South Shore EcoTourism Brochure

T
he ideal ecotourism destination,
SouthShore in Hillsborough County,
features some of Florida’s best natural
surroundings. Two scenic rivers, the Alafia and
the Little Manatee, with tidal inlets leading out
to open bay water invite endless enjoyment
for all ages. Meandering inlets and sunlit bay
waters, mangroves, islands, bird sanctuaries
and marshy canoe and kayak trails offer an
ideal paradise for recreation and fun. Miles
of hiking and biking trails, open swimming
beaches, fresh water springs, and thousands
of acres of natural marine estuaries are among
the area’s natural highlights.
Tips & Tricks
for Spotting Wildlife
• Be as quiet as possible
• Walk slowly
• Watch and listen for movement
• Keep your eyes and head
moving in all directions
• Stand or sit still for
a few minutes
• Take time to look
at ordinary things
F
lorida is a birder’s paradise, thanks to its
diversity of habitats, location on migratory
routes, extensive wilderness, and geographic
span of temperate and subtropical climates.
Nearly 500 species are documented, including
the rare Florida burrowing owl, the Florida
scrub jay, the snail kite and Florida’s wealth
of wading birds. For details on statewide
locations, see www.floridabirdingtrail.com.
The SouthShore area of Hillsborough County
features the following highlights.
Balm-Boyette Scrub Nature Preserve
Located near Riverview, the Balm-Boyette Scrub Nature
Preserve of 4,916-acres is unique in the county with
its high percentage of undisturbed upland habitat,
especially the rare scrub habitat. Natural habitats
include sand pine scrub, xeric oak scrub, pine flatwoods,
hardwood hammock, wet prairie, freshwater marsh,
cypress swamp and hardwood swamp. Many protected
species of plants and animals have been documented
here. For details, contact the Conservation Services
Division of the Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation
and Conservation Department at (813) 672-7876.
Camp Bayou Outdoor Learning Center
On the Little Manatee River in Ruskin, the 160-acre
preserve packs diverse Florida habitats into a small
space. It offers a Nature Center, Fossil Museum, Native
Peoples Camp, butterfly habitat, native plant gardens,
canoe launch, and trails through pine flatwoods,
hardwood hammock and wetlands. It is home to a
gopher tortoise population (a Florida species of special
concern) and other interesting plants and animals.
Camp Bayou Outdoor Learning Center operates
as a partnership between the
Hillsborough County Parks,
Recreation and Conservation
Department and the Ruskin
Community Development
Foundation, Inc. For information,
visit www.campbayou.org, or call
(813) 641-8545.
Alafia Banks
Bird Sanctuary
The Alafia Banks Bird Sanctuary is on two spoil islands
at the mouth of the Alafia River near Riverview. Ranked
as the most important wading bird colony in Florida, it
has one of the most diverse, well-established nesting
colonies in North America. Contact Tampa Audubon
Society at www.tampaaudubon.org.
Cockroach Bay Nature Preserve
Located in Ruskin, the Cockroach Bay Nature Preserve
encompasses an aquatic preserve and uplands with
remnant hammock habitats, as well as upland and
wetland restoration areas. Foot access is allowed in
the uplands, except for active restoration areas. The
aquatic preserve includes 8,500 acres of submerged
lands, the uplands nature preserve of 640 acres, and
the Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection
Program (ELAPP) land along the Little Manatee River of
almost 7,000 acres. The Cockroach Bay Barrier Islands
have about 130 acres of uplands that are part of the
Florida Department of Environmental Protection Nature
Buffer Preserve. For details, contact the Preserve Office
at (813) 671-7754.
Canoeing & Kayaking
Alafia River Canoe Rentals, Inc.
4419 River Drive
Valrico, Florida 33594
(813) 689-8645
Canoe Outpost - Little Manatee River
18001 S. US Hwy 301
Wimauma, Florida 33598
(813) 634-2228
www.canoeingfun.com
Osprey Bay Outdoors
On US Hwy 41 between Shell Point & College Road
48 Dickman Drive S.W.
Ruskin, Florida 33570
Hours: By Appointment
(813) 645-7600
www.ospreybay.com
A
pproximately 18 miles of off-road trails
are available in the 4,933-acre BalmBoyette Scrub Nature Preserve. It features
six miles of easy double-track, ten miles of
intermediate single-track and two miles of
technical berm trail along lakes. For details,
contact the Conservation Services Division of
the Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and
Conservation Department at (813) 672-7876.
The Alafia River State Park, at 14326 S.
County Road 39 in Lithia, is one of the most
favored off-road biking choices in Florida. On
17 miles of trails, skilled riders from all parts
of Florida enjoy this collection of scary drops,
hillside ledges, high-speed banked turns and
intimidating ridge tops. This single-track is built
on the rugged terrain of a previously mined
area. Contact the Alafia River State Park office
at (813) 672-5320.
