Hiking and biking trails as well as kayaking and canoeing options in and around Manatee County are plentiful, all offering slightly different trail lengths and terrain types. Recently opened Robinson Preserve in northwest Bradenton has more than three miles of trails and almost endless options for paddlers. Robinson Preserve consists of 487 acres of rehabilitated farmland. Not only can outdoors enthusiasts enjoy the paths and waterways, there are picnic areas, a campground, mangrove forests, and a 53-foot-tall observation tower. The preserve offers view of dozens of species of fish and hundreds of species of birds.
The trail terrain is basically packeddown sugar sand, with some rockier areas along the main paths that wind around from the entrance. Bikers also will find that they can put a fishing pole in a rod holder, then bike to entrances to Tampa Bay for some wade-fishing. Emerson Point Preserve on Snead Island offers wade-fishing as well; however, the decks into Tampa Bay are only available by hiking. Emerson Point has endless hiking options, and even historical sites such as the temple mounds that are shaded by live oaks and a mangrove forest.
There’s the Restoration Trail and Terra Ceia Trail, which begins where the Restoration Trail ends. Terra Ceia Trail circles through mangrove forests around Terra Ceia Bay. One trail leads to an observation tower, where hikers can take in a simultaneous view of the Manatee River, Terra Ceia Bay, Tampa Bay and the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. The Restoration and Terra Ceia trails are just under three miles long and could be considered an easy jaunt.
The Coquina BayWalk on Leffis Key is similar to Emerson Point in two aspects: It is a preserve and is lined with boardwalks that hop over marshlands and cut through mangrove forests. Coquina BayWalk is for hikers who want to immerse themselves in the tidal lagoons and mangrove shorelines by Sarasota Bay. Coquina BayWalk also has its own raised areas that overlook the terrain, as well as benches, decks overlooking the bay, and signs that explain the park’s significance. Not to forget avid paddlers, Rays Canoe Hideaway on the Upper Manatee River offers possibly the area’s most wild and accessible kayaking and canoeing.
The Hideaway winds east from Rays past Christian Retreat and Rye Bridge all the way down to the dam before Lake Manatee. Along the way, paddlers could encounter otters, gators, turtles, a wide variety of birds, and more. The paddling can be relatively easy depending on tide speeds. Along the river, which is deep enough to avoid exiting the kayak/canoe and pulling it across the bottom, there are small beach areas where paddlers can break for lunch, or toss a bait in the water. To paddle from the hideaway to the dam and back is about an 11-mile journey. Of course, paddlers can cut the trip short at any time. At the end of the river is Lake Manatee, which brings us to Lake Manatee State Park. The lake itself is great for paddlers. East of the park are a series of sugarsand trails for bikers, hikers and horse riders.
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