February 19th: Visiting Florida State Parks in Southwest Florida

Southwest Florida has a wealth of natural areas from city and county parks to state parks and water management preserves. One might think, “Wow, there are so many lands off the tax roles!” But on the other hand you could say, “We are preserving land for the real Florida."  More important, we are preserving natural lands that feed the Florida Aquifer (good read on the aquifer) in hopes of providing the most important resource, water.

Alafia River State Park

One sunny February day we visited three state parks, yes it was a brief stop in each park. This whirlwind trip was not planned but simply happened. We north early in the day to explore Alafia River State Park near Lithia. This park is a reclamation project; in the first part of the 20^th century the area was mined for phosphate at the Lonestar Mine.  In 1996, after the land had yielded it's treasures, Cytec Industries donated the land to the state. 

The park is a treasure trove for the off-road bicyclist with miles of challenging trails where the terrine has been sculpted from the years of phosphate mining. Local bicycle clubs and enthusiasts help build and maintain these trails for all to enjoy. Of course not everyone is a cyclist so there are over 20 miles of hiking and equestrian trails to explore. For those who canoe and kayak there is the Alafia River (recall the name of this park is Alafia River State Park); unfortunately, we did not bring the canoe on this trip.

Our first stop was the campground where we visited with the camp hosts as we admired the spacious sites and new bath house. Is it obvious we have worked as camp hosts? Then we headed to the hiking/bicycling area with the hopes of walking the cat. Well, it was a busy day at the park with many cyclists so the cat waited while we walked a few of the trails that wound along the crooked river, up the old mining mounds, and through the trenches. Mining can give the area a facelift that is not easy to remove. There were no equestrians on this Monday making the horse trails perfect for walking the cat. As expected these trails were wider with fewer tight turns and quick rises/drops, those off-road cyclists can be daring! The scenery was expansive in this area with gentle lakes, shore birds, song birds, and hawks. We need to return for another look!

Little Manatee River State Park
The Little Manatee River

Heading towards home we stopped at Little Manatee River State Park near Wimauma, another jewel in the crown of parks. Saying the area is pine, palmetto, and sand with a river running through it is a fair description but not the whole story. You have the feel of Florida prairie and expect to see a few cracker cows hiding scattered on the land. The scene is right but there are no cows in the park. The river is beautiful as it winds under stately oak trees that are draped with Spanish moss. This is a river well worth a paddle. 

Nature Trail

The nature trails traverse the scrub allowing views of the river and ample opportunities for photography.

Ferns along the nature trail

Again we visited the campground and were impressed with the spaciousness and cleanliness. This is a campground to highlight on your map as it would be comfortable, scenic, and offer easy access to hiking, canoeing, and fishing.

Lake Manatee Scrub

It was getting late and time to head home along the back roads where we saw a few Mexican diners and fish houses. We stopped at a gas station for a drink and a snack. Lo and behold, there was a red trailer parked on the side. Could this be a taco stand? We were in luck, no menu only burritos, quesadas, and tacos. Bill ordered a burrito and quesada while I went inside for a drink. A few minutes later we were heading towards the picnic area at Lake Manatee State Park, our third park for the day... unless you count our home park of Myakka River State Park.

Lake Manatee State Park
Lake & Picnic Area

It was late so this was a short stop to admire the lake, have a picnic, walk the cat, and talk to other visitors. We dined near the lake under the moss draped live oaks, quite picturesque. The sun was getting low and the lake was beautiful in the fading light. This is smaller park is located near Bradenton and dominated by the lake that serves as a reservoir for Manatee and Sarasota counties.

Lake Manatee Oaks

Did we see experience any of the parks in depth? No and it was not our intention, today was an exploration trip to learn a bit more about the area.