The SouthWest Association of Mountainbike
Pedalers (SWAMP clubbers) built and
maintains trails at both locations. Visit
www.swampclub.org for more information.
Inter-Bay Moorings
6210 Ohio Avenue
Gibsonton, Florida 33534
(813) 677-2739
www.interbaymoorings.com
Lands End Marina
1212 Apollo Beach Boulevard
Apollo Beach, Florida 33572
(813) 645-5594
Shell Point Marina
3340 W. Shell Point Road
Ruskin, Florida 33570-3029
(813) 645-1313
www.shellpointmarina.com
Visit http://hillsboroughcounty.org/parks/
parkservices/BoatWeb.pdf for additional
information.
Cockroach Bay Boat Ramp
Cockroach Bay Road, West of US Hwy 41
Ruskin, Florida 33570
(813) 635-3500
Domino Park Boat Ramp
South end of 22nd Avenue & 8th Avenue
Ruskin, Florida 33570
(813) 635-3500
E.G. Simmons County Park
2401 19th Avenue N.W.
Ruskin, Florida 33570
(813) 671-7655
Riverview Boat Ramp
11020 Park Drive (at the Riverview Civic Center)
Riverview, Florida 33569
(813) 635-3500
Ruskin Commongood Boat Ramp
121 Street and 2nd Street
Ruskin, Florida 33570
(813) 635-3500
Wildcat Creek Boat Ramp
110 Stephens Road
Ruskin, Florida 33570
(813) 635-3500
Williams Boat Ramp
5705 Hillsboro Street
Riverview, Florida 33598
(813) 635-3500
Fishing Charters
Afishionado
Guide Services
Reel Simple
Fishing Adventures
Captain Wade Osborne
(813) 286-3474
www.afishionado.com
Captain Ric Liles
(813) 601-2900
www.reelsimplecharters.com
Ana Banana
Fishing Company
The Resort & Club
at Little Harbor
Fishing Charters
Captain Joel Brandenburg
611 Destiny Drive
1 (877) SNOOKON
Ruskin, Florida 33570
1 (877) (766-6566)
www.anabananafishing.com (813) 645-3291 or
1 (800) 327-2773
www.staylittleharbor.com/
Any Tide
recreation-fishing.asp
Charters, Inc.
Captain Shawn Koenig
S & I Charters, Inc.
(813) 843-4764
Captain Sergio Atanes
www.anytidecharters.com
(813) 973-7132
www.reelfishy.com
Captain Fred
Everson
(813) 830-8890
Shell Point Charters
www.tampabayfishingguide.com Captain Chet Jennings
Mangrove Madness
Captain Ron Harter
(813) 645-5388
www.mangrovemadnessfishing
charters.com
(888) TARPON1
(888) 827-7661
www.floridaflatsfishing.com
es
s.com
b
m/
.
rs
com
Liberty Charters
Captain George Kupelian
Ruskin, Florida
(813) 293-8606
Licensed for 49 passengers for custom
sightseeing tours.
Snooky Bear
Fishing Charters
Captain Art Paiva
(813) 645-2364
www.snookybearcharters.com
Southpaw Charters
Captain Doug Fisher
(813) 267-4086
www.southpawcharters.com
Tampa Bay Snooker
Captain Rob Burns
(813) 404-6300
www.TampaBaySnooker.com
Tampa Flats Fishing
Captain Woody Gore
(813) 982-2034
www.captainwoodygore.com
Equestrian /Horseback Riding
Alafia River Corridor Nature Preserve
14326 S. County Road 39
Lithia, Florida 33547
(813) 672-7876
Little Manatee River State Park
215 Lightfoot Road
Wimauma, Florida 33598
(813) 671-5005
Stephen J. Wortham County Park
Rhodine Scrub Horse Trail
12108 Rhodine Road
Riverview, Florida 33569
(813) 672-7876
T
he Balm-Boyette Scrub Preserve in
Riverview has almost six miles of hiking
trails that highlight the preserve and adjacent
Triple Creek Preserve. For details, contact
the Conservation Services Division of the
Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and
Conservation Department at (813) 672-7876.
On US Highway 301 south of Sun City, the
Little Manatee River State Park provides
access to a preserved sliver of wilderness
along the Little Manatee River. The hiking trail,
with loops of 3 and 6.5 miles, is one of the
most interesting day hikes in Central Florida,
with a broad diversity of habitats and scenic
views along the river and Cypress Creek. A
primitive backcountry campsite awaits hikers
who wish to spend a peaceful night under the
stars. For details, call (813) 671-5005, or visit
www.floridastateparks.org/littlemanateeriver.
Discover Florida’s hundreds of opportunities for
hiking at www.floridatrail.org.
Fossil Viewing & Hunting
Paleo Preserve Fossil Museum
At Camp Bayou
4140 24th Street S.E.
