There are many trails, most of them have a good shade. I went to hike, some hiking trails are shared with biking trails so you have to pay attention. I wish the trails were marked better to make it easier to new comers. We didn't get lost but it was not clear where a hiking trail ends to become a hiking+biking one. Watch out. read more

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This Park was nice! I went for the hiking trails, and it was easy to find because the staff was very helpful and the park has a lot of signs. They have a place to rent Ikes, and the biking trials look amazing. read more

Alafia River State Park - Hiking Near Me - Lithia, Florida

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I love to bike here! The best place in Florida to ride challenging trails. It has something for everyone! Greens to Double Black Diamonds!

What a beautiful state park, and so (relatively) close to so many cities! I was here over an early December weekend for a Ragnar Trail event, so I can't speak to the regular, daily amenities. Still, the trails I ran provided sites, including meadows, moss-covered trees, and green swamps. The daylight hours were hot (eighties) with an intense sun, which was a lot to handle in the meadows, while the evenings dropped into the upper forties with a heavy blanket of damp fog. The trails I was on usually cater to mountain bikers, so I'd be nervous of collisions if I was walking/running them without the benefit of an event (not even sure they allow non mountain bikers on them on regular days). They look super fun hough and even as a runner, I had great thrills charging up steep ramps and flying down the other side. Beware that the slat bridges are weakening and have a lot of give. One slat broke under a runner's weight. I heard wildlife rustling in the trees at night and had to side step ant hills on some of the trails, but no predators crossed my path. One of my running teammates did spy a shy bobcat who was observing the scenery from an overlook above a path. read more

Alafia River State Park - Hiking Near Me - Lithia, Florida

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I have been to this park a few times and love it for mountain biking! My partner is an avid mountain biker so when he found these trails he was so excited to try them out. Though Florida is quite flat, they have made these trails with lots of fun obstacles for all levels of riders. Myself, as I am new to this sport, stick to the green trails while my partner goes on the blue and black (much more intense). There are lots of jumps and turns made but yet the park looks quite natural. There is a bike washing station as well as bathrooms. Sometimes the parking lot can get full especially when it's a particularly nice day out (because who wouldn't want to be outside!) but they have a second lot a little further down from the trails. There is an entrance fee, we usually pay 5$ for the both of us. There is also the option for hiking and camping if you're not into bikes. Overall, it's such a lovely park that we have been coming here every weekend for the past few weeks with no problems, just clean fresh air. Also I must note that there isn't any trash/litter around the park, a really nice change! read more

Alafia River State Park - Trail connecting to the actual mountain bike trails. - Hiking Near Me - Lithia, Florida

I have been coming here for quit a fee years now and am finally getting around to writing a review.. Not sure why it has taken so long, subliminally I probably don't want others to come and crowd this beautiful little park... So where to start? I come primarily for the mountain biking trails and camping.. Both exemplary here.. This park is or was primarily a horse park but that has changed because of the MTB trails... The mtb trails are some of the finest you will find in Florida... They say there is over 14 miles of trails but I have only found 9 or so of them... Ranging from white knuckle, your going to die stuff, down to Sunday afternoon casual and lots of in between... As for the camping, there are only 30 sites, all set up for rv's but tents are welcome... A large portion are pull through and ideal for large rv's and horse trailers.... All offer electric and water. There are two loops separated by a common bathhouse... Always clean and cared for as well as the campsites themselves... The park itself is not very big.. Camping to the south and biking to the north... Aside from riding horses and bikes there is not much more to do but relax.... If it wasn't for the main road leading to the park the quietness would be amazing... As it is there is plenty of wildlife sounds to make one feel far away.... So to summarize. Camping, MTB riding, horse riding, relaxing.... Hmmmm, good!!! P.S. This place is far enough away from civilization to be convenient but far enough to be inconvenient.. Cheers!!! read more

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A beautiful park with a nice campground. We loved our stay at Alafia River State Park. An excellent spot!

