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The inside track on outside fun

Photo from the Southwest Florida Water Management District

“Get Outside” is a guide to leisure activities — including biking, canoeing, and hiking — at dozens of district-owned parks and preserves in west central Florida.

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By LAURA FRAZIER

lfrazier@tampatrib.com

Published: October 21, 2009

SOUTH SHORE - Like a mom cajoling kids holed up in the house too long, a new recreation guide encourages people to go outside and play.

"Get Outside," published online and in print by the Southwest Florida Water Management District, is a guide to leisure-time activities offered at dozens of district-owned parks and preserves in West Central Florida.

Many spots outlined in the guide simply offer a lush, natural setting for hikers, walkers, anglers and equestrians to enjoy. Others managed as county and state parks feature camping, hunting, bicycling, skating, nature study and more.

Parking and admission is free at most locations, including some in the South Shore area.

"We wanted the guide to be as user-friendly as possible to get more residents to enjoy all the different recreational opportunities," said Swiftmud spokeswoman Robyn Felix.

The district created the guide to help people find the off-the-beaten-path parks and the features they're interested in.

Felix said 98 percent of people Swiftmud surveyed prior to creating the handbook said they didn't get outside enough.

Two tracts of the Little Manatee River boast bucolic backdrops for outdoor adventure seekers.

Boaters and paddlers can put in at the lower tract of the Little Manatee in south Ruskin, just east of Sun City Center. The on-site Camp Bayou Outdoor Learning Center features a nature center, fossil museum and native village.

The upper tract, southeast of Ruskin in Wimauma, has a network of old trail roads to explore plus places to fish and paddle.

Other spots are described in the handbook as rustic.

At Chito-Branch Reserve, off County Road 640 in Lithia, there aren't any restrooms or running water, but there are six miles of wooded trails that beckon bicyclists, hikers and equestrians.

Another site, partially on the grounds of a defunct phosphate mine, is renowned for fishing and horseback riding. The Alafia River Corridor - 3,000 acres of hardwood swamps and upland hammocks with eight miles of marked equestrian trails -- is tucked away in western Lithia.

The Edward Medard Park and Reservoir in Plant City also offers biking and boating, as well as inline skating, fishing and camping facilities.

The complete guide is free by mail or online. To order a copy or download the digital version, go to www.watermatters.org/recreation or call 1-800-423-1476.

Reporter Laura Frazier can be reached at (813) 627-4767 or lfrazier@tampatrib.com. Reporter John Ceballos contributed to this story.

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