The moneys been put in the box at the booth, it's five bucks and The Honor System is used - thena series 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. read more

See all

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

Little Manatee River State Park - Outside - Parks Near Me - Wimauma, Florida

See all

Nice state park. Nice local ecosystem to explore. Infrastructure is solid and fairly well maintained. Campground facilities are a bit dated but have all the features required (laundry, showers, etc). Not a destination but a nice stop in area. read more

Amazing day. We watch Secrets of the Zoo on tv and see them rehabilitate manatees. They bring them to power plant areas where the warm waters create a great environment for them to thrive. Really cool to see the manatees interact with each other. Some bonding, some rivalries and mostly calm and slow moving. The staff was great. Very helpful with questions. The parking volunteers were really cool and friendly. Go there and take your time to appreciate these great animals. read more

The Park was peaceful, but a little confusing to navigate. Without my all trails app I would not have known where I was going. Also the bathrooms were not well marked at all. I found the river itself to be peaceful, but there was really nothing there. Not even any wildlife that I could see on the day I went read more

Little Manatee River State Park - Parks Near Me - Wimauma, Florida

See all

Beautiful park! I visited on a day with misting rain and there were so many cool mushrooms to see and orchids up in the oaks near the water on one of the trails. If you enjoy walking in natural Florida and seeing native flora and fauna, this is a beautiful little park. read more

See all

This is a nice park, located near our home, but it was our first visit. There is a $5 entrance fee, which I am happy to pay in order to keep our parks open. They provide a paper map of the hiking trails, which is what we were looking for. There are a variety of trails, but the signage on the roads doesn't make it easy to find them. We parked in the equestrian parking lot, which is really just a field, and started walking towards Dude Lake. The trails are wide, and were recently mowed, so they were easy to walk. There really isn't much to see but typical Florida foliage. It was a nice walk, but nothing made it memorable. read more

Little Manatee River State Park - Parks Near Me - Wimauma, Florida

See all

I don't find the parking fee to be worth it just to walk. The trail for walking is .25miles that wasn't enough for me including the fact that right now they had some part of the trail temporarily closed. The parking fee was $5 and if your just walking you might be here for an hour. There isn't really any other parking and places to just walk around. Looks like a fun place to ride horses! Just a tip, the water level is low, I saw some people canoeing and they had to carry their canoe over the small parts, and there where a lot. read more

Little Manatee River State Park - Closed trail - Parks Near Me - Wimauma, Florida

See all

HUGE rattlesnake on an entrance/ exit of the Oxbow trail!!!! Called park offices to see if a ranger could come out and relocate it because I could not pass it and they told me they were too busy and basically good luck! After going to the front office to show photos and videos and show location, they told me it was a pine snake and they ARE AWARE ITS THERE! If you will not relocate it, CLOSE THE TRAIL OR WARN PEOPLE. it is aggressive and aggravated and IS NOT A PINE SNAKE. Lunged to strike me, thankfully did not and we just scared each other. However in the 6 years of walking trails with my dog, I have never encountered a dangerous situation where I was offered NO HELP from the staff. I will never return. read more

Little Manatee River State Park - Diamondback rattle snake on OXBOW TRAIL - Parks Near Me - Wimauma, Florida

Entrance fees $4 for cars with one person $5 for cars with 2 or more people $2 entrance fee for bikers Great park for camping, although I wasn't expecting the expensive entrance fees. Lots of mature landscaping read more

The park charges $5 per car admission, which I consider to be very reasonable. I was there with my wife and friends to hike. There are quite a few trail options and they are well maintained. read more

What a nice park! The wife and I came out for a quick hike and it was just fantastic. Trails are "fairly" well marked. Easy to walk on and water was available at one covered spot We did two trails that joined each other along the way. Only a few other people on a Saturday afternoon, so we almost had the trails to ourselves. Clean, nice, walkable trails. read more

