Cypress Creek Well Fields

The Cypress Creek Well Fields is a great place to hike. The address is 8720 Pump Station Road
Land O’ Lakes, FL 34639. It is a 7400 acres track of land that has two paved roads. One runs east & west and is named  Pump Station Road and one that off to the north called swiftmud RD. These are the only paved roads here. Cypress Creek Well Field is an important source of water for the Tampa Bay area and is run by Tampa Bay Water (TBW).Cypress Creek runs into the Hillsborough River. Within the property, the creek threads its way through an expanse of cypress and hardwood forests. Slash pine, longleaf pine and palmettos. This type of area is  known as Florida flatwoods.

Bicycling and
Inline Skating

• 5 miles of paved and unpaved cycling on designated or marked trails.
• Use only marked trails.
• Florida law requires bicyclists under 16 to wear helmets.

Camping

• No camping on the north end

Equestrian Use

• Riders are required to stay on marked trails.
• Each rider must carry proof of horse’s current negative Coggins test.
• Florida law requires equestrians under 16 to wear helmets.

Fishing

• Along Cypress Creek during high-water periods.
• Man-made ponds located in southern portion of property.

Hiking

• Paved road available (Pump Station Road & Swiftmud Road).
• Several miles of dirt roads & trails .

Picnic Facilities

• I have not seen any tables in this area.

This area is is great. It is getting more popular all the time most people keep to the paved roads. although there is miles of unpaved roads to explore. Deer are plentiful as are turkeys. The only way to get in to the property is off of Ehren cutoff. Park outside the gate. There is a gate at Quail Hallow Blv. but no parking is available there.

 High Mountain Discount Camping Supply

http://www.highmountaindiscountcampingsupply.com

Conner Preserve

Another great place to hike is the is the Conner Preserve. It is 2980 acres in Central Pasco County. The preserve offers a stunning landscape of steep sandhill ridges, expansive marshes, dense cypress sloughs and lush pine flatwoods. Primary access is off SR 52 on south side of road about 3.5 miles east of US 41. It is open from sunrise to sunset. There is a Portable toilet available at main entrance. No water available. There is also Portable toilet and nonpotable water available at Bay City Flyers model airplane field.

It is just to your right as you come down the main road. There is a Primitive campsites, each equipped with picnic table and fire ring, off main trail in eastern portion of preserve. The Preserve is open for Hiking, Bicycling, Equestrian, Camping, Picnicing. There is 16 miles of Hiking only trails. I have seen Deer, Turkeys, Tortoises. Sand Hill Cranes are also seen there. There are some great old oak hammocks. A great place to cool off for a while. There are numerous cypress heads around. I found hundreds of cow bones around from when the area was used as a ranch. Some of the surrounding area is used for pasture so do not jump fences.

There are lots of sand hills around and elevation changes. You can sit up on a hill and watch the Deer cross a field. As you come in you can see grass fields on the right. I have seen Deer in there several times when I have been there.

Places I like to hike

One of the places I like to hike a lot is Cypress Creek well fields. It is a Tampa Bay Water property and has 7400 acre in Central Pasco County, east of Land O’ Lakes. I see alot of deer when I go out there. They are just all over the place. There is a paved road that runs through the property and goes northeast to the adjoining property owned by TBW. Cypress Creek is a tributary of the Hillsborough River. There is no water or rest rooms along the trail but they do have portable toilets and nonpotable water available at equestrian and group campsites. That is on the Southern end of the property. The property is split in two halves, North and South. You can get between the two but, there are no marked trails. When my son was in Boy Scouts we hiked from Quail Hollow Blvd., to the camp grounds and camped. One of the boys put up a picnic pavillion at the camp site for his Eagle Project. All the scouts helped out and had a great time. There are numerous trails to hike on the southern end. The north has a paved road that runs from east to west and goes off to the northeast but dead ends. This is where you find people jogging and bike riding. The north end has numerous hard packed trails that you can ride on. Wild life includes; deer, turkeys, gopher tortoises, armadillos, pigs, and birds for all to see. The best time for seeing deer is in the early morning or late afternoon. I have spent 3 to 4 Hours hiking there. This place is one mile away from where I live, which makes it very convenient for me to go to. I have made a 12 to 15 mile bike ride there. Places like this are an excellent place to take anything from a short hike to a day hike or even camp overnight.

If you have any Questions or comments Email me at: markteague@highmountaindiscountcampingsupply.com

What do I need to go on a hike

Hiking can be lots of fun. There are a lot of things to see out there that you cannot drive to. By walking you can see all kinds of wildlife that would be scared away if you were in a car. There are a lot of places that you can hike. You can go on short hikes in your local parks, where you have water around and don't need anything more than a good pair of shoes, or you can go to a national forest where there is no water and you have to carry your own water. A hike here can last hours to weeks. I am going to focus on Hikes that last longer than 2 hrs and in places that have no water. There is also a possibility that you might not see anyone other than the person or people who went with you. The photo above is from the Green Swamp just outside Tampa, Florida.

To start with if you are going to go a on a long hike you need to start with a good pair of shoes or boots. Boots are better because they give your ankles the support they need. You might want to make sure they are waterproof. If you have to hike across wet grass your feet will stay dry. Make sure your shoes or boots are broke in. I have found that a good quality boot will take little or no time at all to break in. Make some short hikes with new boots to make sure that they are not going to hurt your feet. Another important thing you need is a good pair of hiking socks. Hiking socks are thicker and help move perspiration away from you. Get a couple pairs of socks so you can put the extra pair in your backpack. You can change them if you need to.

The next thing is a backpack. You need a backpack that can carry what you are going to need or want on your hike. Backpacks range from small pouches to a large internal frame backpack that can carry camping gear for a week or more. For hikes of around 2 hrs you can use a waist pack. This is a pack that goes around your waist. Some have straps to go over your shoulders. What I use is a day backpack which is 549 cubic inch and has a hydration system that holds 100 ounces in it. That is plenty of water for most of my hikes. If I need more water I can put bottled water in the backpack. A backpack like this takes care of both water and packing needs.

What are you going to carry in your backpack? The first thing is a first aide kit. In the first aide kit you need to have band aides, some gauze, tape, and some antibacterial ointment. I carry some stuff called New Skin, it is like a liquid band aide. Another thing you need is some sunscreen. I put a piece of paper with my name, DOB, a contact persons name and phone No.(just incase anything happens). I carry a compass (I have 2 just in case my GPS dies), a map, a mirror (you can signal with it), a whistle, a fire starter (with a small bag of dryer lint), a leatherman multi tool or knife. These are things I think are a must have in my backpack at all times. Things I think are optional are an extra tee shirt, a pair of socks, a small pair of binoculars, my camera, extra batteries (for camera and GPS), a water filter, and some snacks. I hate to say it, but I do carry my cell phone (you can turn it off) just in case something happens and I need to call for help (IF IT WORKS), you might not have a signal. Just remember you are carrying it so keep it as light as you can. This is just a list of things you should have in your backpack at all times. You can add to the list if you want to.

Next will be an Expedition backpack for a hiking trip of a week or more. If you have any questions you can E-Mail me at markteague@highmountaindiscountcampingsupply.com