Very great park and campground! We were lucky to find a horse site the day before our trip! The sites are very spread out from one another and there were lots of trees to hang up a hammock. The bathroom was nice and clean. We would love to stay here again! The mountain bike trails are great too. They have done a phenomenal job maintaining this park! read more

I've been here over a year ago and I love coming here because of how remote it is. However on today's walk some of the paths have had fallen trees take over by the river and the paths have not been well maintained. There is water access if you wish to go swimming in the river itself. I didn't get through the field trails as a thunderstorm approached and scared my one pup with me. The field trails grass was a little long, but with the dead grass being left from previous cuttings the trail is being maintained. I definitely recommend visiting here to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. You can enjoy walking around mask free without the fear or running into tons of people. There is no fee to park here, but there are also no restrooms/water stations. However at the main intersection there are two gas stations and a convenience store along the route to the park itself. read more

One of my favorite State parks especially for mountain biking and camping. Amazing trail system with lots Of technical features and just absolutely beautiful. Highly recommend! You can't go wrong with these trails. read more

Mountain bike trails are really great. Trail crews are doing a great job and always keeping things updated. The facilities and layout to the trail system are among the best in Florida. Don't underestimate Florida for mountain biking! read more

By far, one of my favorite camping experiences. We weren't able to do the mountain biking trails, but they had hiking trails we enjoyed doing with our dog. We even saw a gator sunbathing along the river. The campsites had all the essentials and were spacious. We were able to see stars at night here. The facilities here were also nice. Definitely a place we will camp again! read more

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I have been hiking here for years and there are plenty of trails for the beginner to serious hiker. So much wildlife to see including: deer, alligators, snakes, wild boar, hawks, owls, racoons, possoms, turtles, frogs, squirrel, mice, and armidello. There are plenty of mosquitoes too so bring bug spray. I just got a mountain bike and can't wait to try it out. This park is known for it's mountain biking trails with easy (for me) trails up to technically difficult for expert bikers. Finally there are equestrian trails, campsites, picnic areas, a playground, and bathrooms. read more

Note - I go to this park for Mountain Biking purposes, not for Camping or Horseback Riding. Not too far off the beaten path and a steal for the $4 admission fee. Another thing to keep in mind is that you MUST wear a helmet, it is not optional. The trails a well marked and very well maintained by the local mountain biking club. There are several levels of terrain marked much like a ski mountain (green, blue, black diamond, and double diamond). Green has few sections that smaller kids might not be able to negotiate, and the sand lends itself to be slippery if you don't have decent tires. Blues are hilly, with sharp corners, and you can get airborne should you choose. Black trails... they're marked expert for a reason and there's no turning back on some, be ready :) Picnic areas at Trailhead (parking available) and at the camp ground (only parking if you are a camper), also bathrooms located at both. There is a bike wash station at the Trailhead as well as bike rentals (weekends only) and a playground. Great place to ride! Worth a once a week trip for me! read more

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I used to come out here over 20 years ago, before it was a park. The pits that they call lakes were much more accessible to fish back then. They are now all overgrown with vegetation, and not fishable from the banks. Even the first pit on the north side is getting smaller. The river is a hike to get to but worth it. With patience, theirs a lot of wildlife to see. This place is much more geared to please mountain bikers, with bike trails and a bike shop. For horseback riders, there's plenty of room for the trailers and the rides would be relaxing. read more

Alafia River State Park - Decent size large mouth - Hiking Near Me - Lithia, Florida

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This place is great if you're into mountain biking. I went for hiking and was pretty disappointed, all of the trails are only for bikers. 5$ entry fee and only stayed 1 hour, kinda disappointed, was expecting more walking trails. Saw 1 alligator which was nice read more

Alafia River State Park - Alligator - Hiking Near Me - Lithia, Florida

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Lots of bike trails, if that's your thing. Bad for walking, hiking, kids, sightseeing (unless you like sightseeing dudes in spandex riding bicycles). Horseback riding would probably be okay here though. I don't understand the point of bicycles. I'm in my 30s and own a car, what do I need a bike for? read more

