Lake Manatee State Park

Lake ManateeBradenton, Florida: Lake Manatee in eastern Manatee County is the main freshwater reservoir for thousands of people living in Manatee and Sarasota counties. In addition to being a source of water, it also home to the Lake Manatee State Park. The 526 acre park extends along three miles of the lakes southern bank.

The park opened as a campground in 1986. In addition to being a popular spot for camping, it is also known for great fishing, canoeing and hiking. Today thousands of visitors travel to the park to take a break from reality along its tranquil shores.

Much of the parks amenities surround the large freshwater lake where it gets its name. The 2,400 acre lake is popular for fishing and is home to bass, perch, bluegill, shell cracker and catfish. You can fish from the dock or from a boat as long as the boat’s motor does not exceed the 20 HP maximum set by county ordinance. The lake is also popular for canoeing and swimming.

The park also has three nature trails to enjoy, allowing over a mile and a half of hiking opportunities. The Bobcat trail (.69 miles), Campground Alley trail (.62) and Longleaf Lane trail (.53 miles) provide visitor a chance to travel through pine flatwoods and sand pine scrub in search of some of the park’s wildlife. These habitats provide homes to bobcats, deer, gopher tortoise and a host of birds and reptiles.

The park is a full-service campground with 60 campsites that can accommodate anything from a tent to an RV.

Each year, Lake Manatee State Park presents its open house called Discover Lake Manatee. The yearly event occurs in February and features plenty of outdoor family exhibits like wildlife exhibits, kids fishing clinics, ranger guided tours and much more. The event is free and offers something for the whole family.

Click on the photo above to view my Lake Manatee photo gallery.

Comments

  1. greg urbanoSaturday, February 26, 2011

    hey just found your blog, looks good
    i will spend some time discovering all your other posts
    it looks like you and i have some common interests in discovering places to go in florida!

    ReplyDelete

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