Alafia River Corridor Nature Preserve - North — Attraction in Mulberry

Overall, a hidden gem. I grew up around here and didn't even realize they opened up more land to hike for a year (which might be a good thing because sadly more people means litter and disrespect to Nature). However, my mom and I got a little turned around despite being very familiar with this area because of an issue with a trail that is not on the map. I didn't see any other reviews mentioning this but I cross checked my google map tracking with the trail map and we cut through the red trail (despite not going off trail). Maybe we were tired or thirsty but it's rare we would both find ourselves turned around. Other than that, this is an amazing place to hike. We saw about 5 gopher tortoises (and many more of their holes which is important), a cottontail rabbit, birds, butterflies, bitter oranges, swamps, meadows, train tracks, a lake, so many wildflowers, and hardly any people once on the trail (though when we parked there were 10 cars already there). There is plenty of room to breathe and take the whole day to explore. The terrain is varied and there is some elevation which is a nice change from the usual here in Florida. Please respect this place and all other parks!!! Will definitely be going...

We decided to do some hiking as the weather was so beautiful! This trail leds you to an old metal bridge where the tannic water lazily flows beneath you. Stop and gaze at the moss covered oak trees and listen to the birds chirping in the underbrush. Continue down the trail that goes from sun to shade with a canopy of gnarled oak limbs covering parts of your way. There are lots of flowers in bloom right now from small white and purple ones on the ground to yellow ones covering the trees, and even some small white ones which reminded me of blooming cherry trees! No cherry trees here but definitely a lot of orange trees. Some people stopped to pick one and then realized these aren’t the sweet kind, but sour oranges! It was very funny listening to their reactions after they tasted it! Don’t forget to look around for wildlife as you never know what you’ll see. I saw a gopher tortoise, a rabbit and a slithering black snake! There are also signs of an older Florida where mining was once prevalent. A large rock pile sits in an open field and more cement pieces can be found scattered in the nearby wooded areas. I hope you to will enjoy your...

The 9.9-mile North Loop Trail is one of my favorites, along with Circle B Preserve and Black Bear Wilderness. I love that it's completely shaded, and a good section of the trail runs along the river, which looks great for kayaking. The trees are amazing, each with so much character—some remind me of people’s facial expressions, as though they've lived different lives, some easy, some full of hardship. Located near Plant City, FL, the trail is generally considered easy. It starts as a single track through a dense forest and is marked as Trail #2, which eventually opens up to an old sand road. Various trails are numbered for easy navigation. I visited in July during the wet season, so several sections were flooded, requiring a...