There are not too many hiking spots in Tampa where you can experience actual "elevation changes" aka hills... but Alafia River State Park actually offers that. A phosphorus mining site until the 1970s, amid the hiking trails there are hills and holes blown out by dynamite and now covered by vegetation that create the illusion that you're actually trekking through the (pseudo) mountains. That's really only one or two trails though, as the others are sandy, flat and narrow. Not to mention, infested with mosquitos! (But you knew that already.) Mountain bikers abound and they are not as type-A as I've experienced on some other trails (sorry cyclists but you know it's true)... Be forewarned that admission is $5/car and the trail map is VERY VERY confusing and poorly labeled. I thought my dog and I were the only ones who were lost, but every time we got to one of the pretty much useless maps a mountain biker came by also asking for directions. A good rule is 'keep going and you will eventually make it back to the trailhead.' Overall I really like this place, even though it's a little removed from Tampa in the boondocks. Clean restrooms and bike (or in my case, dog) wash station. Great for people who want to do something active and have a few hours to make the trip and try out all the trails. read more

We are regulars up at Santos trailhead in Ocala. After hearing tons about Alafia we decided to give it a try. It took a while to get a campsite because they always seem to be booked, weeks in advance. I wound up reserving site #005, which is technically a horse site. Don't be put off by the horse label, it just means that there are hitching posts close by. And before you ask yourself, no, you are not camping on horse dung. I had to book eight weeks in advance and fortunately the weather cooperated. We arrived on Friday afternoon to a very warm and welcoming check-in process. The ranger gave us maps of the park, maps of the trails, water bottles (lucky promotion that day) and even sold us nice dry firewood at $6.00 a bundle. Dry because unlike at Santos, they are kept indoors (be sure to bring your own kindling). The park is easy to navigate and our site was a pull-through which was great and our view was spectacular. The fire pit was in great condition and the site had plenty of shade. The water and power connections are on the other side of the paved portion, so make sure your extension cords are at least 25 feet. The bathroom facilities were clean and appeared relatively new - much nicer than Santos. The only downside is that there is one shower for males and one for females. We wound up waiting in line each day to shower. The trails themselves were odd as the green beginner trails were too easy, albeit long and at times sandy, but the intermediate were well beyond what the kids, or even I, could do. In contrast we ride all of the intermediate, and even some of the black advanced trails at Santos. Overall a wonderful campground, but only four stars, because they could use a few more trails on the harder side of beginner or easier side of intermediate. read more

Alafia River State Park - View from campsite #005 - Hiking Near Me - Lithia, Florida

Now Florida doesn't exactly have mountains, but this is about as good as it gets! At least as far as I have found. I'm speaking of mountain biking by the way, but there is also camping (which the campgrounds looked as boring as you could possibly make campgrounds look), horseback riding, and hiking. I'm a mountain biker and there are some great trails. Most of them are loops, so you end more-or-less back where you started, which is really nice because I often run out of water before the end of the trail. There is plenty of diversity in the trails, so you can make it a family biking trip with the little ones, or come as an extreme biker and go in wearing full gear. I've been here many times and will be back many more until I find something better or closer to me. read more

Alafia River State Park - Hiking Near Me - Lithia, Florida

Our first camping trip out since COVID-19 hit. Florida State Parks made good use of the down time! They performed a lot of maintenance- campsite utilities have been replaced with new electric/water services, roads have been patched, and trails/park amenities serviced or upgraded. Alafia SP has long been our preferred camp location but these improvements make it so much nicer! read more

This place is huge. We were walking so avoiding all the bikes was kind of a hassle. LOTS of mosquitoes so bring bug spray. Didn't see much wildlife. Mostly long fields and wooded areas. $5 to go in. Meh. read more