See all

Even though we eventually got rained out, it wasn't a bad place to kayak. And if you don't own a kayak, rentals here are just $15 for 4 hours or $30 for 8 hours. (It's the same price for tandem kayaks & canoe rentals.) Just a $5 park entrance fee ($4 if you're solo), so no big complaints here. The area is overgrown in some locations, the mosquitoes were out in force, & we didn't see a lot of wildlife, w/ the exception of wonderful turtles & some large birds. It's a serene area & an easy waterway to navigate, just not as nice as other state parks in the area. With that said... sun, sand, water, nature, turtles, birds, rain, exercise, smiles, & laughter for $5. Definitely not against a return trip:) read more

Came camping on Christmas week, we totally loved it. We went bike riding, we walked all the trails, we did bbqs. Park is well kept, very quiet. Dogs are allowed which was a plus. Not much to do at the park. read more

See all

This is a trail not for the light walkers. It's six miles of natural Florida and I love it! Last time I went the water was super high and pretty much impossible to finish. I went again today, and the water was at normal levels and everything was cleaned up. I know this is a volunteer based park and I was very impressed with how much work they did, the trails were easy to follow and there is always something to look at, beautiful river, tons of Tillslandias, and butterfly orchids. Will be adventuring here again soon! read more

See all

This was our very first camping trip ever, so we did not have really any idea what to expect. We stayed at campsites 22, 23, and 24. We slept in tents but found the electricity to be quite useful for blowing up our air mattresses and one night I even used a heated blanket. Site 24 was by far our favorite as it is closest to the bathrooms (just a short trek through the wooded area). If we had not had this location we would have needed to walk all the way around to get to the bathrooms near sites 1 & 2. We felt it was close enough but yet far enough away not to hear the bathroom noises of doors slamming and hand dryers blowing. I would jot have wanted to be in a low number site. There is a fire pit at every campsite along with electric, a water spigot, and a picnic table. Some could say we were glamping and I'm okay with that. The bathroom area included two washer and dryers which took quarters, men's and woman's bathrooms which included showers and then one companion handicap accessible bathroom and shower combo. The bathrooms were very clean and looked to be newly remodeled. There is a sign that says they are cleaned and closed every day from 1-2, however we found this to vary depending on the day. The playground was closed off but we did walk the trail and enjoyed it. The trail bathrooms were not remodeled but they got the job done. We would for sure return here for a future camping trip. read more

Little Manatee River State Park - 8 person and 2 person tent at site 22 fit nicely - Parks Near Me - Wimauma, Florida

It's a really nice place to hang out, really peaceful to walk the trail or to even go kayaking, it's an amazing experience to do all this while enjoying the nature that you're surrounded by. read more

I love this place! They have camping sites available, as well as rental bikes. I came here for a day trip and was able to rent a nice cruiser bike for a few hours. I was able to explore majority of the park and it was beautiful. Unfortunately, no sightings of manatees but it was a bit early in the season before manatees were in the area. I highly recommend this park to others. The trails are easily accessible. Bathrooms and water fountains are located throughout. read more

Like most parks, this place is beautiful. It's much bigger than I expected and has great trails. My favorite thing was the white sand that runs through most of the park and the fact that dogs are allowed - and I did bring mine. I also liked that it wasn't packed - I don't like going to natural preserves and feel like I'm at an outlet mall on Black Friday- it kinda defeats the purpose :-/ lol There are plenty of picnic benches, clean bathrooms and water fountains. There is also a canoe/kayak launch - which I can't speak too because I didn't use or see it. The ranger was really friendly and helpful and the few people I ran into and chatted with on the trails were also friendly. The only thing I wished was that they had better signage. There is some signage that can get u in the general area of a trail but once in an area it can be a little confusing to find the specific trail u are looking for (remember it's a big place). For example, I did not get to the canoe launch - but that was actually my destination. Normally id chalk this up to me getting confused but someone else asked me for directions on the same trail so I'm thinking it's the signage. read more

