Experiences & Amenities

The Sand Pine Trail is a multi-use trail system for hiking and biking. The trail is a stacked loop system, covers approximately 3 miles, and provides access to the main day use areas and facilities in the park. In addition, the main park drive is a paved 3-mile road where bicycles are permitted.

• Helmets are highly recommended for all cyclists and Florida law requires helmets for cyclists age 16 and under.

The campground loop contains 30 sites for tent or RV camping. Each site has a picnic table, fire ring, water, and electrical pedestal with 20, 30 and 50 amp connections. A bathhouse with hot water showers is located in the center of the camping loop. 

Coin-operated washers and dryers are provided at the front exterior of the bathhouse. A dump station is available at the main entrance to the campground. Site numbers 2, 3 and 5 are wheelchair accessible, with a sidewalk at each site providing direct access to the campground bathhouse. Vegetation buffers provide privacy for each campsite. 

• Each site is permitted a maximum of eight people, two vehicles and one of the following combinations of camping units: two tents; or one RV (motorhome, fifth wheel, pop-up or camper equipped with electricity); or one RV and one tent. 
• Reservations can be made up to 11 months in advance. For reservations, visit the Florida State Parks reservations website or call 800-326-3521 or TDD 888-433-0287.

Equestrians can enjoy riding more than 15 miles of equestrian trails followed by an overnight stay in one of four sites in the equestrian campground. Each site has a picnic table, fire ring, water hook-up, and electrical hook-up with 20 and 30 amp connections.

Each site has use of two stalls in the horse stable directly behind the campsites. A full-facility bathhouse with hot water showers is located in the main campground, one-third mile from the equestrian campground. A dump station is available at the main entrance to the campground.

• Each site is permitted a maximum of eight people, two horses, two vehicles and one of the following combinations of camping units: two tents; or one horse trailer, pop-up or motorhome (30 amp maximum hook-up); or one tent and one horse trailer, pop-up or motorhome (30 amp maximum). 
• Reservations can be made up to 11 months in advance. For reservations, visit the Florida State Parks reservations website or call 800-326-3521 or TDD 888-433-0287.

The primitive campsite is a backpacking site for tent or hammock campers, located 2.5 miles down the primitive Florida Hiking Trail. The site is equipped with a picnic table and a fire ring; however, it has no electricity and no potable water. All supplies must be packed in and packed out.

• Pets are not permitted in the primitive camping areas.
• Individuals or small groups up to eight people can reserve the site up to two months in advance by calling the ranger station at 813-671-5005. 
• Primitive campers with reservations must check in at the ranger station at least two hours before sunset to allow enough time to reach the campsite before dark. Be sure to arrive before 5 p.m., when the ranger station closes.

The primitive camp is located along a channel of the Little Manatee River. The group/youth camp accommodates organized groups of tent campers up to 20 people. The primitive camp does not have electricity or potable water on-site. Primitive group campers can use the bathroom and shower facilities in the main campground, a 0.75-mile drive down a dirt service road from the primitive youth campsite.

• Vehicle access and parking is available at the site.
• Pets are not permitted in primitive camping areas.
• Collection of firewood is prohibited.

The primary representative of the group is responsible for the group adhering to park policies.

• Reservations for the group youth camp can be made up to two months in advance by calling the ranger station at 813-671-5005.
• The primitive camping fee is $5 (plus tax) per night for adults and $1 (plus tax) per night for campers under age 18.
• Tax-exempt organizations must provide a copy of the tax-exempt certificate and make payment in the form of an organization check or credit card.
• The group representative must check in at the ranger station before 5 p.m. or notify the ranger station if arrival time will be later. 

The 6-mile portion of the Little Manatee River that flows through the park is a rain-fed, tidally influenced freshwater river, providing fishing opportunities for both fresh and brackish water fish species. The best fishing access is by canoe or kayak. 

While bank fishing is permitted within the park, vehicle access to the best fishing locations is limited. The best bank fishing location - known as the Point - is accessible by foot or bicycle only and is 3/4 mile from the nearest parking area. Fishing in Dude Lake is not recommended as fish size is limited by the altered conditions of the man-made lake. 