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This place is known as some of the best, most technical mountain biking in all of Florida. You will see a ton of MTBers taking advantage of these well maintained trails (thanks SWAMP!). We drove almost 2 hours and spent 2 nights in a local B&B just to enjoy the trails on our bikes. I'm a fairly new MTBer (less than a year) but am pretty comfortable on the blues on my home trails at Santos, Mount Dora or Markham Woods in Lake Mary. However, the blues at Alafia are not comparable to the blues at home! I think the intimidation factor goes up BIG time when you have a drop off next to you! Screw up and your tumbling down the embankment into green muck water smashing your body on rocks as you go. This didn't actually happen to me but from the talk on the trails plenty of folks get hurt out here. There are plenty of miles for beginners on the green trails (Rock Garden is pretty) but it does seem like the jump from green to blue out here is pretty substantial. I still managed to hang in there on most of the blues. Some favorites of ours were Roller coaster (awesomely fun trail!), Garden Ridge (took me four tries to ride without putting my feet down but I did it!), North Creek (wiped out on the wood feature. The bike was ok, lol) and Bridges. There are black off shoots from the blues to challenge more advanced riders. Hubby rode most of the single diamond but was intimidated by Derailed (he survived) off Roller Coaster. His favorite was an advanced intermediate call Spitfire (off of North Creek). He went over the handlebars on Frank's Loop (him and bike ok) which is off of Rock Garden. I really did NOT like Twisted Sister. As a blue it was an advanced blue (but not marked that way) due to steep climbs, quick descents and a drop off to one side. I walked in several places. Magic Island was just a little better. I need to be a better rider before tackling those two blues. Overall this place has so much to offer. We saw a lot of folks on horseback, camping, hiking and even a girl scout group. There are two large covered pavilions, bathrooms and a playground at the trailhead. It was so crowded on Saturday we had to park in overflow but it didn't feel that crowded on the trails. Trails are well marked (mostly) but we did get mixed up trying to follow the multi-use trail back to the parking. Fantastic riding and worth the drive. Tips- bring bug spray, and a picnic lunch. The closest food (even gas station) is 5 miles away. Keep your receipt for free re-entry same day read more

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Just went today for the first time. Myself, my wife, and our dog did a little 3 mile hike. We do a lot of trail hiking near and far. This place is great. The mountain bikers totally run the place it seems. I think that's great. It seems to be a very high quality MTB spot so great for all the bikers. I think I'd like to give that a try some time. Hopefully I'm not too old to start. Anyhow, the hiking. We asked a few of the super friendly bikers where the trails were for hikers. The pointed toward the south from the main area. Trails are quite well marked as to for bikes or bikes prohibited. Also the same for horses. IMO so many bikes probably keeps the number of hikers down. Perfect for us! Didn't see any horses either. We basically had all the hiking trails to ourselves. It was beautiful. The first part was hilly. Then we got on to a basically unused flat horseback riding trail which was really pretty. Many ponds. Lots of birds. Always alert in case of gators or snakes, etc. Definitely looking forward to the next visit. Highly recommended. read more

Okay, okay. It was my first time mountain biking. But seriously? The beginner trails were no joke! I'm glad they mentioned in their mountain biking brochure that the beginner trails are for the "experienced beginner". I came away from it with gashes, scratches and bruises. Needless to say, the intermediate trails were a no-go for me. But, I really enjoyed my time mountain biking with friends and will likely head back whenever we get our own mountain bikes. We rented our bikes off property because the park didn't offer any rentals. The trail head grounds are clean and spacious with bathrooms, water fountains, a playground and picnic areas. I didn't see the camping grounds but overall, the park seems like a good place to camp because they have so many outside activities! I plan to return and check out their hiking trails, and possibly camp a few nights as well. They have canoeing and kayaking at the park. However, I didn't see whether they offer rentals. So, you would likely need to bring your own canoe/kayak. All in all, this is a very beautiful park away from all the shenanigans of the city. If you like being outdoors and are looking for an adventure, give the mountain biking a try. You will definitely get a thrill out of it! read more

My husband and I are runners. We really love trail running. We found this park online and decided to give it a try. I didn't know that it is mainly for mountain biking and equestrian trails. However, there are a few trails that allow pedestrians. This park is so pretty. It is nice and clean and well maintained. The trails were awesome. We ended up taking a wrong turn at one point. We ended up on a harder mountain bike trail. They are no joke! If you are looking for a challenge definitely check out this park. I cannot wait to go back. We only tried out one of the trails. There are couple more we can do. They also have a nice playground that my son loved. The restrooms were nice and clean. read more