Little Manatee River State Park - Dogs allowed!! - Parks Near Me - Wimauma, Florida

This is a very nice State Park that balances primative with modern amenities. There are two separate campgrounds available: one has sites with the hookups you need, and are shaded from the sun and neighboring sites. The other site is an equestrian campsite that is off the beaten path, so we didn't check the sites. There are two water access areas, one for a canoe launch and one for relaxing and watching the river flow. A very nice retreat! read more

See all

When I called before going the very rude girl on the line let me know the canoe rentals and campgrounds were closed, but failed to mention the restrooms and playgrounds were also closed. So we paid $5 to completely disappoint our toddler and pee in the woods. It was our first visit here and not sure we'd visit again. The playground was small and the parking lots, common areas weren't maintained very well. read more

Natural Florida has so much to offer and a day pass is hundreds cheaper than fabricated Florida. Fun on the trails, sights to see in the air, water and terrain. So much greenery and fresh air to destress all of us. Nice sandy and packed trails, some through the woods, others along the river bank. Trees to climb, critters to identify and fun to be had. Ample parking. Hike horseback ride, paddle, birdwatch... read more

Little Manatee River State Park - Clearly marked trails - Parks Near Me - Wimauma, Florida

This was a nice state park for a day visit. It seemed great for kayaking and had a nice launch. There were plenty of facilities and area to camp and picnic. We came to hike and found several trails along the river as well as through scrub. One trail led to a large lake with several nice areas for picnicking. After hiking a few of the trails at the main location, we seemed a shadier trail and mosied down the road to another pull off that had a long hiking trail along the river. This is the best trail for hikers by far. It is much shadier and had views overlooking the river. Overall, it was a pleasant experience and I will be back to try the river! read more

See all

The seven mile hiking trail is one of the best in Florida as you traverse several different Eco systems. Try to go in dry weather as the south part adjoining the river floods easily. The total hike is around 3 hours so bring water and a camera. Even in dry weather the first half mile is wet but do not worry the trail is dry after that. If you love the Florida terrain this is a must. read more

Little Manatee River State Park - Parks Near Me - Wimauma, Florida

See all

Nice cabanas and a beautiful river. Can't get to the 6 mile trail directly from the park, that's in a separate spot. The hike is beautiful and I was certainly sore at the end! Great trails for walking the dogs. Highly recommend. read more

Little Manatee River State Park - Olive lost in deep thought - Parks Near Me - Wimauma, Florida

Came here today and went kayaking with my wife. It was beautiful and we saw so many animals, including gators, manatees, turtles, and fish! The current wasn't too strong and it was a very beautiful ride. I would recommend if you're in the area and looking for a fun day activity :) read more

This review is about the six-mile long trail at Little Manatee River State Park. I understand there's a campground and picnic area, but the only other activity we did was visit the bathroom before hiking. Hiking opportunities in Clearwater are few and far between, so we drove about an hour to the Little Manatee River State Park to get some exercise and get away from people, and we succeeded on both counts. I was interested in the 6 mile hiking trail. We found the State Park without difficulty, although my Garmin GPS really wanted us to take the tollway! (Hint: Use a map and take 301 south!) The volunteer at the State Park was friendly and helpful, and told us how to get to the trailhead itself, which is in a different area of the Park. Note: You don't have to go into the Park itself if you're only hiking the Trail. The Trailhead is right off 301, and an entrance fee is required, there's a cash box in the parking area. The volunteer also suggested that if we had valuables that we put them in the trunk so they aren't visible to passers-by. The Trail itself was a pleasant surprise. Trail maps were available at the Trailhead. The Trail was well-marked with yellow blazes every few hundred feet. The trail is a loop, and you'd really have to work at it to get lost. There's a "shortcut" in the middle for those who aren't up to hiking a full 6 miles, which cuts the distance about in half. We're experienced hikers and walk every day, and it took us about three hours, and WE ONLY SAW TWO OTHER PEOPLE, which I thought was amazing for a mero area. There's plenty of (for Florida, anyway) ups and downs, and plenty of tree roots to avoid, but all in all, a very enjoyable hike. If you turn LEFT when starting the hike, you'll stay along the river and in the woods for the first 1/2 of the hike. I suggest that you turn RIGHT, which means you'll hike in the open fields when it's cooler, and then hike in the shade in the afternoon when it's warmer. Another suggestion: Hiking is thirsty work, so you may wish to stop at Motorworks Brewery in Bradenton on your way home. I did! read more

