Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides
While Tampa is a large city along the north shore of Tampa Bay, it has many natural lands protecting its water supply, providing outdoor recreation opportunities
INTERACTIVE MAP
At the scenic confluence of Flint Creek with the Hillsborough River, John B Sargeant Park provides access to the Hillsborough River State Canoe Trail amid a lush cypress floodplain, with a boardwalk and footpath showcasing the views.
With its extensive waterfront on Lake Tarpon and Brooker Creek in Oldsmar, John Chesnut Sr. Park has always been a popular natural getaway near Tampa Bay.
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.
Two loop trails explore cypress domes and expansive pine flatwoods, while a side trail leads to a sturdy fishing dock over Lake Dan.
A 2.4-mile loop trail circling Lake Rogers weaves through oak hammocks, shrubs, pine flatwoods, and scenic vistas along the water’s edge.
At the north edge of Tampa, Lettuce Lake Park protects 240 acres along the Hillsborough River, with a loop trail and boardwalk that shows off cypress swamps and uplands.
In the Little Manatee River watershed, the 579 Trailhead offers access to a pair of loop trails across palmetto prairies and shady oak hammocks.
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.
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.
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.
Miles of mixed-use trail loops traverses riverine forests and pine savanna, offering views of vast wet prairies and cypress swamps.
As the largest natural area in the Tampa Bay region, Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve is a major destination for recreation, with seven entrances across 16,000 acres