Hard to imagine in the flat state of Florida you can get a mountain like bike experience. You will not climb more than 25 feet altitude, but the sandy, boardwalk and tree lined single path will give you a workout and please the thrill seeker in you. Plenty of parking. Restrooms, shade, water and bike repair stations. Clean, uncrowded and fun fun fun. We have cross bikes and found they worked fine here. There are different level trails from novice to black diamond. I did a face plant and had the softest landing ever in the vegetation. Come give it a try read more

Alafia River State Park - Hiking Near Me - Lithia, Florida

Great place for mountain biking, hiking and camping. Who said Florida don't have mountains? Lol!

This park was definitely worth all the driving I did. I immensely enjoyed the trails (and so did my doggie) and the bicycle trails were very interesting, something I'd love to give a try when I'm physically prepared. I'd like to do more exploring of the park when I get the chance to go back. The hiking trails actually had grades and some hills so it was a lot different then other trails I encountered in the Tampa Bay Area. Definitely recommend!! read more

Beautiful park out in the country and is easy to get to. There is a picnic area with a volleyball net and small playground for the kiddies. They also have some camping sites on the opposite end of the park. There are tons of ponds for fishing (thanks Mosiac) which allows canoes and kayaks (any non gas engine boats). There are tons of walking and horseback riding trails for your enjoyment as well. A day at the park will cost you $5 per carload!! Definitely a nice place for a picnic with the kiddos....just keep an eye out for the gators!!! Oh..please DO NOT feed any gators you may see. We were told if a Ranger sees you feeding one, they will shoot the gator. Feeding will make them search out people for more handouts and that could be a disaster for you as well as the gator. SO have a super time...but keep your food to yourself and save a gator!!!! read more

I did the beginner trails with friends today and had a lot of fun. We saw animals and took in some gorgeous scenery. I was parched after the ride though and the water fountain water tasted horrible and was warm. Blech! Will be back with extra water of my own. :) read more

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not the place to go hiking! the trails were just a big open field of grass with almost no shade. we hiked 7 miles of it; a few swampy areas and cute neighboring cows were the highlights. people biking & horseback riding seemed happy. i wouldn't recommend it for hiking at all, though. read more

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Great trails and great mountain bike park to bring the wife along with, it has trails for all rider levels.

I enjoyed Alafia State Park last weekend for the Ragnar Trail Relay. We used three different bike trails to run. I had a blast running them so I can only imagine how fun they would be to bike. The paths are clear and well marked. I'd love to go back. read more

My boyfriend wanted to take me here and i am so glad he did. We live in ft laud so it was a fun trip all in all. This park is a state parkb so it us very clean and the at have a nice place t o eat lunch, take the kids, and clean bathrooms to use. The beginner trails were very easy and perfect for novice riders. I did north creek and magic island, they were challenging but I loved every minute of this trail. Its intermediate but magic island is more advanced intermediate. I can't wait to go back again! read more

Nice park to stop with the family. Plenty of places for the kids to play with lots of open grass for picnics. Nice trails to get exercise​. Love that they have real bathrooms that they keep clean . Definitely will be back this summer. read more

One of the best maintained and fun places to ride or hike. All facilities are right there. For me, this place rates on top of all Florida mountain bike places. read more

A great place to mountain bike! Fun for all ages and abilities. There are many options for advanced riders, including two double black diamond trails. Fun fun fun! read more

Went here to fish, it was beautiful the fishing was alright but be very aware of alligators! They seem to gravitate towards people, maybe they have been fed or maybe they just like the fish bait. Maybe they've been tossed food or maybe they just like fish bait but they can get close for comfort. The park is great and beautiful just keep an eye out when near the water, especially if you have kids with you. read more

Just to add a note that the RV campground is very nice. It is obviously newer than many of the other parks, with concrete pads (level!) and a number of pull-throughs. The restrooms and showers are clean. The hiking trails are plentiful and, as described above, one of the few places in peninsular FL where you can hike an area that isn't flat. We went last year and are about to return for a second trip in our RV. There is some good birding, too. read more