Trails are poorly marked but once you find them they are nice. I went when it was 60 out because the gnats here are really bad. Bring bug spray of you go when it's warm. read more

Little Manatee River State Park - Parks Near Me - Wimauma, Florida

See all

Didn't get a chance to do entire 6.5 mile loop. Went left instead of right at loop sign. Super over grown, muddy and buggy. Bring tons of bug spray, long pants and shirt and waterproof shoes and you should be good. We found the last 1 1/2 was much better- the right side of the trail. We think we ended up taking some cross trail so somehow lost the main trail. May be due to the mud. Still fun. Will try again when dryer outside. read more

Paul and I came here in October for a camping trip on our anniversary. We didn't get to spend a lot of time in the park because we got in late on Friday night and had activities outside the park planned for Saturday but we saw was nice. The camping area's shower and bathrooms had been damaged (I think in the recent hurricane) but they brought in the trailer type portable ones for campers. We have our own bathroom in our camper, so it didn't effect us but it was nice to see that they provided other campers with a decent backup option. They have some great horseback riding options in the area. The ride we took on that Saturday morning went all through the state park and was very nice (way better than any of the rides in Jacksonville). I thought there would be access to see Manatees in the actual park but we had to leave the park to try to find a manatee viewing place. Unfortunately, it was still a bit early for manatees so even outside of the park, we didn't get to see any. This park is a little far for our quick weekend trips, but it is a nice state park if you are a bit closer. read more

Little Manatee River State Park - Site #1 - Parks Near Me - Wimauma, Florida

See all

Little Manatee River State park is a fantastic location for camping, hiking, canoe/kaking and many horse owners come here to ride the 12 miles of equestrian trails. There is a 6.5 mile hiking trail and a couple lakes to fish in. Camping spaces are private and bathrooms large and clean. Lots of wildlife to be seen here as well. There are primitive camping sites right near the stables where you can place your horse for your stay. They are well built adn you are asked to muck up after your horse - as should be expected. Staff is amazing, gift shop has a nice selection. Note* Previous review by Cherly L. 3/6/2010 and photos are for the Manatee Viewing Center at Apollo Beach/Teco Power Plant facility read more

Great park . Beautiful trails, but keep your head aware of what lives there. We saw a water moccasin that was probably about six feet long under one of the small bridges on the trail. Literally less then two feet away from us. Nothing wrong with that, it's their world, but just be aware. Know what can be right next to you and have caution. read more

My husband and I went to this state park on Saturday in the afternoon. We were looking for some easy hiking trails near us. It costs $5 to enter the park, you pay at the front entrance. It was not crowded at all. We maybe saw 5 other people hiking. We went on the easy trail. It only took us about 15 minutes. It was a typical trail, not too much to see. We decided not to go on the 6.5 mile trail because it looked like rain. There wasn't much else for us to do since we didn't take our kayaks. I do have to say the bathrooms were very clean. I was impressed. We drove around to look at the rest of the park and noticed the campsite. It was a typical camp site. There were also cabin like picnic areas with a grill. It would have been nice if we had a picnic and went kayaking, maybe next time. Overall, it was a nice little park. read more

