Cypress Creek Preserve - Member Hike
| Hike Name: | Cypress Creek Preserve |
|---|---|
| Country: | United States |
| State: | Florida |
| Nearby Town: | Tampa |
| Rating: |  |
| Directions: | Nestled in between I-275 and I-75 near the Pasco-Hillsborough county line. The gate is behind Freedom HS near the baseball field. |
| Total Hike Distance: | 5.00 miles |
| Hike Difficulty: | Moderate to Difficult |
| Permit Required: | No |
| Hike Type: | Roundtrip, Loop Hike |
| Hike Starts/Ends: | At the property gate behind Freedom HS |
| Trails Used: | Cypress Creek Loop Trail |
| Backcountry Campsites: | No |
| Backcountry Water Sources: | None |
| Management: | Other |
| Contact Information: | Wildlife Fellowship Inc. www.wildfellow.org or ME |
| Best Season: | Winter, Spring |
| Users: | Hikers |
| Road Conditions: | Unmaintained Gravel or Dirt Roads |
| Hike Summary: | This hike is actually a bit difficult because it is on a tract seldom used, not marked or blazed, and very overgrown in areas. The trail is hard to follow and turns are easy to miss. You would not think such a wild area could exist in between 2 interstates adjacent to the best urban sprawl Florida has to offer. But this tract is one of the wildest FL hikes around, if only because of lack of maintenance. Cypress Creek Preserve was acquired by Hillsborough County as part of the Environmental Land Acquisition Program ( ELAP) There actually is an onsite ranger who lives there. This section came close to having a major connector road being built right through it. The only mapping I found is in a publication came across called" A guide to Natural Areas in the Tampa Bay Region" by Rob Heath of Wildlife Fellowship, Inc. Cypress Creek, which is a major tributary of the Hillsborough River, where we Tampans get much of our water, runs down the middle E/W of this tract. During wet season, this makes for a tricky wet crossing on this loop. I have only hiked it during dry to drier seasons. After much opposition, a new mall is being built just to the north near the head of the creek. Though surrounded by Tampa Palms and interstates, there is alot of wildlife out here. This is the only local tract where I have ever encountered an aggressive behaving alligator. She was laying on the trail and did not want to move. She turned around, got up on all fours and hissed loudly at me. I think I inadvertently got in between her and her nest. Normally gators in the wild will flee when they see you. Years ago before all the development, hunters frequented the area. There are still remnants of two old hunt camps out there. I think some folk still illegally hunt out there as on one occasion I found a bunch of feed corn strewn along the road. This area is one of a few natural "refuges" I frequent in this densely populated area of Florida. |
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