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Mangroves in brownish water

Terra Ceia Preserve State Park

Home to many wading birds, Terra Ceia Preserve State Park is an aquatic preserve protecting the ragged northern shoreline of the island of Terra Ceia

Bradenton      ( 27.580767, -82.572208 )      9.0 miles

A flash of pink on the mudflats means the roseate spoonbills have swooped in for a visit, using their oversized bills to sift through the soft muck for their dinner.

Terra Ceia Preserve State Park is one of Florida’s aquatic preserves. It protects the northern shoreline of Terra Ceia, an island north of Palmetto.

Palm fronds draped over trail Hiking through a palm hammock (Chris Stevens)


Resources

Resources for exploring the area

South Florida: An Explorer's Guide 50 Hikes in South Florida Exploring Florida's Botanical Wonders Hiker's Guide to the Sunshine State

Disclosure: As authors and affiliates, we receive earnings when you buy these through our links. This helps us provide public information on this website.


Overview

Location: Palmetto
Trailhead: 27.580767, -82.572208
Address: 130 77th Street East, Terra Ceia
Fees: Free
Restroom: None
Land manager: Florida State Parks
Phone: 941-723-4536

Open sunrise to sunset for land access, 24/7 for boater access. Leashed pets welcome.

Hiking trail at Terra Ceia


Directions

 
For land access, follow Terra Ceia Rd east from US 19. Turn left on Hightower Rd and pass under Interstate 275. The road ends at the park entrance.
 
Boaters and paddlers can access the preserve from a launch point at the west end of Moccasin Wallow Rd.

About the Park

Largely a shoreline along Tampa Bay, Terra Ceia Preserve encompasses nearly 2,000 acres of wetlands, mudflats, mangrove forests, marshes, and tidal ponds.

It offers a puzzle of waterways to be threaded through along the 3-mile Bishop Harbor Blueway, with picturesque names like Hell’s Half Acre.

Dark sand in tidal basin Tidal flats at Terra Ceia (Chris Stevens)


The preserve lies within sight of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and is bisected by Interstate 275, accessible only from US 41 north or from the water.

Cyclists and hikers can explore three marked trails from the Hightower Rd entrance: the 3.1-mile Pine Flatwoods Loop, 3.2-mile Salt Flat Spur, and the 2.7 mile Hammock Loop.

Together, these interconnected trails make up the Hightower Trail System.

Kiosk with map Kiosk for the Hightower Trail System (Chris Stevens)


Palm fronds draping over trail

Hightower Trail System

Strongly influenced by nearby Tampa Bay, Terra Ceia Preserve State Park protects unique landscapes where marine and terrestrial ecosystems blend seamlessly.

Trail Map

Terra Ceia Preserve State Park Trail Map
Red marks trails scouted for the above hike route

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Nearby Adventures

More worth exploring while you’re in this area.

Emerson Point Preserve

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

Cabbage palms adjoining a trail

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.

Madira Bickel Mound

Madira Bickel Mound State Archaeological Site

Protected since 1948 as Florida’s first state archaeological site, this is a 20-foot-high temple mound along the coast of Tampa Bay

Robinson Preserve

Robinson Preserve

Farmland turned back to mangrove marshes: that’s Robinson Preserve, with more than 4 miles of hiking on shell and wild pathways along Tampa Bay at Bradenton.

Preserve Map (PDF) Trail Map (PDF) Official Website

Category: Access by water, Biking, Day Hikes, Florida State Parks, Hikes, Loop Hikes, Off Road Biking, Paddling, Parks, Southwest Florida, Trails, Water Management AreasTag: Archaeological Sites, Birding, Boating, Bradenton, Fishing, Florida State Parks, Mangroves, St. Petersburg, Tampa Bay, Wildlife Viewing

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Boardwalk through mangroves

Joan M. Durante Community Park

Joan M. Durante Community Park
Palm fronds draping over trail

Hightower Trail System

Hightower Trail System
Picnic table with a river view

Myakka State Forest North Loop

Myakka State Forest North Loop
Trail through open pine flatwoods in palmettos

Myakka State Forest

Myakka State Forest

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