A wonderful thing happened the other day – when I opened the back door in the morning, the air that flowed in was cooler than the air inside the house. Yes, folks, autumn is finally here in Tampa Bay, and it’s time to put down the TV remote and get outside again!
We all have favorite places to visit when the weather turns nice – the zoo, the park, the beach. But once you’ve taken a few weekends to check in with your old haunts, why not make it a goal to explore a few places around the Tampa Bay area that you’ve never been before?
I’ve got just the thing to help you out: the Recreation Guide to Southwest Florida Water Management District Lands, 2009 Edition. Despite its unwieldy and unexciting name, the guide is an invaluable tool for those who love to get away from urban sprawl and find the nature that still exists in a surprising amount of places. It will help you locate places to hike, bird watch, canoe, picnic, and more, along with providing maps and detailed facilities information. You can check out the guide online, or order a free paper copy to keep handy for reference.
The guide lists more than 50 places nearby to explore in a 16-county area, so if you’re feeling a little overwhelmed by your choices, I’ve got a great starting place you can check out. The Brooker Creek Preserve in Pinellas County has an amazing (and free!) visitor’s center, located at the end of a long winding road through wilderness scrub. It’s a good place to see wildlife, including white-tailed deer, and the 4 miles of hiking trails include a 1.5 mile loop to an observation platform. The preserve is an oasis of wilderness in an increasingly developed area, one that I urge you to explore and discover.
What about you? Now that the cooler weather is here, where will you be headed on your days off? Tell us about your favorite outdoor undiscovered gems in Tampa Bay in the comments!
ryan
4 months ago
wilderness park, on fletcher by 75. great place for a walk, spotting wildlife, and relaxing by their many lakes