Tampa Bay Area
Settlement of the Tampa Bay area began in 1819 after Florida was acquired from the Spanish by the United States, although some Native American villages existed here beforehand. In 1824, the Spanish built Fort Brooke at the mouth of the Hillsborough River where present-day downtown Tampa is located. The then-small town of Tampa sprung up around the location of the fort. In the mid to late 1800s, several yellow fever epidemics spread through the area, limiting the population in Tampa and forcing residents to move elsewhere. Tampa remained a fishing village into the late 1800s, until several incidents occurred that greatly increased settlement of the area. Phosphate was located near Tampa, and even today, phosphate is still distributed around the world from the Port of Tampa. This in turn spurred the development of Ybor City and West Tampa, and due to the discovery of phosphate, Tampa turned into one of the largest cities in Florida in no time. Then, in 1885, cigar manufacturing became another important operation in Tampa, as the cigar manufacturing factory was moved from Key West to Tampa. This caused Tampa to grow fast, and the growth of the city continued at a major level following World War II. The MacDill Air Force Base (first known as MacDill Field) was constructed near downtown Tampa on the shores of Tampa Bay. During the 1950s and 1960s, Tampa grew like never before and never since. Even in recent times, in the late 1900s, Tampa has been growing, with New Tampa growing as a separate area northeast of downtown Tampa. Today, the Tampa Bay Metro Area (Tampa/St. Petersburg/Clearwater) is the fourth largest metro area in the Southeast US, and the second largest metro area in Florida, home to nearly three million residents. Miami is the only city that is larger than Tampa in Florida.
At first thought, one may not think of the Tampa Bay Area as a great hiking area. In reality, it very much is a great area for Florida hiking enthusiasts. There is a large variety of ecosystems spread throughout the region, from coastal salt marshes and mangroves, to island uplands, to lush river valleys with small rapids. The single best-known area for hiking in the Tampa Bay area is located just to the northeast of metro Tampa: the Hillsborough River corridor, home to the vast Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve and Hillsborough River State Park. To the northwest of Tampa, there are many parks and preserves with short hiking trails, such as Brooker Creek Preserve and Conner Preserve. To the southwest of Tampa, near downtown St. Petersburg, lies the Weedon Island Preserve, one of the best urban getaways in the entire Tampa Bay area. Near Clearwater, Caladesi Island State Park and Honeymoon Island State Park provide great island hiking and miles of wild beaches that are not found often on Florida's coastline. On the south side of the Tampa Bay area, older conservation areas such as Fort Desoto Park and Emerson Point Preserve (near Bradenton and near the boundary of the Tampa Bay area and Sarasota area) provide nature trails that guide you through coastal ecosystems. Newer conservation areas such as Terra Ceia State Park and Cockroach Bay Preserve are still in the development phase and will soon provide more recreational opportunities along the coast of Tampa Bay. Near the east shore of Tampa Bay, parks such as Little Manatee River State Park, Alderman's Ford Preserve, and Alafia River State Park provide access to more rivers that flow into Tampa Bay, coursing over rapids along the way.
At first thought, one may not think of the Tampa Bay Area as a great hiking area. In reality, it very much is a great area for Florida hiking enthusiasts. There is a large variety of ecosystems spread throughout the region, from coastal salt marshes and mangroves, to island uplands, to lush river valleys with small rapids. The single best-known area for hiking in the Tampa Bay area is located just to the northeast of metro Tampa: the Hillsborough River corridor, home to the vast Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve and Hillsborough River State Park. To the northwest of Tampa, there are many parks and preserves with short hiking trails, such as Brooker Creek Preserve and Conner Preserve. To the southwest of Tampa, near downtown St. Petersburg, lies the Weedon Island Preserve, one of the best urban getaways in the entire Tampa Bay area. Near Clearwater, Caladesi Island State Park and Honeymoon Island State Park provide great island hiking and miles of wild beaches that are not found often on Florida's coastline. On the south side of the Tampa Bay area, older conservation areas such as Fort Desoto Park and Emerson Point Preserve (near Bradenton and near the boundary of the Tampa Bay area and Sarasota area) provide nature trails that guide you through coastal ecosystems. Newer conservation areas such as Terra Ceia State Park and Cockroach Bay Preserve are still in the development phase and will soon provide more recreational opportunities along the coast of Tampa Bay. Near the east shore of Tampa Bay, parks such as Little Manatee River State Park, Alderman's Ford Preserve, and Alafia River State Park provide access to more rivers that flow into Tampa Bay, coursing over rapids along the way.
