• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Florida Hikes logo

Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides

  • Trails
  • Maps
  • Guidebooks
  • Search
  • Hike
    • Scenic Hikes
    • Loop Trails
    • Dog-friendly Hikes
    • Hikes for Kids
    • National Parks in Florida
    • Florida State Parks
  • Bike
    • Major Bike Trails
    • Paved Bike Trails
    • Off Road Biking
    • Biking Articles
  • Paddle
    • Canoe & Kayak Rentals
    • Paddling Destinations
    • Paddling Articles
  • Camp
    • Cabin Rentals
    • Car Camping
    • Primitive Camping
  • Florida Trail
    • Plan your Hike
    • Best Scenic Hikes
    • Best Backpacking
    • Section Hiking
    • Thru-Hiking
    • Trail Updates
  • Travel
  • Hike
    • Scenic Hikes
    • Loop Trails
    • Dog-friendly Hikes
    • Hikes for Kids
    • National Parks in Florida
    • Florida State Parks
  • Bike
    • Major Bike Trails
    • Paved Bike Trails
    • Off Road Biking
    • Biking Articles
  • Paddle
    • Canoe & Kayak Rentals
    • Paddling Destinations
    • Paddling Articles
  • Camp
    • Cabin Rentals
    • Car Camping
    • Primitive Camping
  • Florida Trail
    • Plan your Hike
    • Best Scenic Hikes
    • Best Backpacking
    • Section Hiking
    • Thru-Hiking
    • Trail Updates
  • Travel
Wooded path into a forest

Zephyrhills

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.


Resources

Resources for exploring the area
Florida Trail Hikes book cover The Florida Trail Guide book cover 50 Hikes in Central Florida Central Florida Orlando Explorers Guide book cover Hikers Guide to the Sunshine State book cover Paddlers Guide Florida  
Disclosure: As authors and affiliates, we receive earnings when you buy these through our links. This helps us provide public information on this website.


Exploring Zephyrhills

A central point from which to reach trails within the southern Green Swamp and Hillsborough River basins, Zephyrhills sits at the junction of SR 54 and US 301.

It lies between Colt Creek State Park to the north and Hillsborough River State Park to the south, both fine camping destinations.

Chain motels can be found along US 301, as well as local restaurants. There are two museums in town, near the airport: one focused on railroad history, the other on the military.


Trails and Parks around Zephyrhills

Grassy mowed trail in pines Blackwater Creek Nature Preserve 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.
Fishing pier on lake Colt Creek State Park 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
Trail in tunnel of cabbage palms Cypress Creek Nature Preserve 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.
Cyclist on paved Flatwoods Loop Flatwoods Park 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
Deeply shaded trail under sand live oaks Florida Trail, Green Swamp West 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.
Peeking over the walls of a wooden fort Fort Foster State Historic Site 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.
Gator Creek Preserve Gator Creek Reserve 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
View of rapids from above Hillsborough River Hiking Trails 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.
Foreground of cypress knees with rapids beyond Hillsborough River State Park With a trail system and picnic grounds built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, Hillsborough River State Park delights with miles of scenic trails, a swinging bridge, and the froth of river rapids.
Grassy path through pine flatwoods Lake Conservation Park 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.
Open marshy plain with blue skies Lower Green Swamp Preserve Miles of mixed-use trail loops traverses riverine forests and pine savanna, offering views of vast wet prairies and cypress swamps.
Woodlands at Flatwoods Park Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve 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
Sunlight dappled on Florida upland forest Mac Lake Trail An easy excursion into a dense hardwood forest along a natural floodplain, the Mac Lake Nature Trail at Colt Creek State Park is an interpretive walk in the woods
Picnic table under a live oak McIntosh Preserve A tall observation tower is the centerpiece of this tucked-away preserve featuring miles of well-marked, family-friendly, ADA accessible trails.
Bridge leading over Hillsborough River to boardwalk loop Morris Bridge Park While the gentle loop boardwalk at Morris Bridge Park is a major reason to stop and savor the Hillsborough River, the park also provides cyclists a trailhead to off-road adventure
Upper-Hillsborough-Hiking-Trail Upper Hillsborough River Hiking Trail Following the north side of a blackwater river toward its headwaters, the Upper Hillsborough River Hiking Trail meanders though pine flatwoods, shady hammocks, and forested wetlands.
Yellow blazed trail through oak hammock Violet Cury Preserve Tucked between neighborhoods just north of downtown Tampa, Violet Cury Preserve provides a quiet wooded trail with scenic views of Lake Flynn.

Related Articles

Hikers in the Oak Ridge Tract Hiking Tampa’s Oak Ridge (2/6/2014) 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

More Articles More Parks


NEARBY: Dade City, Lakeland, Plant City, Tampa | ALONG: Green Swamp, Hillsborough River | PART OF: Central Florida

Primary Sidebar

Our Florida Guidebooks

The Florida Trail Guide
Florida Trail Hikes 2nd edition cover
50 Hikes in Central Florida 3rd edition
Explorer's Guide North Florida & The Panhandle guidebook
Five Star Trails Gainesville & Ocala guidebook
Five Star Trails Orlando guidebook

Florida Trail Apps

Farout GuidesFarout Guides Comprehensive logistics and offline maps for the
Florida National Scenic Trail (1,500 miles), the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail (108 miles), and the ECT Florida Connector (92 miles).