• Anglers must possess both freshwater and saltwater fishing licenses, as the fresh and salt water boundary converges within park boundaries and a mix of both species is present. Anglers should be familiar with all applicable freshwater and saltwater fishing regulations as defined by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Fishing licenses can be purchased by phone at 1-888-486-8356, online through FWC or at any outdoor recreation store.

A 6.5-mile hiking trail is located in the north wilderness area in the park. This stacked loop trail is accessible from U.S. 301 North from the trailhead entrance on the north side of the Little Manatee River. The rustic trail takes hikers through many of the unique natural communities in the park, including riverine hammock and floodplains, scrubby flatwoods, mature sand pine forests and remnant sandhills. 

The trail crosses Cypress Creek, a major tributary of the Little Manatee River, and the scenic point where the creek feeds into the river. There are several points where the tall bluffs of the river bank offer picturesque overlooks along the Little Manatee River. 

• A primitive campsite is located 2.5 miles from the trailhead for hikers looking for a backpack hiking and overnight camping experience. The primitive backpacking site can be reserved by calling the ranger station at 813-671-5005. 

The Sandpine Trail is a network of trails that connect the main use areas of the park. Composed of three stacked loops and additional side trails, this trail has a total distance of over 2 miles. The trail leads through a mix of sandpine and oak scrub and scrubby flatwoods. Several old snags along these trails might offer a glimpse of one of the cavity nesters that live here, including a variety of woodpeckers or possibly a screech owl. 

Over 15 miles of multi-use hiking and equestrian trails offer many more hiking opportunities at the park. A huge network of narrow loop trails and wide firebreaks crisscross the southern half of the park. 

The primary trails within this multi-trail complex are the Dude Lake Trail, the Mustang Trail, the Blue Trail and the Yellow Trail. Firebreaks connect many of these primary trails to each other and can provide alternate routes for hiking and exploration. 

• Ask for a map of the trails at the ranger station.

Equestrians can enjoy riding more than 15 miles of equestrian trails. Additionally, many equestrians enjoy staying overnight in one of four equestrian campsites so they can catch the sunrise on horseback.

Little Manatee River: Canoeing and kayaking are two popular activities in the park. The Little Manatee River is a designated Outstanding Florida Water, deemed worthy of special protection due to its natural features and water quality. Approximately six miles of the river wind through the park, making up a large stretch of the designated paddling trail. 

The freshwater river makes many twists and turns through a shaded hammock of oaks, bays, ash and hickory in the narrow upstream portion where it enters the park near U.S. 301 South. 

Heading downstream, the river becomes more brackish, and the main channel is wide, open and sunny before exiting the park to complete its journey to Cockroach Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. The river is tidally influenced and constantly changing. 

• For current river conditions, please call the ranger station prior to planning your trip.

Canoe launch closures: The launch at the River Steps is temporarily closed. An alternate launch is available at Pavilion 1, approximately 1,000 feet from the parking lot in the main picnic area. Two canoe dollies are available to assist with hand-portage to this location. The key to unlock the dollies is available at the ranger station. Plans for safe and accessible improvements to the launch are underway at this time. 

• For updates on the canoe launch upgrades, river access or current river conditions, please contact the ranger station at 813-671-5005.

Paddling trail: The picnic area pavilions and nearby restrooms are approximately half-way between the east and west park boundaries (landmarks are U.S. 301 South and 24th Street, Ruskin). The park's primitive group camp and fish camp offer other pull-outs with picnic tables but no bathroom facilities. These pull-outs are not accessible by vehicle and cannot be used for launching vessels at this time. 

Picnics are popular at Little Manatee River State Park. Picnic tables and upright grills are scattered through the scrub, mostly shaded by mature sand pines. Follow the picnic area walkway down to the river, where three picnic pavilions sit on the banks of the river. 

A playground is located in the main picnic area adjacent to the picnic area parking lot. After your picnic, take a short stroll on the 0.8-mile Oxbow Nature Trail, adjacent to the main picnic area. 

Wheelchair-accessible restroom facilities are located along the picnic area walkway, 400 feet from the picnic area parking lot. A wheelchair-accessible picnic table, grill and slab are located directly adjacent to the picnic area parking lot.

The park is a great location for walking at any pace. For a brisk walk or jog, visitors may want to use the main park drive, a paved road approximately 2.5 miles long one-way. For a more natural setting at a slightly slower pace, the park offers nature, hiking and shared-use trails, all open to visitors on foot. 

