Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides
You know the name from bottled water drawn from Crystal Springs. Founded in 1914, Zephyrhills edges up to the Hillsborough River basin southwest of the Green Swamp.
A pair of loop trails provide access to wide-open pine flatwoods interspersed with a mosaic of prairie, cypress domes, oak hammocks, and a quiet spot alongside the namesake creek.
Camping beneath the twinkling stars at Colt Creek State Park, enjoy a getaway from the busy bustle of the Interstate 4 corridor between Lakeland and Tampa
A short drive from downtown Tampa, Cypress Creek Nature Preserve is an interesting window into a gradient of ecosystems along a tributary of the Hillsborough River.
In addition to the 6.9 mile paved bike path loop at its core, Flatwoods Park at Lower Hillsborough Wilderness provides many different routes for outdoor exploration
Traversing scenic oak hammock, sandhills, and pine flatwood habitats, the southernmost six miles of the Florida Trail in Green Swamp West offers spectacular day hike and backpacking experiences.
Part of Hillsborough River State Park, Fort Foster State Historic Site takes you back to the era of Florida’s earliest pioneer settlers and their clashes with the native Seminoles.
A dip into a corner of the Green Swamp, Gator Creek Preserve north of Lakeland offers 2.5 miles of easy loop trails for the whole family to explore
The Oak Ridge Tract of Lower Hillsborough River Wilderness Area is a beautiful area for a hike. We joined the Suncoast Chapter of the FTA for an exploration while in the region for a talk
One of Tampa’s oldest parks, Hillsborough River State Park has a 5.8-mile trail system as its centerpiece, through old-growth forest and along river rapids.
Water in motion: the Hillsborough rapids foam and froth over limestone boulders beneath grand cypress trees in Class II rapids. One of Florida’s oldest state parks, Hillsborough River State Park showcases this masterpiece of nature from an overlook and trail system built by the Civilian Conservation Corps.
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.
Miles of mixed-use trail loops traverses riverine forests and pine savanna, offering views of vast wet prairies and cypress swamps.
