I am putting this out there because as I have traveled, I have used the internet extensively to plan trips. Unfortunately, I have run across a lot of info that was incorrect or incomplete. Its my goal with this blog to provide good pictures of destinations as well as maps and great directions. A word of caution... I like the gray lines on the maps. No need to worry most of the time... everything can be done in a 4x4 jeep.
I love this trail system! I was looking for another under 9 mile day hike and decided to re visit the Citrus Wildlife Mngmt area. I did loop C as an overnighter but A can be done in a day.This is a nice trail that is well marked and hiked often. The constant crossing of fire roads allows for easy navigation while walking. The terrain was not as diverse as the C loop but still nice and relaxing. The coolest thing was hiking thru the burn field. Some things were still on fire. I have never hiked thru a burn that fresh.
This was an awsome day hike. I know that I have said that before but this was a good one! I was seeking a nice hike for the day but I wanted a hike in an area I have never been before so I decided to go south about a half hour to Little Manatee.Ill start with how to get there. From Tampa go South on I-75. Get off on 240A and go East thru Sun City Center. Turn right on 301 going south. In about 4 miles turn Right on Lightfoot and almost shortly Right into the park. At the ranger station, let them know what you are up to and they will give you a trail map and a combo to the gate that will get you to the trail head. After that you leave the park and go back the way you came. Once back on 301 heading North, after the river, you will see a dirt road pulloff on the Left. Thats the parking lot. The gate combo is usefull if primitive camping mainly or if you cant jump a fence. There is a small parking lot inside the gate to leave your vehicle. I just left mine on the outside and hoped the gate. I guess you dont need to bother with the ranger station if you dont want... you didnt hear that from me.Once on the trail from the parking lot a short blue blazed trail will take you to the North / South split. I went North (right) as I wanted to see the river on the way back which is on the South side of the trail. Right away it was soggy so be prepared. As you walk, you will hike thru pine forest onto sand flats into marsh lands. The stillness was amazing out there. You quickly realize that you are the guest. There are constantly things going on all around you if you can tune into it. I took the campground spur just to check it out. .4 miles round trip so no biggie. Nice site with a table and thats about it.. At one point on the main trail it washed out so bad that I doubled back 100 yards to find a blaze to verify that I was on the trail which I was. After a while I was surprised to wind up basically in someones backyard as part of the trail borders a subdivision. As you get down in to the marsh it gets really neat. I was waiting for the whole forest to come alive but no luck. I didnt see a thing which really surprised me. Walking along the river is always neat too. Word to the wise, if hiking the whole trail.. after you pass the blue connector the trail gets really tight and ill maintained. Not a deal breaker but interesting. Overall, great hike. I want to make a point to do this during the differant seasons as the plant life is diverse and I look forward to the spring, summer and fall blooms that I have heard so much about. Today my hike was 6.7 but if you take the blue connector you can cut that in half. This can be a great day hike or short overnighter.
First I will say this; Flatwoods is a huge piece of property! There is the actual Flatwoods Park off of Morris Bridge Rd where you can access an 8 mile paved loop and a 15 mile un paved loop. Now the loop is what links the multiple smaller parks together. If you want to get technical, trail marker 0 starts in Trout Creek (where we start today), through Flatwoods, on to Morris Bridge, over to the Trout Creek off road area, and back across Fletcher into Trout Creek. When I ride the 15 mile loop, I start in Flatwoods as there is an air station and I like the way the varied conditions of the trail play out.
Today, we start our hike from the parking lot of Trout Creek and walk the road over to where we pick up the trail. Up the hill to the right will put us on the Levee where we are in wide open spaces however soon we drop into the oak forest. This is a great bike path so watch out if walking! Koda treed a poor Raccoon today. Felt kind of bad for the guy. Soon the trail is broken by a power line then back into the woods. Shortly after, the trail pops back out of the woods then back in. Now you are actually headed for the creek that gives the park its name. A large metal bridge spans Trout Creek and it gives a great vantage point to look down into the water. In the summer the water is the color of tea. We walk on till we get to the Panther sign. This is not a warning but a break off trail that will take us north. I have biked everything so far in the past but Panther was new to me and I set out today with Koda specifically to walk it. FYI, at this point, if you don’t take Panther, you will end up in Flatwoods Park after a short while.
Panther is a nice trail that takes you thru a variety of ecosystems. One minute you are walking past a huge swamp area then thru Palmettos onto dense pine forest. The wildlife is all over out here. Today, we saw a young buck with 2 of his ladies not 50 feet away from us! There is a lot of boar activity too. Also, down by the lake you can see many types of birds. Be aware on Panther though, oak and palmetto roots dash across the trail and it is tight and windy. Plenty of toe stumpers and rim dingers abound!
Over all, easy hike. My favorite moments were seeing the deer and taking time by the lake. Very cool!
I have hiked this area before but don’t confuse this trip with the other Fort King Trip. This is the actual Old Fort King trail. My previous trip started at the same trail head however goes more south and is a bit longer. The Fort King Trail is 6.7 miles long with the last or first 2.2 miles as a paved portion that runs alongside Hwy 301 which is great if you don’t like to get into the woods. Not me in this case. I first hiked south on the trail not tracking it then when I reached the paved portion, doubled pack and tracked back to my truck. The woods portion is aprox 4.5 each way so it is a nice walk.
How to get here;
You start off on Hillsborough River State Park property although not in the pay for portion but slightly South of that area on Hwy 301. There is a pull off on the Left and signage for the Old Fort King Trail on 301 to direct you.
