Little Manatee River State Park is a

Florida State Park There are 175 state parks and 9 state trails in the U.S. state of Florida which encompass more than , providing recreational opportunities for both residents and tourists. Almost half of the state parks have an associated local 501(c)(3) non-pr ...

located south of Sun City, off U.S. Route 301 on Lightfoot Road and along the

Little Manatee River The Little Manatee River flows , from east of Fort Lonesome, Florida South of Hwy 674 and Earl Reynolds Rd In Hillsborough County through southern Hillsborough County, Florida including towns such as Sun City, Florida, and Gulf City, Florida ...

. The park was established in 1974 as Little Manatee River State Recreation Area with 663 hectares. It was designated as a state park in March 1999. The

Florida Department of Environmental Protection The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) is the Florida government agency responsible for environmental protection. History By the mid-1960s, when the federal government was becoming increasingly involved in initiatives desig ...

's Division of Recreation and Parks manages that park under a 99-year lease, set to expire April 10, 2074.

Ecology

A survey of the park's vascular

flora Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous) native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' gut flora'' or '' skin flora''. E ...

was conducted from 1998 and 2000, identifying 523 taxa, 329 genera, and 116 families, of which 436 taxa were native, 88 were introduced, and 29 were endemic to Florida. Ten taxa found within the park are listed as either threatened, endangered, or commercially exploited, including '' Chrysopsis floridana'' and ''

Rhynchospora megaplumosa ''Rhynchospora megaplumosa'', the Manatee beaksedge, is a plant species endemic to a small region in central Florida. It is known from only 4 Counties: Polk, Hillsboro, Manatee Manatees (family Trichechidae, genus ''Trichechus'') are larg ...

''. Among the wildlife of the park are

Florida scrub jay The Florida scrub jay (''Aphelocoma coerulescens'') is one of the species of Aphelocoma, scrub jay native to North America. It is the only species of bird Endemism in birds, endemic to the U.S. state of Florida and one of only 15 species endemic ...

white-tailed deer The white-tailed deer (''Odocoileus virginianus''), also known as the whitetail or Virginia deer, is a medium-sized deer native to North America, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru and Bolivia. It has also been introduced t ...

warblers Various Passeriformes (perching birds) are commonly referred to as warblers. They are not necessarily closely related to one another, but share some characteristics, such as being fairly small, vocal, and insectivorous. Sylvioid warblers Th ...

raccoon The raccoon ( or , ''Procyon lotor''), sometimes called the common raccoon to distinguish it from other species, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest of the procyonid family, having a body length of , and a body weight of ...

nine-banded armadillo The nine-banded armadillo (''Dasypus novemcinctus''), also known as the nine-banded long-nosed armadillo or common long-nosed armadillo, is a mammal found in North, Central, and South America, making it the most widespread of the armadillos. It ...

bobcat The bobcat (''Lynx rufus''), also known as the red lynx, is a medium-sized cat native to North America. It ranges from southern Canada through most of the contiguous United States to Oaxaca in Mexico. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUC ...

American alligator The American alligator (''Alligator mississippiensis''), sometimes referred to colloquially as a gator or common alligator, is a large crocodilian reptile native to the Southeastern United States. It is one of the two extant species in the g ...

s and

North American river otter The North American river otter (''Lontra canadensis''), also known as the northern river otter and river otter, is a semiaquatic mammal that endemism, only lives on the North American continent, along its waterways and coasts. An adult North Amer ...

Operations

Activities include kayaking, canoeing, fishing, and horseback riding, as well as camping, walking, hiking, and wildlife viewing. Amenities include a hiking trail, of hiking and equestrian trails and four equestrian campsites, a full-facility campground, a primitive campsite along the trail and a youth/group campground. There is a picnic area along the river with tables, grills, and pavilions. The park is open from 8:00 am till sundown year-round.

Ecology

Operations

References

External links