Tampa Parks for Kayaking, Hiking, Biking, Fishing, Horseback Riding

Published by nora | Filed under Buyer / Seller Tips, Miscellaneous, Real Estate

Beautiful Tampa parks abound in the Tampa Bay area for people who love canoeing, kayaking. Committees in the area make sure that people are safe and the environment is protected while they enjoy the bounties that nature offers.

The City of Tampa Parks and Recreation and the Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation are continuously finding and implementing ways to enhance and preserve nature parks for generations of Tampa residents and visitors to enjoy.

Paddle Trails

There are at least 39 paddle trails and launch sites in the Tampa Bay area, including launch sites in the Old Tampa Bay, in the Hillsborough Bay, in Thonotosassa Lake, in the Manatee River and in Medard Lake. Contact the Tampa-Hillsborough Blueways Planning Committee for a map and paddling regulations.

Boat Ramps

There are at least 26 boat ramps in Hillsborough, including ramps in Baker Creek, Bypass Canal, Cockroach Bay, Davis Island, Lowry Park, Morris Bridge Park, Picnic Island, Riverhills Park, Ruskin Commongood, Salty Sol Fleishman and Wildcat Creek.  Contact the Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation (PRC).

Greenways and Trails

There are more than 300 miles of existing trails in Hillsborough County, and these include paved multi-use trails and trails built for equestrians only, for hiking only, and for both hiking and mountain biking. Efforts are ongoing for the development of additional paved and soft-path trails and marked or side-path bikeways.

The longest paved multi-use trails are the 5.6-mile Tampa Palms Boulevard, 4.8-mile Bruce B Downs Boulevard, the 4.6-mile Upper Tampa Bay Park Phase II, the 4.5-mile South US Highway 301, and the 4.4-mile Bayshore Boulevard Greenways.

The 22.-6-mile Flatwoods Park Trail is the longest for hikers and mountain bikers. Following are the 18.3-mile Balm Boyette, the 11.-2-mile Alafia River State Park and the 10.1-mile Cow House Slough.

The trails built only for hikers include the 10.1-mile Alafia River Corridor, the 6.3-mile Golden Aster Preserve, the 6.3-mile Little Manatee Trail and the 5.3-mile Alderman’s For Preserve.

Equestrians can explore the 11.7-mile Oakridge, the 11.5-mile Alafia River South Prong, the 7.5-mile Cow House Slough and the 5.6-mile Lake Dan trails.
Contact the Real Estate Department Geomatics Division GIS Section for more information or visit hillsboroughcounty.org.

Regional Parks

There are parks that let you enjoy nature in various ways, such as fishing, biking, picnicking, walking, boating and canoeing. These are among the most popular regional multi-activity parks :

• Aldermans Ford Park in Lithia
• E.G. Simmons Park in Ruskin
• Edward Medard Park
• Lake Park in Lutz
• Lettuce Lake Park in Tampa
• Upper Tampa Bay Park in Tampa

The following Tampa parks and other parks are not as multi-activity as parks above, but they still offer beautiful places for picnics and other recreation:

• Balm Recreation Center in Wimauma, for picnics
• Country Place West Park, for picnics
• Davis Park, for picnics
• Eureka Springs Park in Tampa, for hiking, boardwalk, picnics
• Flatwoods Park in Thonotosassa, for biking, hiking, inline skating, picnics
• John B. Sargeant Sr Boat Ramp in Thonotosassa, for biking, fishing, hiking, inline skating, picnics, boat and canoe ramp
• Lake Rogers Park in Odessa, for biking, fishing, hiking, picnics, canoe launch
• Lithia Springs Park in Lithia, for camping, fishing, hiking, swimming, picnics, canoe launch
• Trout Creek Park in Thonotosassa, for biking, fishing, hiking, picnics, boardwalk, canoe launch
• Veteran’s Memorial Park in Tampa, for fishing, hiking, picnics

Enjoy beautiful Tampa parks all year round. Buy a Tampa home. Contact Tampa4U.com.