While camping in the Tampa area over Thanksgiving, we wanted to check out nearby nature places. We had been to Lettuce Lake Regional Park in Tampa before, but it had been years since we where there.

This park offers a boardwalk trail that goes through the swamp and woods. It's about .6 miles from start to finish. Along the way there is also an observation tower. The great thing about this park is that it's a great for birding!

We saw many birds along the path, but once we were done we stood around near the visitor center building for a while. They  have bird feeders outside there and we watched a flurry of bird activity. Numerous kinds of birds were coming and going, including hummingbirds, woodpeckers, and warblers. It was great! I didn't want to leave that area, because I was enjoying the bird watching so much.

If you are in the Tampa area, be sure to check out this short trail. It's easily accessible for people of all ages (with the exception of the observation tower), including for wheelchairs, strollers, etc.  This is a free park, too. They do have restrooms, picnic tables, and pavilions that you can use as well.