There was some nice scenery in this park, but in the future, I wouldn't go in the summer. It was pretty empty and some of the trails were flooded, which was frustrating. It was also humid and buggy (the winter would probably be more pleasant). I agree with one of the other reviewers in that the signage could be better. I didn't realize that you had to drive to a different entrance to do the 6.5 mile walk, for instance. Also, parts of the trail were overgrown and not well maintained. However, there was a nice variety of different habitats and scenery. The bathrooms were very clean. read more

We are on the road every week of the year. We see good places in bad places. We see good attitude and bad attitudes. The staff of Little Manatee River State Park is first class. They went out of their way, above and beyond Judy, to help us with anything we need. The park is massive andPeaceful. The next time we are in the Tampa/ Bradenton area. We will make a point of coming back here. We really hate to leave after just10 days read more

Beautiful... We had a picnic, rented a canoe (only $15 for half day), saw big turtles, manatees feeding. Staff was friendly, helpful. Get away from the crowds... read more

Stopped here Saturday morning, Four bucks for day parking, and was almost empty except for campground being nearly full. Asked if I could sleep in my van at a campsite, told must have a tent. At $22 a night it's a bargain so close to Tampa Bay. South Hillsborough County still retains that country feeling, along with US301 having single lane each direction. Park entrance is less than half-mile from US301, but canoe rental is off US301 so a bit confusing. Playground by parking lot, then clean restroom behind it hidden by bushes from parking lot. Was tired from visiting a previous park so did not explore any trails, plus the large sign depicting all snakes that hang out here a bit intimidating. Remember to turn left toward US301 when leaving, as Lightfoot road is a dead end. Money well spent here. . read more

This is an excellent place to go to for a quiet relaxing weekend! I love going here when I need a home away from home. The trails are beautiful, lots of wildlife, and the kayaking was a TON of fun! I loved it so much I'm going back tonight! read more

I like the park, but when I last visited it with my friend, we got a rather brusque, no smiles, no chat ranger. Young and handsome, maybe that's why he had this superior attitude. Still, too bad read more

Out of the blue I decided to go hiking at LMSP. I arrived just before noon, paid my fee at the Ranger Station and made it to the Trail Head about 10 minutes later about a half mile north of the Parks entrance on route 301. The Ranger reminded me that because of frequent summer rains some of the 6.5 mile hiking trail would be wet and even muddy. Boy was she right. I started my hike to the north in the drier section of the trail. Within 100 yards I encountered a gofer tortoise and a scrub jay. About two miles later I saw a red shoulder hawk and another gofer tortoise. There was no sign of any other hikers or trail maintenance people the whole hike. In some areas the trail was really wet or muddy and I just forgot about trying to keep my feet dry - I just hiked thru the mud and water. It was refreshing in the heat of the day. Also, the trail was overgrown with weeds to the point where it was difficult to see the ground or to decide which way to hike. I should have taken my machete and cleared as I walked. The orange trail markings on the trees were often hidden due to the height of the overgrowth or too far apart to see from one to another. This was not a problem where the trail was worn from use by humans or hogs but needs to corrected for hiker safety. When the trail turned toward the river there were sections that were completely submerged and orange trail markings were too far apart. After a couple of short exploratory ventures I was able to locate the next mark and continue. There are many wooden walkways on the trail, especially near the river. Most were submerged by 8-10 inches of water but helpful by orienting the hiker to the trail. I used a couple of palm fronds as supports and carefully felt my way through these areas. Two black snakes crossed the trail in front of me as I hiked. I didn't see enough of them to get an ID but they were one of the highlight of my hike. I'm glad the afternoon rains waited until I was at my car (about 3 pm) so that decreased visibility was not a factor. While my hike in LMSP was definitely enjoyable - I like seeing all the critters - I felt the trail needed some maintenance (a little clearing and some more orange slashes on more trees) and the ranger should have been more emphatic about the trails condition. She should have let me know that portions of the trail were submerged. I will go back again but will probably wait until the dry season. Bugs were not a problem. read more