The moneys been put in the box at the booth, it's five bucks and The Honor System is used - thena…read moreseries of slow winding snake turns up the next half mile past the canoe launch and into the parking lot & picnic area where there's also a little playground set up for screaming kids. Last week we explored to the East, logic dictates we head West because there's more land, more trails and a brisk twenty minutes in, past the equestrian area and I had wished I brought my compass . So I looked to the sun, it was my nearing 9:45AM so I made a quick little sundial and determined my bearings, keeping the rays at my right shoulder, a tall pine in the distance for extra measure. So quickly the terrain can change from soft and slow white sand to fast packed non-silty soil to brown and boggy muddy to green and lush all within a stones throw in any direction. Know this friends - you'll be given no help from signage - only arrows , there are numbers from 15 to 3 - yet, not telling ya anything at all - no maps at the gate, nobody in the booth at the gate - nobody official looking around, so be aware of that if you want to see beyond the next turn. Getting turned around is easier than going straight towards the trails end. I assumed that the 15 I saw, then the 7 I saw then the 3&4 means I'd be on a cylindrical circumnavigation - looping back to the pavement that takes you in and separated the two very different sides of the park. We came up on Dude Lake and here in this primitive shallow shored lake - along with birds, turtles are sounds unique to my ears, movements in the brush that have the dogs diving into and thrashing within - only to pop out from the other side dumbfounded and disappointed. There are things that are unseen underneath - human penetration is virtually impossible without damaging the plants, vines and thick green entanglements. I believe these are small creatures, whatever they are but emit the most beautiful sounds, whatever they are.

Nice area to go camping. The rangers explained where to go and bathroom has easy access to find.read more

Okay... GREAT... maybe is a bit much to say for such a short visit we had, BUT overall it was such…read morea good visit and the staff member who attended to us was completely unforgettable - Jade was friendly, courteous, casual, and super informative. She tried as hard as she could to make sure we spotted Manatees out in the bay... and while we personally never got to see them this was in no way a reflection of he attempts to point us in the right direction twice! She keyed us in on the best times to come in for kayaking, wildlife viewing, swimming, etc. I did not really find the swimming all that enjoyable but that is mainly because of the "Wetlands" feel and all the grass growth in and around the swimming area; but for the pelicans, crabs, pipers, and other creatures we did see (Manatees I WILL see you next time!!!) it is apparent why this growth is so important. Ao, thank you E.G. Simmons Conservation Park, and thank you Jade for being so friendly and kind.

Went here recently, nice little mini beach. Sat for awhile, watched the boats, overhead planes, and…read morepeople. Got my groove on. $2 entrance fee not bad. Plenty of parking. They also have some trails to walk nearby , and a park. Opens up to the bay eith a great view from the beach and lets you get your "chill" on! Very relaxing

We didn't realize this beautiful area was right here all along. We drive through the gate which…read moretook us to another area for parking and a walk through gate. There are several different habitats and a nice trail to hike along. There is some noise from nearby roads. The old oak trees with Spanish moss draped limbs next to the clear water flowing creek was our favorite part!

Great place for wildlife photography. Otters, Lots of birds, eagles, owls and a lot more. Birders…read moreand hikers are friendly.

My baby loves the playground, she doesn't walk yet but she can crawl up the stairs and go down the…read moreslide without getting stuck. I really like coming to this park it's very nice and quiet.

This park is great for adults and kids offering a skate park and basketball court for the community…read moreand 2 playgrounds for the little to run around its nicely shaded and for a bonus they have a splash pad! This was my second visit and both visits have been wonderful and we always meet super nice people. They do have bathrooms are the recreation center to change after the splash pad and 1 vending machine. Overall I think they take very good care of this park and it's definitely a family friendly fun place to visit.

