Resources
Resources for exploring the area
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Exploring Ruskin
Along US 41 south of Tampa, Ruskin sits just north of the mazy delta where the Little Manatee River flows into Tampa Bay, its shifting islands now protected by Cockroach Bay Preserve State Park.
Long known for its excellent tomatoes and great seafood, it’s a place with a slower pace than the burgeoning communities growing around its borders.
Poke around and you’ll find seafood shacks and seasonal produce stands with Florida Fresh food.
Trails and Parks around Ruskin
Alafia Scrub Preserve Discover a new perspective on the Alafia River basin on this easy loop through riverside uplands with a scenic overlook at its center.
Bahia Beach Preserve Winding between a pair of ponds, the short trail at Bahia Beach Nature Preserve provides excellent birding opportunities amid restored habitats with native plants. 
Bullfrog Creek WEA A hidden preserve in the Tampa metro offers a network of unmarked trails for a 5 mile hike traversing a shady creek and open flatwoods with patches of scrubby habitat.
Camp Bayou Nature Preserve Located on the banks of the Little Manatee River, Camp Bayou Nature Preserve provides an easygoing set of trails through a variety of natural Florida habitats. 
Cockroach Bay Nature Preserve Directly across Tampa Bay from St. Petersburg, two loop trails in Cockroach Bay Nature Preserve navigate restored wetlands and a lookout point known as Mount Cockroach. 
Cockroach Creek Greenway Surrounded by commercial farming, this rare piece of conserved natural land offers upland loops around a creek feeding Cockroach Bay.
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.
Little Manatee River Corridor Nature Preserve In the Little Manatee River watershed, the 579 Trailhead offers access to a pair of loop trails across palmetto prairies and shady oak hammocks.
Little Manatee River Leonard Lee Trails Two connected trails along the south side of the Little Manatee River explore a variety of habitats on former ranches now protected by Hillsborough County as Little Manatee River Corridor Nature Preserve. 
Little Manatee River Nature Trails The aptly named Sandpine and Oxbow Trails interconnect to showcase sand pine scrub and winding curves alongside a blackwater river.
Little Manatee River State Park With sandy shores around every bend and a canopy of trees overhead, Little Manatee River State Park provides a beautiful destination for a family getaway.
Little Manatee River Trail Scenery, rugged landscape, and botanical diversity are all important for a great Florida hike. You'll find that on this 6.5 mile hike, one of our all-time favorites.
Rye Preserve One of Mantee County's oldest preserves, Rye Preserve offers seasonal camping along the Upper Manatee River along with short nature trails.
Rye Preserve Yellow Trail Explore the pioneer settlement of Rye and the flow of Rye Creek towards the Manatee River in the open spaces of Rye Preserve.
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.