This preserve was a nice surprise. I never knew that a fresh spring lake was in this area and…read moreavailable for a dip. The water looked crystal clear and I'm sure it's the most refreshing during these hot summer months. Gorgeous beach area to kick back and enjoy the fresh air and water. There were a few trails available along a creek and the kids really enjoyed the scenic walks, views and definitely was interested in visiting again to take a dip in the spring. $2 for entry and they take credit cards if someone is available to take payment. If you plan in advance you can purchase tickets on their online website. Camping, fishing, canoeing, kayaking , hiking , swimming , playground and sight seeing. This is place is a hidden gem

This place is closed for good. We just drove there since we move To Tampa and wanted to explore…read moremore but sadly the place looks abandoned and it's closed.

Love this quiet and peaceful nature trail. Perfect for morning resets. Highly recommended. All…read moresorts of terrain variety for an active trip.

Here's a photo of the trails for those looking for a map. You can also google the trail name and it…read morewill give you more information.

You'd never guess this beautiful park is tucked between Tampa and Brandon, right near the highway…read more For just $2, it's an incredible little oasis and a perfect Sunday evening stop. Parking is limited, but it wasn't busy when we visited about an hour before closing. The park features easy walking trails, a 0.3-mile boardwalk, a beautiful botanical garden, and my favorite, the greenhouse. It's amazing how much history and so many rare tropical plants are packed into just 31 acres. You can comfortably see everything in 1 to 2 hours. We spent the last part of our visit chatting with one of the groundskeepers, who was incredibly knowledgeable and clearly passionate about preserving the park's history and keeping everything so well maintained. This hidden gem is absolutely worth a visit.

Such a beautiful place. I would have never thought all that beauty was back there. A really nice…read moreplace to take some photos. And that is what we did. We used this place to take some graduations photos of me. We got some great shots in the different areas they have inside the park. The pergolas. The gazebos. The bridges. They all add a nice background for photos. So many beautiful plants and flowers also. I'm going to take my granddaughter for a walk in there. She will love it too.

This park is beautiful! It is one of the most fun parks that I have been to since moving here…read more The trails are all so lovely and picturesque! The views, lakes, springs, trees, and vines are all just so beautiful. You can spend a whole day walking all of these beautiful trails! If you are a photographer looking for a great photo shoot, then this would be the place!

Was here last week. Totally forgot to catalog my first Catfish! It's crazy how many years i cone…read morehere n never catch one. Always come home with like bluegills n a random tilapia. You can see the catfish all over the lake just swimming by your bait n just testing you lol there's a crap ton of them near the pier but you gotta be careful cuz there's tons of alligators there to. I pulled out a nice size Catfish n then lost my second one to a damn alligator! Im happy the line broke cuz if i had lost my Shakespeare rod to i would've been more pissed! I got lucky n the couple nearby gave their bluegills. Went home happy with 1 catfish n 4 bluegills. Shared tips n bait store locations with a family camping there to. I wish the park entrance dude sold worms. It would be extra money for the park. I kept the catfish for a couple days in my aquarium, but he wouldn't take to it. I fillet his ass with the other fish. Doing fish tacos later. I used night crawlers from bass pro n sprayed them with-garlic sent to amplify the smell. I will try my homemade punch bait next tome. I found something tasty for them. Oh yeah, i caught some ghost shrimps in a cup but let them go. They look like glass at first then they moved around nicely. They are at grass edge, i do not recommend you get close to the edge!! Use a fishing rod n tie a water bottle or cup at the end with bait in it. I use catfish punch. Please don't let your pets get near the edge either. Gattor follow u when you are near water. Keep track of your kids!

There is actually a duplicate listing for this at…read morehttps://www.yelp.com/biz/sydney-dover-trails-dover but it appears there are two listings, one for the south entrance to the trails which is closer to Hwy 60 and one for the west entrance which is closer to Dover Rd. Either way, there is plenty of parking in both of the lots regardless of which entrance you choose to park in order to enter the trail. You do have to pay $2 to park which I think is extremely reasonable. I would suggest using the west entrance if you have a horse trailer as this trail is designed to horseback riders, mountain bikers, and hikers as a shared trail. So just be aware of your surroundings as you may need to yield. It's shady for about 65%-75% of the trail. When the sun gets to be overhead, there is still a reasonable amount of shade but of course, it just gets hot. I had no problem following the trail even without an overabundance of trail markers. It's literally a loop. It's not a perfect circle but it's easy to follow. There is one trail that goes down the middle of the loop just in case you want to cut your trail time in half and don't want to do the whole loop. It was slightly odd crossing someone's front yard to get to the other side of the trail on the west side of the loop but other than that, no qualms. Gnats and mosquitos were annoying in certain parts and there was horse poop but overall it wasn't too bad. It's a really easy beginner trail. It's really flat with cut grass too so if you have accessibility issues or are handicapped, I think this trail could work for you if you're in a wheelchair. I'm not sure if the sand would cause an issue for a wheelchair or a stroller, so use your own judgment. They have signage that the police regularly patrol the area. I assumed this is to dissuade prowlers. The south lot closest to Hwy 60 seems to be less prone to providing the opportunity for prowlers as it seems that the cops sit across the street often in order to catch people speeding on Hwy 60.

Apparently there are several entrances to access the trail…read more I initially entered here and found it very confusing. Apparently I was not the only one as others were circling around trying to find out where the trail starts. I kept ending up in the private yards of residents. About to give up, I finally just followed a couple that knew the way. If you are new to this trail, it may be easier to access the trail at the SR60 entrance.

We went to Promised Land for our long awaited glamping experience only to be told that our…read morereservation had been cancelled. we were told that Timberline sent notification of such in an April email. Funny thing is.... we never received this email but lo and behold when we contacted them they were able to find our email and phone number. hmmmmm! Their irresponsible attitude leaves us bewildered. We will never have anything to do with Timberline again!,,

This was an easy jaunt from Tampa for the weekend. The "glampsites" are located in the Hillsborough…read moreState Park among all the regular camp sites. The accommodations are beyond comfortable- a/c, fan, fridge, coffee maker, outlets to charge devices, and a comfortable bed. We basically had the comforts of a hotel room while being on a camping trip. The esthetics and convenient set up ensures we'll definitely be back!

A hidden gem that I hope and pray does not get destroyed by a new health clinic being built next to…read moreit. I have been here several times now and just love the peace and tranquility. The wildness. It is truly a wonderful place to unplug. I am alarmed now though that the driving range has been sold and a health clinic is being built , I fear this will drive away the wildlife and take away the tranquility of this little untouched pice of nature.

Nice easy loop to navigate. A well shaded trail with several access points to the water. It was…read moreslightly buggy, so I would recommend bug spray, but I was fine without it. Quite enjoyable walk.

Fish hawk preserve north is definitely better then fish hawk preserve south. Have to be a little…read morecareful on the trail though for rocks and roots of trees. I enjoyed the trail and was happy to see butterflies as well as a turtle/tortoise. Also you have to pay a 2$ entrance fee upon arriving at fish hawk preserve north. It's nice because it's in the same area as Lithia springs.