Haven't been here since i was a dude. Lol almost a decade ago this used to be way simpler n more on…read morethe wild west. Trash everywhere, people hiding in the bushes to hump, Do lines and some time fish. Used to come here with a past Lover to clean the beach or fish. No joke, its all we did. Lol No they have put even more funding into it. I understand why the banned the extra curricular activities. The Manatee sanctuary is literally right there across the water. Also locals don't respect the no wake zones n tourist want to ride the poor Manatees. Its wild as hell the huge foot print left by people n like angry parents. They took away our toys. Im actually glad. Look cleaner, healthier n its now heavy focus on family picnic not making them in the bushes ill stop lol joke aside, they opened up the property for picnics, can play a decent game of throw ball with yo kids. And cleaner trails. I did not see a grill anywhere n i must be blind cuz i cant see the bathrooms either. They added a watch tower in the middle. Keep on mind it is wheelchair accessible, so are the closer picnic areas. Cement goes away at the edge of the beach. Warning: Please bring a cooler, big sun hats, wear proper sun blocking and shoes that wont melt. The sand is paper white! It deflects the sun into you at almost full spectrum, ground gets dangerously hot. The trails are sketchy, bring water n maybe bring a buddy or protection. I did walked them almost all the way through but had to turn back cuz water. Its cute small trail. Gives nicer view of Teco facility n may see manatees. I seen Hares also n randomly snakes. No clue on gators. But it is Florida. Can see Down Town Tampa from Tower also! Ph yeah free parking! Update: yes theres bathroom!s

A lovely little beach for lounging, soaking up sun, and listening to the surf. There are many signs…read morethat discourage any swimming or wading. We were visiting in late January, so we weren't aiming to get into the water anyway, just enjoy the beach biome. This beach is quite close to the manatee viewing center and you're likely to see manatees here too as a result. I spotted a half dozen while here! Fair number of fishers here, as there are pipes to prop your rod in. Nice large parking area to accommodate visitors. Many picnic tables. An awesome (and accessible) viewing structure takes you up around fifty feet so you can look out with a 360 view! Bathrooms with running water available, no gender specified. (Love that!)

Nice park with lots of space. Picnic area, basketball court, swings and good play area for kids.read more

Cool place to take your kids. We went after eating at a local restaurant. Clean bathrooms and…read morefriendly staff. Maria actually offered us some info on youth basketball. It was filled with people. Young and older playing basketball. Kids playing in the playground.

This recreational center has grown immensely in the last 10years since I first moved down to south…read morecounty. They have a outdoor track, and now added a baseball field & soccer fields. This recreation center has been the only place where kids could come and have a playground or any sort of organized activities. They have the only remaining Tiny Tot program for 3/4 kids since Apollo Beach discontinued it some years ago. The playground has been expanded and combined to a single mulched area now fenced to keep out the stray dogs of the past and the modern new indoor gym for basketball leagues also. Many programs offered range from preschool to senior level. They offer basketball leagues for seniors, teens, youth, and yoga available as well as weight room and after school camps.

