Lettuce Lake Park

Kristy Varga

Beautiful park! Well maintained with hammock trails, paved trail and a boardwalk. They also have a nature center, plenty of bathrooms, water fountains and dog stations. Lots of pavilions and a play ground. Only $2.00 a car or free with a park pass. We saw a lot of gators today and turtles. A few turtles and fish (pictures didn’t turn out right). Few birds and lots of beautiful trails. The hammock trails (dirt) are a little muddy but still doable.

Gene Wines

Clean park with a long, winding boardwalk and different trails to observe nature and wildlife in their habitat. It was only $2 to enter and park (up to 8 people). Expect to spend at least 2 or 3 hours here walking the boardwalk and spending time at the observation tower, taking pictures if you like, and exploring one or more trails. You really need to look for most of the wildlife, because they naturally blend in with the surroundings. The park seems to close at different times throughout the year, so you’ll need to take that into account when planning to visit. Canoe rentals are available, although I did not explore that option this visit. Currently ranked in the Top 10 most popular things to do in Tampa.

DK1981

Great place to birdwatch and spot gators. Large park with boardwalks through the swamp and along the Hillsborough River. I love climbing up the observation tower to watch birds flying over the river and spot gators occasionally below in the clear River. There is a circular hiking and biking trail around the park plus other unpaved trails winding through the woods and around the playground and picnic area. You can rent canoes and kayaks to spend some time out on the slowly moving River. Rentals are paid for at the entrance booth. Park entrance fee is $2 per car. In Dec 2021 the boardwalks were a little confusing. They are now 1-way and park of a boardwalk is closed off. The visitor center had a couple signs on the 4 or 5 doors to the building that directed you to use another entrance. All the entrances were locked even though all the lights were on inside. Lots of visitors were walking around the building trying to figure out how to get in. 🤔

Jessica Boulton

The boardwalk and paved walking trail make this a nicely accessible park. Many people use the park to get some quiet, nature-filled exercise. Call or check the website to see if canoes/kayaks are available to rent, and explore the far shorelines for birds and alligators. Pavilions are available to rent as well. There's also a large kids playground area. Pets and bikes are allowed in the park, but they cannot go on the boardwalk. The scenery can be dramatically different if you visit during different times of year, so be sure to come back and see what's changed.