Our Florida Coffee Table Books

Discovering the Florida Trail coffee table book
The Florida Trail coffee table book

Footer

FIND A TRAIL OR PARK

NORTHWEST FLORIDA
Apalachicola. Apalachicola National Forest. Blackwater River State Forest. Blountstown. Bonifay. Bristol. Cape San Blas. Carrabelle. Chattahoochee. Chipley. Crawfordville. Crestview. DeFuniak Springs. Destin. Ebro. Eglin Air Force Base. Fort Walton Beach. Freeport. Gulf Islands National Seashore. Madison. Marianna. Milton. Monticello. Mossy Head. Navarre Beach . Niceville. Panama City Beach. Pensacola. Ponce De Leon. Port St. Joe. Quincy. Sopchoppy. South Walton. St. Marks. St. Marks River. St. Marks NWR. Tallahassee. Vernon. Wakulla. Wewahitchka

NORTH FLORIDA
Alachua. Amelia Island. Baldwin. Branford. Bunnell. Cedar Key. Chiefland. Crescent City. Dowling Park. Ellaville. Fernandina Beach. Flagler Beach. Gainesville. Green Cove Springs. High Springs. Jacksonville. Keystone Heights. Lake Butler.Lake City. Live Oak. Mayo. Macclenny. Micanopy. Olustee. Orange Park. Osceola National Forest. Palatka. Palatka-Lake Butler Trail. Palm Coast. Perry. Salt Springs. St. Augustine. Starke. Steinhatchee. Suwannee River Wilderness Trail. Suwannee Springs. Talbot Islands. Timucuan Preserve. Trenton. Welaka. White Springs. Williston

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Vimeo

MULTI-REGION
Big Cypress Swamp. East Coast Greenway. Everglades National Park. Florida National Scenic Trail Lake Wales Ridge.

CENTRAL FLORIDA
Apopka. Belleview. Brandon. Brooksville. Bushnell. Canaveral National Seashore. Christmas. Chuluota. Clearwater Beach. Clermont. Coast to Coast Trail. Cocoa Beach. Cross Florida Greenway. Crystal River. Dade City. Daytona Beach. De Leon Springs. DeBary. Deland. Deltona. Dunedin. Dunnellon. Frostproof. Geneva. Inverness. Kenansville. Kissimmee. Lake Mary. Lake Wales. Lakeland. Largo. Leesburg.Lithia. Longwood. Melbourne. Melbourne Beach. Merritt Island. Merritt Island NWR. Mims. Mount Dora. New Port Richey. New Smyrna Beach. Ocala. Ocala National Forest. Ocklawaha. Orlando. Ormond Beach. Osteen. Oviedo. Palm Bay. Ridge Manor. Riverview. Ruskin. Sanford. Silver Springs. Spring Hill. St. Cloud. St. Petersburg. Tampa. Tarpon Springs. Titusville . Walt Disney World. Weeki Wachee. Winter Park. Winter Springs. Withlacoochee State Forest. Withlacoochee State Trail. Yeehaw Junction. Zephyrhills

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA
Bradenton . Charlotte Harbor. Ding Darling NWR. Englewood. Estero. Fort Myers. Immokalee. Naples. Pine Island. Port Charlotte. Punta Gorda. Sanibel Island. Sarasota. Venice

SOUTH FLORIDA
Arcadia. Basinger. Big Cypress National Preserve. Big Cypress Seminole Reservation. Clewiston. Everglades City. Fisheating Creek. Lake Okeechobee. Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail. Lake Placid. LaBelle. Lakeport. Moore Haven. Okeechobee. Pahokee. Port Mayaca. Sebring. South Bay

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA
Big Pine Key. Biscayne Bay. Biscayne National Park. Boca Raton. Boynton Beach. Coconut Creek. Coral Gables. Coral Springs. Davie. Delray Beach. Northeast Everglades Natural Area. Florida Keys. Fort Lauderdale. Fort Pierce. Hobe Sound. Hollywood. Homestead. Islamorada. Jensen Beach. Jupiter. Juno Beach. Key Biscayne. Key Largo. Key West. Marathon. Miami. Ocean to Lake Greenway. Overseas Heritage Trail. Palm Beach. Port St. Lucie. Redland. Sebastian. Stuart. Vero Beach. West Palm Beach

  • Trails
  • Parks
  • Beaches
  • Gardens
  • Springs
  • Ecotours
  • Attractions
©2006-2023, Sandra Friend & John Keatley | Disclosure | Site Index | Work with Us | Advertise with Us
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy | Florida Hikes PO Box 93 Mims FL 32754| Contact