Alafia River State Park

Alafia River State Park is a Florida State Park, located near Picnic in Hillsborough County in central Florida, 17 miles southeast of Tampa on County Road 39. Even before it became a park, the area, and particularly Hurrah Lake, was the center of leisure activities since the early 1880s.[1]

Alafia River State Park
LocationHillsborough County, Florida, United States
Nearest cityLithia, Florida
Coordinates27°46′48.41″N 82°8′41.05″W
Governing bodyFlorida Department of Environmental Protection

Recreational activities

The park has such amenities as bicycling, birding, canoeing, fishing, hiking, horse trails, picnicking areas, wildlife viewing and full camping facilities. Especially known for its mountain biking, it has advanced trails in an area of the park that was once a phosphorus strip mine. The mountain bike trails were originally created and maintained by the SouthWest Association of Mountain Bike Pedalers (SWAMP) club,[2] but are now maintained by the Friends of Alafia club.[3] The forest has grown back. The mine was abandoned before remediation laws took effect, and the area where mountain biking exists is an erratic mixture of pond depressions and abrupt hills jutting from the surface.

Mountain Biking

Alafia State Park is home to 17 miles of bike trails that range from novice to highly advanced sections.[4] The trails are rated Epic by the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA). The trailhead parking lot consists of bathrooms, bicycle rinsing stations, shaded pavilions, a volleyball net and a playground.[5] Alafia Trails are maintained and kept in safe conditions by the Friends of Alafia on a regular basis. The trails are solely preserved by volunteers so that park staff can focus on resource management tasks and other maintenance.[6] Alafia State Park regularly posts on Instagram of updates and maintenance happening to the trails. Alafia also hosts a Mountain Biking Skills Clinic that is designed to enhance a riders capability on the trails.[7]

  • Great blue heron
  • On the Alafia River near Lithia Springs Park
  • An American alligator near the campground
  • Hurrah Lake on the Alafia River
  • Footpath to the left, tough cycle path to the right
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References
  1. "Fort Lonesome Was No Picnic". Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  2. "SWAMP Mountain Bike Club" (PDF). State of Florida. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
  3. "Friends of Alafia". State of Florida. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
  4. "Best Trails in Alafia River State Park". AllTrails.com. Retrieved 2020-04-07.
  5. "Alafia River State Park Mountain Bike Trail in Brandon, Florida || SINGLETRACKS.COM". www.singletracks.com. Retrieved 2020-04-07.
  6. "Volunteer Spotlight, Alafia Trail Crew". Florida State Parks. Retrieved 2020-04-07.
  7. "Events". Florida State Parks. Retrieved 2020-04-07.
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