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Trail under large oaks

Rocky Creek Trails Nature Preserve

Adjacent to the to the multi-use Upper Tampa Bay Trail, Rocky Creek Trails Nature Preserve offers a short hiking-only stroll through a surprisingly diverse plant community.

Tampa      ( 28.070059, -82.569623 )      1.0 miles

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Rocky Creek Trails Nature Preserve is relatively small, protecting 16 acres of land surrounded by neighborhoods.

The parking area provides excellent access to the Upper Tampa Bay Trail, a 14-mile paved trail that is popular with cyclists and joggers.

The preserve features a half mile trail with two access points, and a quaint wooden bridge over its namesake creek.

Bridge over unseen creek Bridge over Rocky Creek


Resources

Resources for exploring the area

50 Hikes in Central Florida Central Florida Orlando Explorers Guide book cover Hikers Guide to the Sunshine State book cover

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: 0.5 miles linear, 1-mile round trip.
Trailhead: 28.070059, -82.569623
Address: 7415 Manhattan Drive, Tampa, FL 33625
Fees: $2 per vehicle
Restrooms: No
Land manager: Hillsborough County
Phone: 813-672-7876

Open Sunrise – Sunset. Dogs are allowed on a leash.

Cypress next to wooden bridge


Directions

 
From Interstate 275, head west on SR 580 for 3 miles before continuing straight onto CR 587. In 4.8 miles, turn right onto Manhattan Dr. The parking area will be on the right in about 260 feet.

Hike

If parking at the trailhead, be sure to pay at the electronic iron ranger before beginning the hike.

At the northwest end of the lot, an informational kiosk stands next to a wide path leading into the woods.

Picnic benches in covered pavilion Picnic area at the trailhead


Follow yellow blazes down the fern-lined trail as it passes under a tunnel of arching tree limbs.

The pine straw covered pathway becomes sandier, then narrows while winding through an open canopy of tall oaks.

Oak with yellow blaze on trunk Yellow blazed oak


A small maple stands alongside the trail while approaching the bridge over Rocky Creek.

The sturdy wooden structure crosses over a thin ribbon of water flowing to the south, as an impressive cypress tree stands on the bank.

Gravel walk to wooden bridge Rocky Creek Bridge


Yellow topped posts marked with arrows continue to lead the way as the trail meanders alongside clusters of saw palmettos and young magnolia trees.

Red bellied woodpeckers chirp in trees overhead, taking advantage of the small green space to create homes and search for food.

Path meandering past beds of ferns Oaks and cypress


Tall beautyberry shrubs border the trail as it continues northward.

Grapevines blanket areas of the understory, with occasional thick vines leading up into the canopy of oaks and pines.

Beautyberries in oak hammock Beautyberries


At a half mile, the trail ends at a gap in the fence. A large sign with a map shows the path in relation to its intersection with the Upper Tampa Bay Trail.

From this point, retrace steps southward to head through the woods back to the parking area.

Signage at entrance at gap in fence North entrance


Trail Map

 Rocky Creek Trails Preserve Trail Map


Explore More!

Video

A virtual walk in the woods at Rocky Creek Trails


Nearby Adventures

More worth exploring while you’re in this area.

Mobbly Bay

Upper Tampa Bay Conservation Park

Three short nature trails – the Eagle Trail, the Otter Trail, and the Bobcat Trail – explore different aspects of this conservation park’s ecosystems, including the mangrove-lined estuary

Blue lake with blue skies

Lake Rogers Park

A 2.4-mile loop trail circling Lake Rogers weaves through oak hammocks, shrubs, pine flatwoods, and scenic vistas along the water’s edge.

Grassy path through pine flatwoods

Lake Conservation Park

A forested escape north of Tampa, Lake Conservation Park features a network of trails where you can loop nearly four miles around a series of small lakes.

Yellow blazed trail through oak hammock

Violet Cury Preserve

Tucked between neighborhoods just north of downtown Tampa, Violet Cury Preserve provides a quiet wooded trail with scenic views of Lake Flynn.

Trail Map (PDF) Official Website

Category: Central Florida, County Parks, Hikes, Natural Lands, Nature Trails, TrailsTag: Birding, Dog-friendly, Family-Friendly, Lutz, Oldsmar, Tampa

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