Activity Overview
Upper Tampa Bay Park is a beautiful 596-acre park on a peninsula of land bordered by Old Tampa Bay and Double Branch Creek. It was founded in 1982 by Hillsborough County in order protect the area's natural habitats. While the park is mostly undeveloped in order to protect its marshes, forests, and woods, it does contain nature trails, a playground, picnic areas, fishing areas, and a nature center where visitors can see live animals and learn about the park's environment.
Things to Do
- Stop by the nature center in order to learn about the plants and animals that live in the park! Children especially enjoy the live animal displays that feature turtles, fish, and snakes.
- Go for a family hike on one of the park's many nature trails - in the woods you might see gopher tortoises and zebra swallowtail butterflies, while bottlenose dolphins, otters, and manatees can sometimes be seen from the shoreline.
- Take your child to the park's popular playground, or bring along a ball and play a game on the sand volleyball court.
Upper Tampa Bay Park Insider Tips
- Make sure to bring along some cash in order to pay the $2 per park entry fee.
- The park also has a boat launch and a facility where you can rent canoes and kayaks for the day.
- Consider going fishing while you're in the park - there is a fishing pier that is great for children as well as many other areas for avid fishermen.
- Bring along water bottles to stay hydrated in the heat! If you plan to spend the day, you can also save money by bringing along a picnic instead of buying food.
