Upper Tampa Bay Park

​On the western edge of Tampa facing Oldsmar is a gem of a park named Upper Tampa Bay Park. Packed into this quiet peninsula on the northern part of the bay is a nature center, three trails, a good playground, water fountains, plenty of parking, and most importantly plenty of restrooms. There are many covered picnic tables and pavilions. You can also rent canoes there.

Now I see why there is no swimming.

​The trails are wide and come in a variety of surfaces. Some are dirt, some are shell fill, and some are grassy. There are also boardwalks. I first walked along the east side of the park where there was water access, but no swimming allowed. Along the path heading south it seemed much like an ordinary Florida coastal park but as if an artist had added just a few subtle highlights to give it a totally new look. Blackened palms from controlled burns stood out against the surrounding green and brown. Red runners reached across the white sand. One trunk had the most interesting burn design.

​I hadn't yet seen any animals. This is because they were all hiding on the second trail. I saw a cardinal, a white butterfly, a yellow butterfly, and was unfortunately seen myself by a deer fly, but I got rid of it. This area was grassy.

​The third trail leads to the west side of the peninsula. On the way I saw another cardinal poking around the leaves on the ground in the middle of the trail. The trail ends in a short boardwalk on the edge of the water of Mobbly Bay across which are numerous mysterious antenna-like structures on the next peninsula. Could this be where the ziplines I’ve heard about are? It would have been a nice place to sit and write, but I had not brought my notebook. On the way back, I saw a baby insect crossing the trail.

I went back to my car and sat in one of the pavilions to write while small grey birds poked through the grass next to me and the breeze caressed my skin. I was impressed with how quiet it was. It's a great place to spend a Friday afternoon in March.
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8001 Double Branch Road, Tampa, Florida