Ruskin, Florida 33570
(813) 641-7691
www.paleopreserve.org
Museum is open on Saturdays, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Admission free. Collecting in the fossil pit - $4 fee
for 15 minutes. For group tours during the week,
contact Frank Garcia.
Geocaching
G
eocaching (pronounced “geocashing”)
is an outdoor treasure-hunting sport in
which the participants use a Global Positioning
System (GPS) receiver or other navigational
techniques to hide and seek containers (called
“geocaches” or “caches”) anywhere in the
world. A typical cache is a small waterproof
container containing a logbook and “treasure,”
usually a toy or trinket of little monetary value.
To learn more about the over 1,000 geocache
sites in the SouthShore area, visit www.
geocaching.com/seek. Use the zip code search
feature for location coordinates.
Ecotours
Alligator Bob Ecotours
P.O. Box 522
Thonotosassa, Florida 33592-0522
(813) 986-3008 or (800) 342-1217
www.gatorbob.com/ecotours
A true “Discovering Florida™” experience featuring
canoe trail trips on aquatic preserves and leisure walks
in coastal ecosystems to view birds, native plants,
butterflies and other wildlife with Alligator Bob Young,
a Florida Master Naturalist.
Bay Spirit Tours
701 Channelside Drive
Tampa, Florida 33602
(813) 273-4000
www.flaquarium.org
See the Bay in a whole new way aboard our brand new
Ecotour boat! The Bay Spirit II departs daily from The
Florida Aquarium for Wild Dolphin Ecotours at noon and
2 p.m. (weather permitting). This 130 passenger, doubledecker catamaran offers air conditioning and large viewing
windows below and open air, sun protected viewing above.
Call ahead to verify tour times and availability:
Adults $21.95, Seniors 60+ $19.95, Children under 12
$17.95, Children 2 & under Free
Gus’s Crabby Adventures
3031 S.W. Manatee Avenue
Ruskin, Florida 33570-2809
(813) 645-6063
baychopgus@tampabay.rr.com
Experience environmental education, adventure and
romance on Tampa Bay with Gus Muench, a 31-year blue
crab commercial fisherman. Enjoy a four-hour adventure
on a real crab boat. Learn how to pull and bait crab traps.
Catch, clean, steam, and eat stone crabs or blue crabs.
REEF (Ruskin Environmental
Education Florida)
Contact: Dolly Cummings
106 Janie Street
Ruskin, Florida 33570
(813) 363-5438
Still Water Outdoors
503 E. Paris Street
Tampa, Florida 33604
(813) 625-8440
www.stillwateroutdoors.com
Nature Education Centers
Camp Bayou Outdoor Learning Center
4140 24th Street S.E.
Ruskin, Florida 33570
(813) 641-8545
Mailing address: 315 S. Tamiami Trail
Ruskin, Florida 33570
www.campbayou.org
(3 miles south of State Road 674, off I-75 exit 240)
Manatee Viewing Center /
Tampa Electric Company
6990 Dickman Road
Apollo Beach, Florida 33572
(813) 630-6972
www.tampaelectric.com/manatee
Open November 1 - April 15
Parks
Alafia River State Park
14326 S. County Road 39
Lithia, Florida 33547
(813) 672-5320
www.floridastateparks.org/alafiariver
Aldermans Ford Park
9625 Canoe Launch Loop
Lithia, Florida 33547
(813) 757-3801
www.hillsboroughcounty.org/parks/parkservices
E.G. Simmons Park
2401 19th Avenue N.W.
Ruskin, Florida 33570
(813) 671-7655
www.hillsboroughcounty.org/parks/parkservices
Egmont Key State Park
4905 34th Street S., #5000
St. Petersburg, Florida 33711
(727) 893-2627
www.floridastateparks.org/egmontkey
Egmont Key is cooperatively managed by the Florida
Department of Environmental Protection, U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Service and U.S. Coast Guard. Although the entire island is
primarily a wildlife refuge, visitors are welcome to enjoy its
natural and cultural history. Accessible by private boat only.
Little Manatee River State Park
215 Lightfoot Road
Wimauma, Florida 33598
(813) 671-5005
www.floridastateparks.org/littlemanateeriver
Y
Golf
Apollo Beach Golf Club
801 Golf and Sea Boulevard
Apollo Beach, Florida 33572
(813) 645-6212
www.apollobeachgolf.com
The Golf Club at Cypress Creek
1011 Cypress Village Boulevard
Ruskin, Florida 33573
(813) 634-8888
www.cypresscreekgolfclub.com
Summerfield Crossings Golf Club
13050 Summerfield Boulevard
Riverview, Florida 33579
(813) 671-3311
www.summerfieldgc.com
Water Sports
BoatWorks at Little Harbor
611 Destiny Drive
Ruskin, Florida 33570
(813) 739-9690
Features a 1.5 to 2 hour Eco-Jet Ski Tour on the
Little Manatee River. Kayaks, waverunners and
Hobie Cat Sailboats are available to rent.
