Category: Walks / Hikes
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Rainbow Springs State Park
If Florida wasn’t so muggy in the summer, I think I’d spend all my day trips at the fabulous parks with their bodies of water, hiking trails, towering greenery, unexpected wildlife, and sublime quiet and save the museums, galleries and restaurants for cooler months. But the parks are often my best experiences. And so it
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Hillsborough River State Park
I always like driving up to a park’s entrance and seeing a nice, windy road with nothing but green on either side. That usually means that even if the hiking trails aren’t much to write home about, the drive will be scenic. I was interested in this park because the website said they had “Class
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Dames Cave
As a child, I wanted to discover a cave. I’ve always loved (a) a good challenge and (b) the thrill of discovery. I think the whole cave thing probably took root right after a childhood vacation to Carlsbad Caverns. My memory may be faulty but it seems to me there was a rickety ladder leading
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Myakka River Canopy Walk
Myakka State Park is one of Florida’s oldest parks. It’s named after the Myakka River that flows through 58 square miles of wetlands, hammocks, pinelands and prairies. It has a 7-mile scenic drive that’s worth your time and there are lots of little side roads that lead to hiking trails or picnic areas. I went
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Weedon Island Preserve
Weedon Island Preserve’s storied past includes a home for prehistoric people, an airport, a movie studio, and a speakeasy. Located along the shores of Old Tampa Bay, it’s a rich tapestry of mangrove forests, open mud flats and salterns, pine/scrubby flatwoods, and maritime hammocks. I may not know a saltern from a hammock, but I
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Eureka Springs Conservation Park
You sort of need a compass to find Eureka Springs. I’ve never followed such a convoluted route to get somewhere in my life – twisty, winding, pretzel-like roads, bridges, commercial properties, and backwoods residential areas. You name it; it had it. I wouldn’t exactly call it a scenic drive, but it was darn sure interesting.
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Upper Tampa Bay Conservation Park
Upper Tampa Bay Conservation Park was originally inhabited by the Tocobaga Indians (500-1500). In 1982, the entire area was established for nature study. It encompasses mangrove forests, salt and freshwater marshes, coastal hammocks and pine flatwoods. Hillsboroughcounty.org says the park was minimally developed due to its “fragile and sensitive environment.” They weren’t kidding. There is
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Lettuce Lake Park
Funny how a name can influence your perceptions. I decided I wasn’t going to like Lettuce Lake long before I got there. I mean, who names a park after a vegetable? I was wrong. It’s a beautiful, quiet place – a feast for the eyes and a respite from noise and bustle. If you’re a
Lisa Browder 