The southern canoe trail is a four-mile loop through a dense mangrove forest that feeds out to Tampa Bay. You can see egrets, spoonbills and white ibis, and likely hundreds of mullet jumping in the air.

The canoe trail is very well marked (click here for a map). Still it would be advisable to bring a compass or GPS, since it is still possible to make a wrong turn in the extensive mangrove trails. Also, some of the trails are pretty narrow (see the picture to the right) and may require you to break down your paddle. Finally, do check the tides before you go. If the tides are lower than one foot over mean high tide, some of the trails will be inaccessible or you may need to drag your boat over the shallow areas.