Flatwoods Park

Load up a satellite image of the Tampa area and amidst the growing urban sprawl and pattern of farms to the east you'll notice an emerald swath of land that seems to have somehow held back the coming progress of suburbia.  Bounded on its southern side by US301, this green jewel is not one park but four, all of which comprise the Four Rivers Basin area.  One of these parks -- Flatwoods -- serves several very important functions for the residents of Tampa, including rainwater retention, flood control, and drinking water well pumping.  Most locals, however, associate the name of the park not with any of the functions SFWMD engineers manage on the land, but the seven mile paved loop and system of off road trails open to anyone with a bicycle. 

Actually, there's plenty more than bicycles to be found here on the perfectly flat, smooth pavement of the main loop.  Visitors to the park enjoy transportation methods including rollerblades, jogging, hiking, Trikkes (three wheeled vehicles propelled through sweeping, back and forth movements), recumbent bicycles, and even the odd unicycle now and then.  Those with mountain bikes or the desire to hike through the woods can step off the busy circle to enjoy dozens of miles of trails through the forest.  Ranging from soft sand, to mud, to bumpy tree roots that seem to hold a strong desire to bend wheel rims and snap off plastic pedals, the network of trails extends beyond Flatwoods with many connecting to surrounding parks by crossing into Trout Creek Park and even across the highway into the Morris Bridge Biking Area.  Becoming lost in all this acreage is a real possibility and twice already this year helicopters have had to scan the woods and riverbank as searchers on the ground sought out hikers who had taken a wrong turn.

The Clay Gulley Crossing now has a bridge for use when rains flood the trail, although many love to ride through the creek water on a hot day.

It is difficult to become lost if you keep yourself within the confines of Flatwoods, thanks to the three main trails that border the park and the boundary of Morris Bridge Road to the south.  The paved loop itself is connected to three parking areas, with the southernmost lot requiring one to bicycle or walk a length of unpaved trail that runs parallel to Interstate 75.

What You Can See There

Because of the large amount of undeveloped land, the system of parks has become one of the last refuges for wildlife in the area.  Arrival early in the morning or late in the evening offers the best chance to see the local fauna.  Besides the standard Florida water birds, it is very common to see wild turkey roaming the fields, usually alongside the unpaved south access trail.  I've also seen deer, bobcats, coyotes, and many of the population of invasive, destructive feral pigs that the parks service is trying so hard to eliminate.  Alligators of all sizes are a given if you venture to the Hillsborough River at the south end of the park.

Pine trees and palmettos dominate the land where it is high enough for swamp to not take over.  The annual cycle of wet and dry seasons means that the park is subject to controlled burns in the spring, so look for fresh grass and fields of new palmettos where scorched trees stand to see how Florida's forests are reborn after a fire.

You'll see a lot of unnatural elements when spinning your wheels through this park as well.  Small buildings connected to the loop by short paths are wells and pumping stations designed to bring drinking water to Tampa.  River and creek gauges can be found along the way, with monitoring systems that track water flow rates.  Pipes and drainage control dot the landscape and at the Hillsborough River crossing on the south access trail you can stop to marvel at one of the flood control gates that SFWMD can adjust to stem the flow of water downstream.  The unpaved trail itself is an indicator of one of the functions of the land:  its elevation acts as a levee in the event of major flooding, permitting Flatwoods and The Hillsborough River Flood Detention Area to the south to fill with water before populated areas do and drain through via the Hillsborough River Bypass Canal. 

What You Should Bring

• Two dollars for parking.
• A helmet - required by Florida law for children younger than 16 years of age and a good idea for adults as well.
• Water, unless you are sticking to the paved loop.  Park rangers keep four water stations along the trail filled with fresh, cold drinking water all day, every day, so that no one suffers dehydration.

Trail Protocol to Know

• Traffic on the Flatwoods loop travels counterclockwise.
• Stay to the right unless passing.
• Children do well on the trail, but should know to avoid swerving about while riding a bicycle.  Many of the bicyclists that ride on the loop maintain speeds over twenty miles per hour and stopping quickly to avoid someone in their path can be an issue, resulting in accidents with severe injuries for one or both parties.

Croom - Silver Lake Trail

Just north of Tampa straddling I-75 rests the Withloacoochee State Forest -- home to an incredible number of trails, many of which permit an amazing number of types of traffic.  Be it motorcycle, horse, bicycle, or foot, the area has an astounding number of miles with which to enjoy yourself in the shade of the pines.  For this trip, Toivo and I set out to walk the more than four miles of the high and low water sections of the Silver Lake Trail -- slightly longer than four miles.

