Huge park with beaches, bike rentals online, fishing, food and walking. The history is so rich! The fishing pier was alive with anglers and the dolphins were fun to watch steal the bail from their lines. This is a definite to do and parking only 6.00 is the steal of the century.

It was ok. Not much to it. But it’s well-labeled and of interest. The views of Tampa Bay are lovely.

Beautiful and right on the water. Take the 1.1 mile trail. There is sand along it, you are right on the water so bring appropriate footwear. We got some great pictures and loved the stop. Best part is it’s free to the public.

This site is still undergoing reconstruction after the storm damage in 2024 but the trails are open and a limited number of events are being staged on some weekends. The Spanish explorer De Soto landed near Tampa Bay in 1539 hoping to find gold, bring religion to the indigenous Americans and claim land for Spain. De Soto died from disease in 1542 never having found the gold he was seeking. The survivors of his expedition eventually reached the Mississippi river and set sail for the Caribbean in 1543. This National Monument is dedicated to him and has a nice hiking trail through the mangroves here. There are also two privately funded monuments dedicated to the religious personnel who accompanied De Soto on his voyage to America. Free admission and parking. The visitor center is still closed but porta johns are available.

Cute, but very small National Park. Great for a quick one mile hike. Visitors Center was still closed from hurricane damage.