Sailboat Regattas and Racing
Tampa Sailing Squadron
1250 Apollo Beach Boulevard
Apollo Beach, Florida 33572
(813) 645-4423
www.tampasailing.org
Bed & Breakfast
Behind the Fence Bed & Breakfast Inn
1400 Viola Drive
Brandon, Florida 33511
(813) 685-8201
Palmer House Bed & Breakfast
2221 Hinton Ranch Road
Lithia, Florida 33547
(813) 654-0961 or 1 (888) 772-3348
www.palmer-house.com
Southern Comfort Bed & Breakfast
2409 Ravine Drive West
Ruskin, Florida 33570
(813) 645-6361
www.southerncomfortbedandbreakfast.com
Hotel/Motel
Comfort Inn
718 Cypress Village Boulevard
Sun City Center, Florida 33573
(813) 633-3318
(Just east of I-75 interchange)
Comfort Motel
1804 S. US Hwy 41
Ruskin, Florida 33570
(813) 645-4348
Holiday Inn Express
3113 College Avenue East
Ruskin, Florida 33570
(813) 641-3437
(On west side of I-75 interchange)
Resort
The Resort & Club at Little Harbor
“A Caribbean-style Island Resort”
611 Destiny Drive
Ruskin, Florida 33570
(813) 645-3291 or (800) 327-2773
www.StayLittleHarbor.com
Pirate’s Pointe Resort
1800 Kofresi Court
Ruskin, Florida 33570
(877) 641-2052 or (813) 641-2052
www.PiratesPointeResort.com
Calendar of
Explore MORE in SouthShore
Located 20 minutes south of Tampa, SouthShore features an abu
or weekend getaway. Visit www.visittampabay.com and click on V
and then SAMPLE ITINERARIES for suggested activities to disco
of Tampa Bay and nearby rivers, learn about the area’s natural en
featuring the flavors of the region.
Annual Events in SouthShore
February
Annual Chili Cook-off
The 3rd Saturday in February
E.G. Simmons Park, Ruskin
(813) 671-7655
March
Apollo Beach Manatee Festival of the A
Arts
rts
(813) 645-1366
www.apollobeachchamber.com/manatee.htm
April
Riverview Hog Roast and Silent Auction
(813) 234-5944
www.riverviewchamber.com
Ruskin Family Fishing Tournament
E.G. Simmons Park
Sponsored by GFWC Ruskin Junior Woman’s Club
www.ruskinjuniorwomansclub.org
Camp Bayou Spring Open House
(813) 363-5438
www.campbayou.org
May
Ruskin Tomato & Heritage Festival
Always the 1st weekend in May
(813) 633-1355
www.ruskintomatofestival.org
October
Florida State Championship Series
erie
er
ies
s5
Off-road Mountain Bike Race
Alafia River State Park
www.goneriding.com
dar of Events
e features an abundance of activities and is perfect for a daytrip
m and click on VISITORS. From there, select AREA INFO
activities to discover historic homes, enjoy the scenic waters
area’s natural environment, and sample home-cooked meals
s
m
s Club
November
Ruskin Seafood Festival
Always the 1st weekend in November
(813) 645-3808
www.ruskinseafoodfestival.org
Alafia Fat Tire Festival
Off-road Mountain Bike Race
Alafia River State Park
(813) 689-5109
www.swampclub.org
The X-Country Marathon
Full-Marathon, Half-Marathon and 5K Courses
Alafia River State Park
(813) 672-5320
www.tamparaces.com
Alafia Challenge Canoe and Kayak Race
(813) 684-7300
www.alafiachallenge.com
Organized by the Alafia River Basin Stewardship
Council and the Hillsborough County Parks,
Recreation and Conservation Department, the event
benefits preservation programs for the Alafia River.
December
Riverview Lighted Boat Parade and Chili Cook-off
(813) 234-5944
www.riverviewchamber.com
Camp Bayou Holiday Open House
e
(813) 363-5438
www.campbayou.org
SouthShore sits beside the blue waters of Tampa Bay in the southern part
of Hillsborough County. This environmentally conscious region includes the
communities of Apollo Beach, Riverview, Ruskin, Sun City, Sun City Center,
Balm, Fishhawk, Gibsonton, MiraBay, Summerfield and Wimauma.
For more information, see www.southshoreflorida.com.
This project is made possible through funding provided by the Hillsborough
County Board of County Commissioners / Tourist Development Council.
www.hillsboroughcounty.org/econdev/tourism
Research by: Anne Arthur • Graphic Design by: Bernie Kunz
Cover Photo “Laughing Turtle” by: Alligator Bob