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.