Lettuce Lake Park Offers Access To The Best Remaining Cypress Swamp In The Tampa Area

lettuce lake park, sign, entrance

Lettuce Lake Park is one of the best-preserved areas of cypress swamp in the Tampa Bay area. It gives the sense of taking a step back through time to a more ancient Florida with its huge cypress trees, giant apple snails, wide variety of wild orchards and other flowering plants and pristine views along the Hillsborough River and its tributaries. Wildlife, especially birds, is abundant and an extensive system of trails and boardwalks offers easy access to all parts of the park.

Lettuce Lake is located in northeast Tampa along Fletcher Avenue just a few miles east of the USF campus. It is a popular park and can become somewhat crowded on weekends and holidays but this means that the birds are used to have people nearby and are less shy than usual. There is an excellent visitor’s center and plentiful parking. Benches are scattered along the trails and boardwalks and covered picnic shelters offer a respite from the sun or rain. Bring the insect repellent, though, as the mosquitoes really like this area, too. One other caution – stay on the trails and/or boardwalks as poison ivy is very common and widespread here as well.

I only discovered this park a short while ago but it is becoming one of my favorites despite the longish drive from my home in Clearwater. As with all Florida parks, it is always clean and well maintained and the staff quite helpful. The area can also be accessed by boat from Riverside Park just across the Hillsborough River from Lettuce Lake.

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