August 3rd
Leaving the rat race behind: The beautiful Hillsborough River

Signs of times

 To arrive in paradise, you often have to work for it, such as driving through downtown Tampa at rush hour or negotiating treacherous I 4. Any surge in blood pressure or spike in aggravation level is definately worth it once you arrive at Morris Bridge State Park just East of Tampa. Forget Busch Gardens or Ybor City, having fun in Tampa for me is heading to the Wilderness Parks in Thonotosassa for a day of kayaking. The Wilderness Parks are a group of parks located on the upper stretch of the 54 mile long Hillsborough River, which runs from the Green swamp to Tampa Bay. The Hillsborough is one of the "big four" rivers in the Tampa Bay area, which includes the Little Manatee, Manatee, and Alafia rivers. The Wilderness Parks also contain a very nice mountain biking trail; a biking enthusiast could cycle 30 miles of trail in one day on this loop which connects Trout Creek and Morris Bridge parks. I was accompanied  this day by Matt Fulton, a young Troy State student from St. Petersburg. I've known Matt and his family for years and recently found out about his love for kayaking. I've been waiting to "share" this river with someone who hadn't been down it yet, as it is one of those special places which hook you on paddling for life.
 After arriving at Morris Bridge Park,we soon set off just before 8am, and crossed under the busy Morris Street Bridge,as commuters sped towards Tampa. Soon, civilization was left well behind as I slipped under a massive tree spanning the river- a natural bridge. The river here is very peaceful and canopied by towering cypress and pine trees. The birds come alive and we spot several herons, anhingas, and the occasional limpkin, which bring the river to life. The water was very high today, which I expected with heavy summer rains. An occasional alligator was spotted, but quickly would disappear, leaving retreating trails of bubbles. At the bend heading East for Sargeant Park, is an area that I refer to as "the gator nursery". It's an area where the canopy of trees open up and bathe the area in sunlight. I have always seen baby alligators here as well as the mamas and papas- including one big daddy that may have been 14 feet long, the biggest I have seen. No luck today though, as the river is high and affords the giant reptiles plenty of places to hide.

Morris Bridge

Taking in the sights

 After two hours we arrive at Sargeant park, which is 4 miles done. We head down Flint Creek which is a small tributary of the Hillsborough. It heads East, while the main river makes a 90 degree turn and heads North towards Hillsborough State Park via the infamous 17 Runs section. Flint Creek is a small stagnant waterway that is often covered with a green film on the surface and is known for alligators. Usually you can spot a dozen very quickly, but after heading down a half a mile, we see just two lizards. That is furthest I have been down Flint Creek and the fewest alligators I have spotted there.
 After a half hour break at the park, we head up towards the 17 runs section of the river. This infamous stretch is known as a challenging test for paddlers. It offers numerous portages and navigational difficulties(the river splits off, apparently in 17 different directions). Many unfortunate souls have been lost in this section and had to spend the night in the swamp amongst the alligators, water moccassins, mosquitoes, and possibly bigfoot. We paddle about 30 minutes upriver and it is clear sailing. We turn around at the pilings or remnants of an old loggers bridge.It is a very peaceful section that is beckoning me to attempt it at a future date.

ducking under

pilings from an old loggers bridge

 Continuing downriver, we spot some gators sunning themselves on some old cypress logs. There are only a handful of paddlers on this beautiful day in August, which is surprisingly dry with a nice breeze and feels many degrees cooler than it should be. We arrive back at Morris Bridge Park and after a brief break, we head down the river towards my favorite section  which is the winding, narrow run in the forest between Morris Bridge and Trout Creek, which lies conveniently 4 miles down river.  It feels like the most isolated section on the river and has many more obstacles and natural bridges to cross under. Matt loves it as well and to him it feels like an entirely different river. I pass a bend in the river that has memories for me: the spot where a 12 foot alligator freaked my daughter Samantha out as he slowly slipped into the water ahead of us and also roughly the place where an 8 footer exploded off a bank and almost hit my kayak. I call it "gator bend". Just downriver from there, we cross under a beautiful natural bridge that leaves an arch just tall enough for us to squeeze under. On this section of the river you can look into the dark, green forest forever. There are no sounds or signs of the modern world. The water is black today, but along the shallower edges it is a brilliant glowing red, revealing a sandy bottom. We turn around after a mile and a half or so, and paddle against a robust current.

tropical paradise

 In all, we paddled about 13 miles today in some of the most beautiful scenery in all of Florida. The Hillsborough is my favorite of "the big four" rivers in the Tampa Bay area for its wildlife and spectacular and peaceful scenery. It is the river that really hooked me on paddling, and my hope is to introduce many others to this special place and discover what Florida is really all about. 
Notes: There are three primary parks to launch your paddlecraft in this section: Trout Creek and Morris Bridge Parks which are located off of the Fletcher exit off I 75 and Sargeant Park which is accessed off of US 301. It is 2 dollars to park at each. Sargeant Park also has a paddling outpost named Canoe Escape which offers excellent service all along this section of the river and will even pick you up at the parks further west towards USF. Trout Creek, Morris Bridge, and Sargeant parks are all 4 miles apart which make for easy plannable and convenient trips as well as resting spots along the way. These parks all offer hiking and biking as well and are each worth exploring when you stop there. The restrooms are very well maintained.