Recreation

Get outside and explore more than 50 recreation sites on conservation lands.

Getting outside is a fun, easy and low-cost way to spend time with your friends and family. With the District’s more than 343,000 acres of land in the region, enjoying the outdoors is just a step away.



Get outside: Find a recreation site

Wysong Park Withlacoochee River Park Weekiwachee Preserve Upper Hillsborough Tract Alston Tract Two Mile Prairie Terra Ceia Preserve State Park Terra Ceia Preserve Frog Creek Tampa Bypass Canal Serenova Tract J. B. Starkey Wilderness Park Sawgrass Lake Park RV Griffin Reserve Prairie/Shell Creek Potts Preserve Lake Panasoffkee Myakka State Forest Myakka River State Park — Myakka Prairie Tract Myakka River — Flatford Swamp Myakka River — Deer Prairie Creek Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve Little Manatee River Upper Tract Little Manatee River Southfork Tract Little Manatee River Lower Tract Lake Tarpon Outfall Canal Lake Panasoffkee Lake Marion Creek Horseshoe Scrub Tract Jack Creek Hálpata Tastanaki Preserve Half Moon-Gum Slough Green Swamp West Tract Little Withlacoochee Tract Hampton Tract Green Swamp East Tract Colt Creek State Park Flying Eagle Preserve — Withlapopka Community Park Flying Eagle Preserve — McGregor Smith Boy Scout Reservation Flying Eagle Preserve Edward W. Chance Reserve — Gilley Creek Tract Edward W. Chance Reserve — Coker Prairie Tract Edward Medard Park and Reservoir Deep Creek Preserve Cypress Creek Preserve Conner Preserve Cliff Stephens Park Circle B Bar Reserve Chito Branch Reserve Chassahowitzka River and Coastal Swamps Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park Brooker Creek Preserve Brooker Creek Headwaters Nature Preserve Annutteliga Hammock Alafia River Reserve Alafia River Corridor
1

Alafia River Corridor

2

Alafia River Reserve

3

Annutteliga Hammock

4

Brooker Creek Headwaters Nature Preserve

5

Brooker Creek Preserve

6

Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park

7

Chassahowitzka River and Coastal Swamps

8

Chito Branch Reserve

9

Circle B Bar Reserve

10

Cliff Stephens Park

11

Conner Preserve

12

Cypress Creek Preserve

13

Deep Creek Preserve

14

Edward Medard Park and Reservoir

15

Edward W. Chance Reserve — Coker Prairie Tract

16

Edward W. Chance Reserve — Gilley Creek Tract

17

Flying Eagle Preserve

18

Flying Eagle Preserve — McGregor Smith Boy Scout Reservation

19

Flying Eagle Preserve — Withlapopka Community Park

 

Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve

20

Colt Creek State Park

21

East Tract
(Green Swamp East Tract)

22

Hampton Tract

23

Little Withlacoochee Tract

24

West Tract
(Green Swamp West Tract)

25

H‎alf Moon-Gum Slough

26

H‏álpata Tastanaki Preserve

27

Jack Creek

28

Lake Marion Creek Horseshoe Scrub Tract

29

Lake Panasoffkee

30

Lake Tarpon Outfall Canal

31

Little Manatee River Lower Tract

32

Little Manatee River Southfork Tract

33

Little Manatee River Upper Tract

34

Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve

34

Dead River Park

34

Flatwoods Park

34

Jefferson Equestrian Area

34

John B. Sargeant Park

34

Morris Bridge Park

34

Oak Ridge Equestrian Area

34

Trout Creek Park

34

Wilderness Park Off Road Loop Trail System

35

Myakka River — Deer Prairie Creek

36

Myakka River — Flatford Swamp

37

Myakka River State Park — Myakka Prairie Tract

38

Myakka State Forest

39

Panasoffkee Outlet

40

Potts Preserve

41

Prairie/Shell Creek

42

RV Griffin Reserve

43

Sawgrass Lake Park

 

Starkey Wilderness Preserve

44

J. B. Starkey Wilderness Park

45

Serenova Tract

46

Tampa Bypass Canal

47

Terra Ceia Preserve Frog Creek

48

Terra Ceia Preserve State Park

49

Two Mile Prairie

 

Upper Hillsborough Preserve

50

Alston Tract

51

Upper Hillsborough Tract

52

Weekiwachee Preserve

53

Withlacoochee River Park

54

Wysong Park




Contact Our
Land Department

Recreation@WaterMatters.org
(352) 796-7211, ext. 4470

Volunteer Program

Learn how you can volunteer and become a valued steward of public lands.

Events

Get Outside!

is a communications campaign based on research that focuses on what would make people more likely to get outside on District lands. The goal of the campaign is to promote the value of ecosystem protection through recreation on conservation lands.

Community Events

Join the 2.5 million people who visit public conservation lands in the Southwest Florida Water Management District every year. Bring your family and friends for activities including guided nature hikes and scavenger hunts. Please wear outdoor apparel! For more info, call 1-800-423-1476 (FL only), ext. 4756.

•

Where: Polk County   
(get directions)
When: Saturday, February 27, 2010, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Learn more about the Hampton Track



•

Where: DeSoto County   
(get directions)
When: Saturday, April 10, 2010, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.



• View photos of the Serenova event.

Ready to Get Outside?

Some activities require a free reservation.

If you want to camp, you’ll be required to submit a campsite reservation application. Day-use recreation reservation applications are required for other activities, including:
• Pavilion Use
• Horse-Drawn Buggy Riding
• Horseback Riding (Only required on some properties; check the reservation requirements before you visit under the “Recreational Opportunities” subhead of the recreation area’s web page.)

Printable campsite and day-use recreation reservation applications are also available. Please abide by the General Camping and Recreational Guidelines, and see individual recreation area web pages for site-specific camping information.

2009–2010 Hunting Season

Regulations Summary and Area Map
(Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)

Order a Free Recreation Guide


Request a free print version

Download the complete Guide 29MB (updated December 2009)



Flip through our Florida Species Field Guides, and print them out for your next excursion.