Lettuce Lake Conservation Park is located in Tampa, Florida and is one of Hillsborough County most visited park. It is located in 6920 East Fletcher Avenue. This park’s property runs near the Hillsborough River and consists of a variety of Florida’s ecosystem: beautiful swamp forest’s/wetland, hardwood hammocks and pine flat wood plants. The park is open 7 days of the week and depending on the season you visit, the hours may change. On Spring and Summer days its open from 8:00 am until 7:00 pm and during Fall and Winter days its open from 8:00 am until 6:00 pm. There is a small fee of $2 per vehicle (Up to 8 persons per vehicle). Lettuce Lake Park is a great place to visit, relax, enjoy and disconnect with nature.
Lettuce Lake Park has various amenities and activities you can do and use if you are planning to visit. The Amenities are the following: Restrooms, Playgrounds, Picnic Shelters, Paved Trails, Hiking Trails, Boardwalks, Barbecue Grills, Boat Dock, Various Parkings and a Visitor Center. Some of the activities you can enjoy in the park are the following: Bird Watching, Canoe Rentals, Kayak Rentals, Picnicking, Jogging, Running, Walking and/or doing Exercise. This park has particular areas for picnics, playground and a big field where you or the kids can run and play. It has 1.25 mile paved exercise trail and 3,500 foot boardwalk with an observation tower that provides a view of the Hillsborough River. For park hours, amenities, events and additional information, you can visit the following link.
My tips to have a great experience:
- Pay Attention to the Weather prior days in advance.
- I suggest arriving early due to the High Temperatures Florida has.
- Arrive early if interested on using the Barbecue Grills or Picnic Shelters.
- Use Sunscreen.
- Use Bugspray.
- Bring Plenty of Drinkable Water (Florida can get very HOT!).
- Bring Snacks or something to give you energy (Ex. Banana, Bars, Trail Mix).
- Wear Comfortable clothes and shoes.
My experience visiting Lettuce Lake Park was great. It was my first time visiting a swampy forest and it definitely has a lot of natures beauty in it. We went at the beginning of September 2020 and spent around 2 hours at the park, just walking, enjoying and viewing the beautiful surroundings this place has to offer. We also enjoyed listening to the variety of birds sign. The waters on the Boardwalk area were high and the Observation Tower unfortunately was closed the day we visited. The boardwalk has a couple sitting places where you can rest, re-charge and drink some water. I wasn’t able to locate any gators either, and I really wanted to see one in their swampy habitat. It is a nice place to visit if you want to go somewhere at the last minute and don’t want to spend much money on the activity you are planning to do.
The next time you decide to take a trip to Tampa, no matter if you are a local or tourist, I recommend Lettuce Lake Park. It is a great place to relax and recharge. Like mentioned previously, it is a nice place to visit when you just want to go somewhere at the last minute. As a friendly reminder, try to always get out of the daily routine and explore your surroundings. Do things that make you happy, relax and full with energy. It can give you peace and that is something we all need in these times. Additionally, keep in mind that there is something to do in your own city and state. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to go somewhere far and have fun. Also, Always, ALWAYS! use your SPF and re-apply every couple of hours, your skin will thank you for it.
During the pandemic/Covid-19 days, always try to keep the CDC guidelines. Please follow the 6 foot distance rule from other families, wear a mask whenever possible and if your health permits it. Wash your hands, take hand sanitizer and go as early as possible to avoid being in big crowds.
As always, hoped you enjoyed this blog. Feel free to reply and recommend new places for me to visit. Thank you so much for reading this post.
Kind Regards,
Jaileen