As I said before, it’s a nice hike but 9 miles should not be taken lightly. Pack water and snacks as you will get a little hungry on the trip. The area close to Model Dairy is a wetland prairie and is full of life! Many different types of plants and animals out here. I have seen boar and deer and many different types of birds. You will eventually leave this area and find yourself on Dead River Rd. The trail follows this road for about a quarter mile then you are back in the woods. This portion is extremely wet. Be prepared to dodge some serious puddles. Also this is a horse trail too so be on the lookout to dodge other things as well. This will go on for a while but eventually it dries out. Koda went with me today and couldn’t resist the puddles. Nothing like a solid white dog covered in mud!
This was a nice little get out of the house and walk somewhere close to where I live walk. I have walked these two trails before and it only takes two hours or so. Pretty easy stuff.
About the Park. Hillsborough RiverState Park is a great little Park. There is something for everyone here. There are pavilions for large picnics and plenty of facilities as well as playgrounds for the kids. You can launch canoes in a couple different spots alongside the river too. In regards to camping, RV, kind of primitive and primitive sites are available. There is also an extensive network of trails that mingle up and down the river.
On our walk, we did The Barnyard Trail (1.1) and The Florida Trail (3.2). Both trails are easy going and for the most part, flat as a board. Be warned as the trails can get soggy and on some of the other trails, completely washed out in some cases. The mosquitoes can be a big issue in the summer and fall so be prepared or you will be miserable. The Primitive Campground is on The Florida Trail and lies .1 mile off of the main trail. You need a permit to stay the night be there are several open areas so it looks like it could accommodate a few people. Overall, very fun little hike.
Tips: This is an easy walk. Wither or not you do both trails, you will barely break a sweat.
This is the second time that I have hiked in WithlacoocheStateForest and once again had a nice hike. This was a very nice hike which pushed me a little as the first day was a bit more than I have packed in a long time.
For a little background;
The Citrus Hiking Trail is the state’s longest backpacking loop trail in a single contiguous forest and is Central Florida’s most rugged hiking trail, with aggressively rolling sand hills, steep descents into sinkholes, and rock-strewn footpaths. Backpacking the 40+ mile perimeter Citrus Hiking Trail can take up to 4 days and requires some logistical planning. There are no surface streams, so you must consider this a dry trai. lYou will enjoy a stunning array of contrasting habitats and numerous opportunities for wildlife encounters. It is also a well-groomed trail, easily followed, with a clearly defined footpath and signposts at trail junctions. Orange blazes designate the outer loop, while blue blazes mark the cross trails and side trails.
For this trip as well as the other time I hiked this forest, I went with the Tampa Adventure Group. A group of about 25 of us hit the trail at about 10:30. A small group of us made it o the campsite at about 3:00 so it was a good walk. I will post a good map on the side bar so that you can take a look at the mile breakdowns as well as know how to get there.
We woke up Sunday morning around 6:00 when we got a small sprinkle. Pretty much everybody was out and about come 7:30 cooking breakfast and getting the fire going again. We knew that the weather was unstable from the night before so I decided to head out a little early. Plus I took Koda and she doesn't like walking behind people, she always has to be first. Maybe its a sled dog thing. Plus who wants to hike when its all hot?
Anyways, Koda and I pressed on rather quickly as I wanted to track the entire C loop and my battery in my BB Storm was n its way out so we had to book it.
Overall, it was a great walk! As mentioned above, the scenery is constantly changing. We didn’t see a lot of wildlife though which was kind of a bummer but the coolest thing was when Koda paid particular interest to a tree and a few steps later I saw what I am 90% sure was a bear print. I asked the ranger at the trail head and she said that they are out there just not seen that often. (edit) Tips: Pack water... This is a dry trail. (edit)
Looking Glass is a rare treat as it is a significant fall and it can be observed from the car! I have been to this fall several times and it has yet to disappoint.
As you head to the fall there are spaces on the side of the road to parallel park and if the weather is even close to nice, during the middle of the day, the fall will be packed with people so even though you can see it from the road, if you park you might be walking! Once at the fall you will notice steps and an observation deck. Not at all a bad place to sit and take in Looking glass. For our last trip, I was determined to get in the water. I live in Florida and routinely get into the springs which keep a content temperature of 72 degrees so I figured, " No big Deal"... This water almost took my breath. That water was COLD! However after about 5 minutes your body will start going into mild hypothermia and you will stop feeling the cold. Although dangerous, quiet useful body function!
As you can see, I am not the only one in the water. When we first got here, the place was packed with swimmers but had cleared out as the sun was about an hour from setting.
There are rocks at the immediate base of the falls to sit on as the water falls 60 odd feet smashing onto your back but the pool further out is 6+ feet deep. I swam around for 20 minutes or so before I stopped feeling my toes and got out.
Looking Glass Falls is defiantly kid friendly as the paved path gets you extremely close to the falls. To get here is not hard but can be if you don't know where to go so I will do my best as there are not a lot of great reference points to start from. We will start near Brevard NC south west of Asheville. Brevard sits to the south of the Pisgah National Forest so this will work as a starting point as Looking Glass is inside the forest. In Brevard, locate Us Hwy 276-64 and follow it north where it will split. 64 goes right and 276 goes left into the forest. Hwy 280 continues straight ahead. Shortly after the left onto 276 you will come to the Pisgah Ranger station. Keep going through the valley another 4 miles and the parking will come up on the right side of the road.
