One of the few saving graces of former phosphate mines is that they provide awesome air for mountain bikers in Florida, and Alafia River State Park is one of the rare places where you can launch on a Florida downhill.
Brandon
Alderman’s Ford Nature Preserve
Alderman’s Ford Nature Preserve offers a surprising treat for a Central Florida hike: whitewater, showcasing the Alafia River churning as it winds through a deeply eroded channel
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
Apollo Beach Nature Preserve
With its natural waterfront on Tampa Bay, Apollo Beach Nature Preserve is a perfect place for birders, not beachgoers, a place to launch a kayak and scan the skies for osprey.
Bradenton
Bradenton, between Sarasota and St. Petersburg, on the south side of Tampa Bay, has trails that explore the mangrove-lined coast as well as wooded uplands to the east.
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.
Lakeland
With an array of parks and natural lands and a growing system of bike trails, Lakeland is a hub for recreation along the Lake Wales Ridge and into the Green Swamp.
Little Manatee River State Park
With sandy shores around every bend and a canopy of trees overhead, Little Manatee River State Park provides a place for a pretty paddling trip for families.
Little Manatee River Trail
Scenery, rugged landscape, and botanical diversity are all important factors for a great Florida hike. You’ll find that on the 6.5-mile Little Manatee River Hiking Trail, one of our long-time favorites.
St. Petersburg
Located at the south end of Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg’s gem is the Pinellas Trail, but there are also many hikes that are relatively short as well as paddling opportunities.