Visitors wishing to explore some of the scenic locations in the park might choose a walk to Dude Lake on the shared-use equestrian trails, or a walk to the Point on the river using the youth camp service road or shared-use equestrian trail system.  

The Sandpine Trail is a shared-use hiking and biking trail that connects all the main visitor use areas together, from the River Steps Overlook to the picnic area, and the picnic area to the campground, accessible from any of these visitor use areas. 

The Oxbow Nature Trail is a short 0.8-mile loop trail accessible from the main picnic area. An additional 15 miles of shared-use equestrian and hiking trails crisscross throughout the south side of the park, accessible from the equestrian parking lot, and a 6.5-mile Florida Hiking Trail is located in the wilderness area on the north side of the park, accessible from U.S. 301 South. 

Additional information on the trail systems in the park can be found under Hiking Nature Trail and Horse Equestrian Trail. Request a trails map at the ranger station.

Wildlife viewing is one of the most popular pastimes in the park, which protects over 2,400 acres of habitat for hundreds of common Florida species and dozens of rare and listed species. Some of the best opportunities for wildlife viewing are at sunrise and sunset. Don't forget to bring a pair of binoculars, a camera and a trail map along for your next wildlife viewing adventure.

All wildlife in the park is protected and should be viewed from a distance. It is illegal to feed, harass, molest, trap or hunt animals in the park. 

Wildlife on the River

The Little Manatee River is home to many freshwater and brackish water species. Frequent river sightings include turtles, alligators and fish, with occasional sightings of otters and seasonal wildlife like the manatees. Freshwater turtles include the Florida cooter, snapping turtles, alligator snappers, chicken turtles and the Florida softshell. Fresh and brackish water fish include the Florida gar, bluegill, warmouth, many sunfish species, largemouth bass, catfish, snook and mullet, and little minnows like the mosquitofish, shiners and killifish.  

Many people visit the park for a chance to see the manatees in their natural environment. The manatees visit the river in the park in late spring and summer, then congregate in the Gulf of Mexico during the cold winter season. 

Like all wildlife, manatees are always on the move and rarely stay in the same place for very long. They cover a large territory as they swim and graze the banks of the river and the many oxbows along it, so the best opportunity to see them is by canoe or kayak. 

Wildlife in the Flatwoods, Scrub and other Uplands

Hundreds of animals inhabit the pine and scrubby flatwoods of the park, including white-tailed deer, rabbit, red fox, gray fox, bobcat, Eastern spotted skunk, raccoon and opossum. Gopher tortoises are often seen grazing along the road shoulders and the edges of the campsites in the park. Butterflies and insects can be readily found in every inch of the park, making for interesting wildlife observations at every turn.  

The park is a designated location along the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail. Bird species including cardinals, blue jays, sparrow, wrens, pileated woodpeckers and red bellied woodpeckers inhabit the park year-round. Birds of prey like the great horned owl, screech owl, several species of hawks and the kestrel also utilize the park year-round.

Wading birds such as ibis, herons, egrets, wood storks and roseate spoonbills feed in the marshes and wetlands. Sandhill cranes nest and raise their young here. The park has been home to a small family of Florida scrub-jays. We hope the scrub-jay population can be stabilized in the future as we take more intervention measures aimed at perpetuating this unique species. Ask for a complete bird list and guide at the ranger station. 

Snakes like the black racer, yellow rat snake, corn snake (red rat snake), ring neck snake and the kingsnake are the most common species, with occasional sightings of the rough green snake and mud snake and the rarely seen Eastern indigo snake, a highly threatened species. Venomous snakes in the park include the Eastern diamondback rattlesnake, pygmy rattlesnake, water moccasin and coral snake. 

The Wetland/Upland Interface

Many species use both upland and wetland habitats, making the edges of depression marshes, baygalls and oxbows a great place for viewing wildlife. All wildlife need water, so many species can be seen passing through wetland areas. 

Other species make their home along these wetland edges. Frog species including the pig frog, green tree frog, leopard frog, Southern peeper and the pinewoods tree frog, and toads like the spadefoot and oak toad among others inhabit the park. Box turtles and mud turtles are commonly found on the fringes of wetlands. 

Ask for a complete animal species list at the ranger station.