Regional Connections Florida has a growing greenway and trail network comprised of regional, state, and even national facili- ties. Figure 6 illustrates the most recent priority land and paddling trails identified by the Florida Depart- ment of Environmental Protection ’ s Office of Green- ways and Trails; the department is currently updating the priorities and opportunities. The Gulf Coast Trail is a land trail priority within Hills- borough County, the Coast - to - Coast paved trail skirts the northwest corner of the county, and the existing Upper Tampa Bay Trail is shown as part of the priority network (inset). The inset map also shows planned sections of the South Coast Greenway and Mariella Johns Smith Trail, including one section that has been built since the State map was published, the Old Fort King Trail extending to Pasco County along US 301, and the Tampa Bypass Canal Trail.
Natural Corridors The 1995 Greenways Master Plan identified Natural Corridors, all riverine corridors, that are intended to function primarily to protect natural resources and to provide passive recreation. The identified Natural Corridors are: Little Manatee River, Alafia River, Upper Hillsborough River, and Cypress Creek. The plan also identified other creek corri- dors, such as Rocky, Brushy, Pemberton, and Bull- frog, that should not allow recreational activities. Figure 7 shows the rivers and streams identified as natural corridors in the 1995 plan, along with land that has been conserved by Hillsborough County ’ s Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection Program (ELAPP) and other conserva- tion agencies.
Figure 6. Florida's land and paddling trail priorities, 2023
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY GREENWAYS AND TRAILS MASTER PLAN
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