Commemorating the landing of Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto, De Soto National Memorial is a significant archaeological site where the Manatee River flows into Tampa Bay.
Emerson Point Preserve
Where the Manatee River meets the Gulf of Mexico near Bradenton, Emerson Point Preserve protects the Portavent Mound, one of Florida’s most ancient temple mounds
Gamble Plantation Historic State Park
Notable as the last surviving antebellum home in South Florida, the Gamble Mansion once anchored a 3,500 acre sugar plantation along the Manatee River.