Upper Tampa Bay Conservation Park – Florida Hikes

West of Tampa, this 2,144-acre park protects a big swath of the delicate mangrove-lined northern shores of Higher Tampa Bay.

Balancing conservation and recreation, it incorporates picnic areas and inexperienced house amid pine flatwoods maintained with prescribed burns.

Pine flatwoods blanket the north finish of the park

A kayak launch adjoins their massive environmental training middle and an out of doors classroom. After which there are the character trails.

With separate entry factors, the Bobcat, Otter, and Eagle Trails are straightforward interpretive walks. Tie them collectively on this 2.5 mile circuit by the central day use areas.

Mangroves alongside the Eagle Path

Assets

Overview

Location: TampaLength: 2.5 milesTrailhead: 28.013522, -82.633636Address: 8001 Double Department Rd, TampaFees: $2 per automobile entrance feeLand Supervisor: Hillsborough CountyPhone: 813-855-1765

Open 8 AM to six PM. Leashed canine permitted. Look ahead to poison ivy on the paths.

Trails could also be flooded by tides. Mosquitoes could be voracious. Restrooms are on the nature middle and picnic areas.

Kayak leases out there, or convey your individual paddlecraft. Fishing is welcome alongside the shoreline. Reserve picnic shelters prematurely.

Instructions

Hike

Begin with the environmental middle for a walk-through of the displays on the habitats and inhabitants of this shoreline alongside Higher Tampa Bay, and to select up a map.

The primary loop within the circuit, the Bobcat Path, begins behind the classroom constructing adjoining it.

Entry level to the Bobcat Path

For accessibility, a sidewalk connects the park street in entrance of the character middle previous the classroom to the Bobcat Path.

Sweeping previous the small Bobcat Path signal at first of the loop, ascend previous a bigger signal with a map of the path to a boardwalk among the many mangroves.

Begin of the Bobcat Path loop

At a T, the boardwalk connects to the again of the character middle to the left, an alternate non-accessible route for reaching it. An indication with a QR code presents an audio tour of the path.

Emerge onto a shallow cove rimmed with mangroves. Make a pointy proper, the boardwalk shaded by tall mangroves.

Beneath, a low tide could reveal oyster beds. Nonetheless waters replicate the sky. A bench sits close to a cut-out within the railing for fishing.

Boardwalk alongside the cove

Turning away from the cove, stroll by the mangrove to the place the boardwalk ends. 1 / 4 mile from the parking space, this concludes the accessible portion of this loop.

Proceed on a shell path amid tidal flats, one other Bobcat Path signal confirming the route. Mangroves rise in clusters and sprout from grassy expanses. The footpath could also be sticky.

Among the many palms

Curving proper, stroll amongst cabbage palms and charred oaks previous a grassy facet path and one other path signal.

Ascend barely alongside an ecotone between the mangroves and coastal flatwoods. Tidal puddles kind in low spots.

Again facet of the outside classroom

Arising behind the outside classroom, flip left after a half mile to exit the Bobcat Path, taking the sidewalk to the park street. Flip proper.

There isn’t a sidewalk between the character middle and the Otter Path, so you need to stroll previous the place your automobile is parked by the parking space.

Stroll by the parking space

The place a picnic pavilion is perched on the shoreline, a sidewalk resumes. Take a proper when it splits at a Wildlife signal to proceed by the picnic space.

The sidewalk transitions right into a low boardwalk at 0.7 mile on the Otter Path signal, with a map exhibiting the loop.

Begin of the Otter Path

Carrying the path throughout a tidal marsh busy with mangroves, the boardwalk rapidly ends.

Stroll alongside the salt marsh on a grassy path into the coastal pine flatwoods, with small interpretive indicators alongside the route.

Salt marsh

Pines present few results of the hurricane winds that hit this space exhausting in 2024, however the stay oaks are spindly, largely stripped of leaves on their higher branches.

Stroll by dappled shade beneath oak limbs closely slung with Spanish moss as cabbage palms rustle within the breeze.

Barely shaded path

Because the footpath is on the ecotone between the flatwoods and bayfront habitats, anticipate some mud and puddles within the footpath.

A bench positioned below a body which may have as soon as held a porch swing appears to be like out over Double Department.

Double Department

Making a pointy flip away from the water, the trail broadens whereas it ascends into the flatwoods, looping a wetland that’s largely hidden.

An expanse of noticed palmetto stretches to the north. Attain a gap alongside the wetland 1.1 miles into the hike for a view into its open water inside.

Wetland on the core of the Otter Path

Proceed the circle round it below tall slash pines earlier than a westward flip. The trail meanders by wholesome pine flatwoods on this last stretch.

At 1.3 miles, emerge at an open grassy clearing with picnic tables below the oaks at its edges. An entry signal for the Otter Path is on the left.

Clearing

Stroll in the direction of the sidewalk swooping previous the picnic pavilion and comply with it to the precise. Previous the restrooms, it empties right into a parking space.

Flip proper to stroll out of the parking space to the park street. Instantly throughout the street is a small trailhead you handed alongside the park street on the way in which to the character middle.

Cross the street to the Eagle Path trailhead

At 1.5 miles, the Eagle Path begins at an indication with a map. It’s a spherical journey to a waterfront commentary level.

Beneath a ghostly forest of charred sand stay oaks, the trail approaches a big basin of marsh and curves alongside its edge.

Marsh

A grassy opening reveals a man-made ditch by the needlerush. A lot of the pines and oaks in these pine flatwoods are burnt to a crisp from a too-hot fireplace.

Nevertheless, the traditional noticed palmetto beneath them are thriving from the burn.

Mangrove boardwalk

By 1.7 miles, a boardwalk into the mangroves begins. A straightaway throughout mud flats at first, it tunnels into the shade of a mangrove forest.

It then makes a last flip to an commentary deck, the place a bench overlooks the wind-riffled waters of Mobbly Bay.

For fishermen in waders or college students on subject journeys, a staircase on the finish leads into the clear however tannic water.

Mobbly Bay

Returning on the identical route, attain the Eagle Path trailhead by 2.1 miles. Cross the street and backtrack by the parking space.

Be part of the sidewalk resulting in the restrooms and picnic space. Stroll previous the picnic pavilions and the doorway to the Otter Path, passing the playground.

Walkway by the picnic space

Keep on the primary sidewalk the place one splits off to the left, taking a stroll by the pine flatwoods to the Palmetto Shelter. Flip left to exit to the park street.

Cross it and a median with posts to succeed in the parking space close to the character middle, concluding this 2.5 mile circuit of the park.

Goal for the kiosk past the median

Path Map

Discover Extra!

Video

Mountain climbing Higher Tampa Bay Conservation Park

Slideshow

See our images from Higher Tampa Bay Conservation Park

Close by Adventures

Path Map (PDF) Official Web site

Writer of over 40 books, Sandra Good friend established FloridaHikes.com in 2006 to broaden on the sector 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 Outside Writers Affiliation.

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