Getting There

The parking area for this daytime use portion of the park is located just off I-75, exit 301, about 1 mile east of the interstate.  Turn left on Croom Rital Road and then right on Silver Lake Road.  Drop $2 into the envelope for each person and then walk to the bottom of the boat ramp, where you should find the orange blazes that indicate The Florida Trail.

The Trail

Turn left and head under the interstate and walk until you find the trail spur for the Silver Lake Trail, marked by blue blazes and signs indicating the high and low water trails.  Take whichever you like, but be sure to keep a pocket map with you from the trail head -- there are a lot of trails and roads that cross the path you will take, so it helps to be able to keep your bearings just in case you veer from the standard trail markers by accident.

What to Expect

The trail is soft, consisting mostly of sand, and winds around next to the river for much of the lower trail.  This, of course, means that there are plenty of areas that may be extremely muddy or underwater during the rainy season, so try to plan you arrival accordingly.  If you stick close to the river you're bound to see a lot of water birds, but the trail itself was home to fields of wildflowers and plenty of butterflies enjoying the blooms while we were out this mid October afternoon.  Once you are away from the hiss and thunder of traffic on I-75, a fair amount of peace and quiet can be found in the wooded, shady areas.

Of course, with all the low lying areas you should be prepared to spritz yourself thoroughly with a DEET-based insect repellent.  Grasses can be tall, meaning the ticks could possibly be an issue during the dry season.  Otherwise, a liter of water should suffice for the quick journey around the loop.  Campsites are available, including a river landing site near the trail marked for Canoe Camping, and their heavy use was evident from some of the trash and fire remains that were not properly cleaned up.

What You Should Beware

Well, it is Croom, and while you may be able to fully escape the din of 80mph traffic once you step far enough away from the rushing four lanes of interstate traffic, you may encounter the occasional throaty crackle of a two stroke engine zipping down one of the ATV-approved trails.  This wasn't a problem on this Saturday with beautiful weather, so I wouldn't expect it to be a serious issue to be concerned with in general.  There was no evidence that motorized vehicles venture onto the hiking paths, so it is doubtful your hike will be interrupted by anything noisier than a startled cormorant.

This is a really pleasant hike worth revisiting, if only just to see the wildflowers in bloom and all the brightly colored butterflies that were attracted to them.  I wouldn't even mind camping here someday, but will gladly wait until the mosquito population dies down a bit this winter.

On The Suwannee River

The beautiful rivers of Florida can seem to take you back in time -- the green banks covered in palmettos shaded by the ancient oaks towering overhead can make one feel as though they have somehow stumbled into the age of the triassic.  The rivers of the northern sections of the state aren't quite as dense with vegetation, but they still hold the same qualities that let you know you have stumbled off the populated path and have found a place to gaze in wonder at the stars above while the river softly burbles below.  There is a lot of quiet to be found by the slow moving red waters of the Suwannee.


Getting There

The Suwannee section of The Florida Trail is open to the public -- you don't need to be a member of The Florida Trail Association to hike or camp.  (Membership does, however, permit you to cross certain sections of private property.  This has not proven an issue for the section I've hiked.)  You can start at Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park, which offers overnight parking for a fee to those who want trail access.  A warning on this:  calling the park will likely get you in touch with someone who is not familiar with the Florida Trail access point or that there is primitive overnight camping permitted along it -- you may be told that trail camping is not even permitted in the park or that it is only allowed in constructed shelters that a company rents!  The rangers that staff the front gate entrance, however, know the details and will register you for your trip and direct you to the parking lot nearest the trail.  Hike west from the park -- you can view a map here.

What To Expect

Hiking conditions are comfortable on the sandy trail that follows the river, although you may be surprised to find that there are slight elevation changes compared to the more level areas of the southern half of the state.  During the wet season, the trail is often completely impassable due to flooding in the lower areas, so attempts to hike are best in the later winter and early spring.  The environment varies from pine forest to scrub and shade is sometimes not as favorable along some areas of the trail, so sunblock is recommended if the skies are clear.  There are plenty of trees, though, making this hike ideal for hammock camping.

 

You'll even find sandbars on the banks of the river that are suitable for camping if you are inclined to enjoy the sounds of the river while you sleep, but you might be surprised by how much cold this proximity to the water adds once the sun dips below the horizon.  If your tent has a rainfly, you'll want to use it at night as the dew point and air temperature at night can find themselves aligned in a way that causes drops of water to condense and fall from the leaves of trees in a rain that will soak you despite there not being a storm cloud in the sky.  The morning fog hanging over the river, though, makes for a wonderful breakfast backdrop.

You'll be most likely to find quiet once you hike far enough west that you no longer see stairs leading from houses down to the river.  While these residences are not particularly noisy by any means, their dogs are prone to communicate in a chorus that might keep light sleepers awake.  Look for the red markers on the trail indicating that you've crossed onto federal land -- this boundary about 3-4 miles down the trail is a good spot to start looking for a campsite.