I sweared i wrote an update review about my last visit. O_o im going crazy. Lol just wanted to add…read morea heads up. The last hurricane that beat our nuts off changed the landscape of the park a bit. Theres alot of trees and branches blocking the rivers but no problem. I did noticed that the asphalt is cracked and chunks are missing in some areas. I don't recommend a skateboard or roller blades without gear. It will be fine in some sections and then you'll see the damage show up in some sections. Totally safe for runners and bicycles. I went with my temporary wheel chair n i had a couple sections that i chose to walk it by. If you have like a pro chair with air wheels? You'll be ok. The wooded areas a bit slippery, although theres shade everywhere? This is the wrong season to ho there at the moment. It is freaking hot and humid even in the shade. Please bring a cooler with you. Local shops sell backpack coolers or even a small sling one is enough. There are fountains and bathroom every few miles though so no fear if you are fit or don't have disabilities. Bring a freaking camera theres tons of fish in the river that can be seen from the crystal clear water and you'll even see tortoises just walking around the property. Its totally ok to look at them. The only time i have intervened is when they walk into the parking lot or road and i just pray they don't pee on me. It is illegal to even do that but i rather risk a ticket over a dead turtle. Please me careful driving to either side of the parking lot cuz they even cross the main road and i have stop traffic to move em. I like dashing in this area cuz i can either stop here for nap on cooler days or if im lucky? Stop at ricks meat down the road. Its a local butcher, they also make these massive sandwiches at great price and they tend to have a bbq truck outside too. The parking? Is hella small n its always packed. Parking is self serve, they upgraded from the "hope" system to a booth. As in "i hope people are paying for parking" now its 100% you have to pay n put the ticket on the dashboard or else the tortoises will take your car away. Lol The lid park looked well kept, the first come first serve shelters look good too. They big enough to throw a party. They have their own water faucets and grill. The water access has like a tub, i am presuming its so your dog drinks water from it. I recommend you use a bowl though. Never know who uses those for other things. I also noticed theres more sitting areas. Theres a couple hidden spots that look safe to look closer i would be a bit cautious cuz i was stepping over a dirt bridge n then when i looked at it at another angle i was shocked that it was just roots. O_o like theres a ton of areas that got torn up by the last hurricane that hit us. Gators? Never seen them but its Florida i don't recommend going in the water unless using boat ramp. Boat ramp, when i was there, the water level was way too low and i didn't feel safe to go down the steep ramp. I was too exhausted for my walk i didn't trust i had the energy to climb out. Usually u can see the water from the top all i saw was grass. Sound, near the over pass is loud from cars but cool area for kickass pictures. The rest of the park is windy with nice river sound. Especially in the wooden loop. Its the closest it gets to the river. It is very beautiful how you can see bass and trout just swimming by. Space is tight it has a parking area for chairs and bikes. Plenty of places to sit and two shelters to nap. If you are an audiophile / AMSR sensitive like me? This is the area to just sit n record n let the beautiful sounds take you away. I think i recorded like a solid hour of just stereo ambience. I think i covered everything. Thanks for reading and please stay hydrated!

Great park with paved pathways & a raised boardwalk. Map at location and different map online made…read morenavigating difficult as far as where the raised boardwalk side was. Would've been nice for a sign at entrance to paths. Scens and views were great. Need sign explaining the orange water. No sounds of birds in our 90 minutes there. No gators, no turtles. Guy on cart driving around but not saying hello or checking in. Never found bathrooms. Parking is a reasonable $2. Some beautiful play equipment and an exercise court of assistive equipment for working out. Boardwalk beginning to sound rickety! Hope they check it regularly. Would be nice if a few plants/trees were labeled/classified. Eg. are the purple berries edible?? Love this park.

This preserve was a nice surprise. I never knew that a fresh spring lake was in this area and…read moreavailable for a dip. The water looked crystal clear and I'm sure it's the most refreshing during these hot summer months. Gorgeous beach area to kick back and enjoy the fresh air and water. There were a few trails available along a creek and the kids really enjoyed the scenic walks, views and definitely was interested in visiting again to take a dip in the spring. $2 for entry and they take credit cards if someone is available to take payment. If you plan in advance you can purchase tickets on their online website. Camping, fishing, canoeing, kayaking , hiking , swimming , playground and sight seeing. This is place is a hidden gem

This place is closed for good. We just drove there since we move To Tampa and wanted to explore…read moremore but sadly the place looks abandoned and it's closed.

A nice 1.7 mile Hillsborough County Hiking Spree hike. Not…read moremuch shade around the trails but the observation area that overlooks the bird sanctuary is outstanding. 360 degree views of lakes and vegetation with city buildings in the distance in all directions. Highly Recommended for bird lovers and hikers.

A nice little nature preserve with great trails and great views from the observation area. I went…read morein the evening around 5PM and I saw many different birds flying around. The walk to the observation area didn't take long and isn't that far from the parking lot. Make sure you bring water with because there aren't any drinking fountains. There aren't any restrooms either. Definitely a spot I want to return to.