Tucked between the folds of the Anclote River, North Anclote River Nature Park covers 77 acres alongside the river’s north shore.
Bisecting it, the Elfers Path is a paved bike path that when full, will join the Coastal Anclote Path with the Pinellas Path throughout a former railroad trestle above the river basin.
Bluff alongside the Anclote RiverSources
Overview
Location: Tarpon SpringsLength: 1.9 milesTrailhead: 28.165505, -82.749209Address: 55 Dixie Hwy, Tarpon SpringsFees: FreeRestroom: On the trailheadLand Supervisor: Metropolis of Tarpon SpringsPhone: 727-942-5618
Open 7:30 AM to nightfall. Graded paths are accessible with help.
Leashed canine welcome; decide up after your pet. A playground and picnic tables adjoin the trailhead.
Instructions
Hike
Begin on the hole within the fence on the finish of the parking space, previous the restrooms. A big map roughly illustrates the path system.
A graveled two-track leads beneath the oaks to a reverse Y junction. Proceed straight forward, strolling south in the direction of the river basin.
Trailhead mapFollowing a broader graveled path within the sandhills, the occasional shade of timber is welcome to obscure the subdivision pressed up in opposition to the protect fence.
Suburbia fades because the panorama opens to disclose salt marshes and energy transmission traces.
Open space above salt marshPast a bridge over a tidal creek inside the needlerush basin, make a left on a shellrock path 1 / 4 mile into the hike.
At marsh degree, take pleasure in a grass-top panorama of the basin whereas strolling an ecotone with an oak scrub.
Marsh edgeAssembly a path on the suitable onto the oak-topped ridge within the marsh, observe it uphill. At a T junction, bear left.
Draped in Spanish moss swaying within the coastal breeze, sand reside oaks present shade amid a spill of grapevines throughout noticed palmetto.
Coastal hammockOne other spill is eye-catching: shards of shells that look like midden materials making up this excessive floor.
A junction with a bench has Path indicators pointing in two instructions. Bear left, following the spill of shells by means of the forest to a bluff.
Midden materials underfootMaintain left once more to stroll above the North Anclote River, a ribbon of blue past a display of timber.
Drop off the ridge to the salt marsh rim higher glimpse of the broad channel and the mangrove islands in it.
At river degreeBacktrack from this level, staying on the trail closest to the bluff on the junction. Glimpse the river a number of extra instances.
A vivid white path parallels on the other facet. Merge into it a half mile into the hike.
Paralleling pathsA picnic desk is up forward, and across the nook, an commentary deck and fishing pier offering a transparent view of the river basin and the oak-topped bluff you simply hiked.
Comply with the sun-drenched shellrock path away from the picnic desk alongside the sting of the oak hammock. At a junction, bear left.
Commentary deckA brief spur ends at a mangrove-flanked seashore on the river, which serves as a kayak launch and touchdown.
The lengthy bridge simply downriver is a railroad trestle within the strategy of being transformed to pedestrian and bicycle owner use.
River seashoreWhen open, it should join this park with the Pinellas Path headed into downtown Tarpon Springs.
Fishermen benefit from the shadows of the bridge to solid their traces. Heading again up the spur path, bear left to proceed the stroll alongside the shellrock path.
Previous railroad trestleA wood staircase results in restrooms on the ridge; we discovered them locked on a weekend.
Move a Path signal pointing up the ridge, staying with the broad path to its signposted T junction with the primary path.
Junction with important pathA bench faces a pond lined with mangroves throughout a clearing straight forward. Flip left and stroll beneath the powerlines in the direction of a paved ramp with railings.
On the prime is the junction with the Elfers Path, the bike path bisecting this park. It was actively beneath building throughout our go to however could also be open now.
Up the rampTo the left, it’ll cross over the river to the Pinellas Path. To the suitable, plans are for it to interconnect with the close by Coastal Anclote Path.
That path heads north to 3 coastal parks in Vacation, Key Vista Park the northermost.
Elfers Path northboundDown the ramp on the other facet of the Elfers Path is a paved method to an commentary deck made accessible by ramps.
A mile into the hike, the deck is broad sufficient for views up and down a sinuous facet channel of the river.
View up the channelDepart the deck to discover this peninsula. A worn footpath connects benches going through the waterway to the outflow of the mangrove pond seen earlier within the hike.
Limestone boulders jut from this fast-moving however clear narrows. Return by means of the sandy picnic space to the paved ramp up and over the Elfers Path.
Narrows from a salt pondReturn alongside the primary path, passing the broad shellrock path at 1.2 miles.
A tenth of a mile later, previous the bridge over the salt creek, a path peels off to the left. Grazing alongside the north fringe of the salt ponds, it affords good birding.
Begin of loop north of the salt pondsMake a brief loop by means of the coastal hammock, returning previous the ponds to the primary path by 1.7 miles.
Flip left to stroll beneath the oaks, bearing proper on the remaining signposted junction to succeed in the trailhead after 1.9 miles.
Signposted junctionPath Map
Discover Extra!
Video
Mountaineering North Anclote River Nature Park
Slideshow
See our photographs from North Anclote River Nature Park
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Official Web site
Writer of over 40 books, Sandra Good friend established FloridaHikes.com in 2006 to broaden on the sphere analysis she’d accomplished for her first six climbing guides. She has been honored with lifetime achievement awards from the Florida Path Affiliation and the Florida Out of doors Writers Affiliation.