What You'll See

The swirling, bubbling waters of The Suwannee River.  The deep red tint to the water comes from the tannic acid that leeches from the fallen leaves of the oaks that surround the river.  Once filtered this water is perfectly safe to drink, although I found that there was a cognitive disconnect between the color of the water and the complete lack of taste.  To remedy this, I found an easy solution in packing a ziplock bag of Tang powdered drink mix -- adding a touch of it to a bottle full of water and giving it a shake added just enough flavor and color to remove the distraction.

Sadly, out of the four nights I've spent along this river in the spring I've not once seen any wildlife besides the occasional bird passing by overhead.  Bears are not an issue to my knowledge and there wasn't even a single raccoon to provide a challenge to our ability to protect our food.  Still, it is wise to keep food suspended by a line just in case tiny thieving hands do detect delicious treats, and a bear can makes both a convenient safe stash as well as a fine place to sit or or a makeshift table when you're enjoying a meal.  You will likely come across fellow hikers who are out to enjoy an afternoon walk or even others burdened by heavy packs as they thru hike the trail.  Light kayak and canoe traffic can pass by heading downstream, but the river is generally too shallow to permit motorized craft.

Things to Watch Out For

Ticks.  The dry brush that lines much of the trail and camping areas can be loaded with these hungry little annoyances during the dry season.  Know how to remove a tick safely and consider carrying a tick key or similar device for easy removal.  Of the two times I have camped along this trail, routine tick checks have resulted in preventing at least a few of them from latching onto me.

Fort De Soto to Shell Key

And so it came to be that I found myself in the calm waters on the leeward side of Fort De Soto once again, heading north towards Shell Key out for a day of relaxation.  My third trip out to the island was just as enjoyable as my prior visits -- there is nothing as peaceful as floating in sea after partaking of a picnic lunch on the beach.  After coming ashore on the island, I planted and raised the flag of the great state of Florida which was not so much a stake of claim as it was a declaration that that I really love this place.

The route I take is a modest paddle -- a little over two miles -- and only requires caution when crossing the east-west channel that separates the two islands, as boat traffic can be a bit heavy on busy weekends.  The rest of the trip goes through water shallow enough that powered boats cannot follow.

What You Can Expect

Arriving in the morning is a good option, so as to avoid the peak hours of sun and heat while on the water if you elect to come in the summer months.  More important on the note of arriving early in the warmer seasons is avoiding the typical late afternoon thunderstorms that could prove to be a hazard while boating.

United Park Services offers kayaks for rent  and provide the required safety equipment for each person.  It is up to you on what type of kayak you want to rent, but the sit in boats seem to be more popular for crossing the open waters and seem to offer an easier paddle.

Wildlife is plentiful on both of the islands and in the water.  On this journey alone I saw a pod of dolphins, several sting rays, countless birds, and a even a baby sea turtle.  Tiny crabs scurry across the sand and fish nibble for any stray crumbs of bread from your sandwich.  The best encounter I had occurred after following the advice of another boater to sit still and remain quiet in the water just fifty yards or so north of the kayak launch point.  By doing this, I was rewarded with a close up visit from one of two manatees that take shelter from the open water there.


The beach of Shell Key is simply amazing, consisting of white quartz sand that gives way to the crystal clear warm bath water of the gulf.  Unlike De Soto, you can swim here and the depth is ideal on the eastern tip of the island.  The amount of peace and quiet you get to enjoy on your visit will vary with the day you elect to explore the island -- Saturday afternoons and three day weekends can see a beach so packed that finding a place to land your boat can be a challenge.  Saturday mornings and most other days you might find yourself and just a few other explorers to be the only ones around.

What You Should Bring

• Five dollars admission fee to Fort De Soto -- an increase from prior years
• Payment for kayak rental
• Sunblock
• Comfortable attire you can get wet, including a hat
• A packed lunch
• A small dry bag for storing anything you don't want exposed to seawater (cellphone, camera, etc) -- the dry storage on a kayaks rarely remain dry
• At least two liters of water per person
• A valid Florida saltwater fishing license, should you be inclined to test your patience

What You Should Beware

• Windy days.  The renters won't permit you to use their boats on days where gusts might cause a paddler to struggle or not be able to maintain control of their boat.  Check the weather forecast before you depart for De Soto.
• In the summer and fall:  any part of Shell Key that is not an exposed, sand covered beach.  While you won't encounter any issues on the beach, the leeward side of the island has enough vegetation to provide enough wind shelter for the eastern saltmarsh mosquito.  If you set foot into the area of trees on the northeast side of the island, be prepared to run back to your boat in terror.