loops from this point to the front entrance along the park road.
Walk a little over a tenth of a mile to find the trailhead, across from a small parking area on the east side of the entrance station.
Bobcat TrailOnce in the forest, the trail is broad and grassy, views open across the low saw palmetto dotted with tall pines.
The thicker growth in the distance is along Poley Branch, the creek flowing into Lake Manatee that splits the park in two.
HatpinsThe trail makes a languid S curve through open scrubby flatwoods. Bare patches of dew-soaked sand hosts clusters of hatpins. Carolina jessamine tumbles over snags.
The understory becomes more dense as the Bobcat Trail turns west to meet its junction with Campground Alley at 1.4 miles.
Dew-covered spiderwebsThis is a decision point. The left fork rambles a little over a tenth of a mile to the park road to meet Campground Alley.
A return trip along that route–following Longleaf Lane on the way back, easier to find from this direction–is 2.5 miles.
The right fork leads towards the campgroundIf you’re camped at the campground, the more direct route is to keep right at the Y junction and cross the park road. Walk up the campground road into the campground.
Turn right into the first loop and make a left to head for the bathhouse. Hop on the paved path for a return to your starting point for a 1.8 mile hike.
Paved pathTrail Map
Blue: Side and connector trails.
Explore More!
Slideshow
See our photos of Lake Manatee State Park
Nearby Adventures
Lake Manatee Gopher Trail On the east side of Lake Manatee State Park, the Gopher Trail system offers scenic views of the lake among a variety of natural habitats. 
Robinson Preserve Edging Tampa Bay, the vast sweep of Robinson Preserve is a puzzle of natural and restored habitats circled by more than ten miles of mixed-use trails. 
Emerson Point Preserve Where the Manatee River meets Tampa Bay, Emerson Point Preserve has a network of trails around a complex centered on one of Florida's most ancient temple mounds, the Portavant Mound, near Bradenton.
Palma Sola Botanical Park Now a showcase for temperate and tropical species, this former ten acre nursery encompasses collections of palms, fruit trees, and flowering tropical trees.
- Michael Crotty Bicentennial Park - November 3, 2026
- A.J. Henry Park - November 1, 2026
- Okeeheelee Nature Center Trails - October 22, 2026