Lettuce Lake Park in Tampa, Florida on Dec. 27, 2024. Credit: Photo by Ray Roa
There are now just 121 days left in Hillsborough County’s 2024-25 Hiking Spree.

Delayed by Hurricane Milton, the ninth annual celebration of the county’s more than 300 miles of marked trails kicked off on Dec. 1 and wraps on April 30; it includes nearly two dozen trails as far north as Cypress Creek and south to the Cockroach Creek Greenway Nature Preserve in Ruskin.

The trails—available to browse via PDF or map-based listing—range in difficulty from easy and paved to strenuous with rough terrain and in distance with the shortest coming in at just six-tenths of a mile (Clayton Park in Brandon) and the longest clocking it at 6.5-miles (North Hiking Trail in Wimauma’s Little Manatee River State Park). Some hikes are free, while some parks charge a nominal entry fee.

Anyone who registers and then completes at least eight trails will get a commemorative sticker and choice of one reward (this year’s loot includes a brass medallion, embroidered patch or pet bandana).

And you don’t have to hike alone either. Special events and group treks are scheduled throughout the Hiking Spree from the romp through Cockroach Creek on Jan. 4 to a native plant hike, dog pack hike and more.

Hillsborough Hiking Spree Events 2024-2025

  • First day hike Wednesday, Jan. 1. 9 a.m. $5. Lettuce Lake Park, 920 E Fletcher Ave., Tampa
  • Intro to Orienteering Saturday, Jan. 4. 9 a.m. No cover. Carrollwood Village Park, 4680 W Village Dr., Tampa
  • Trekking with Trail CATS Saturday, Jan. 4. 9 a.m. $5. Cockroach Creek Nature Preserve, 4110 Valroy Rd., Ruskin
  • Guided Hike Sunday, Jan. 12. 10 a.m. $5. 6140 Edward Medard Park, 6140 Turkey Creek Rd., Plant City
  • Night hike Wednesday, Jan. 15. 5:30 p.m. $5. Lettuce Lake Park, 6920 E Fletcher Ave., Tampa
  • Terrific Trees Friday, Jan. 17. 9:30 a.m. $5. Edward Medard Park, 6140 Turkey Creek Rd., Plant City
  • Native plant hike Saturday, Feb. 1, 9 a.m. $5. Lettuce Lake Park, 6920 E Fletcher Ave., Tampa
  • Hike with the Audubon Society Sunday, Feb. 2. 8 a.m. $5. Cypress Creek Nature Preserve, 18000 Lizards Tail Rd., Tampa
  • Dog pack hike Saturday, April 12. 10 a.m. No cover. Stephen J. Wortham Park, 12108 Rhodine Rd., Riverview
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This article appears in Dec 26, 2024 – Jan 1, 2025.

Read his 2016 intro letter and disclosures from 2022 and 2021. Ray Roa started freelancing for Creative Loafing Tampa in January 2011 and was hired as music editor in August 2016. He became Editor-In-Chief...