Upper Tampa Bay Area Trail

Excellent trail. Very peaceful and clean and an excellent place to get a good run in or ride your bike. Other than exposing me to just how out of shape I truly am, had a great time. I would definitely recommend this trail to anyone looking for a peaceful place to get a good run in. 5 stars!!!

I really like this trail and wish we started using it when we first moved to Westchase in 2011. I walked it for the first time this year (2015) and every time we’ve gone to different spots on the trail and got a relaxing workout. I still haven’t gone to the montague part, but in sure by next weekend I would have tried the entire thing. We’ve been waiting to move to a bigger house before buying bikes (for the adults) but this trail is making me want to fit one into my crowded 2 car garage now. The scenery on the trail definitely beats walking in circles in my neighborhood.
Along the trail you pass little «streams» and creeks and we’ve even spotted peacocks! However, I hope I don’t run into any viscous wildlife!
The whole thing is paved and kept up by the county who also provides fresh cold water with paper cone cups. I can’t wait to explore the rest of this trail along with the new extension to come that I think goes into the city of Odessa.

The Upper Tampa Bay Trail runs from Memorial Highway/​Montague St, past Waters Avenue, Linebaugh, and then due north to Gunn Highway, Ehrlich Road and ending at Peterson Road Park. The current trail is 7.25 miles. Eventually, the Upper Tampa Bay Trail will extend seven to eight more miles, connecting to the 41-​mile Suncoast Trail! I like this trail better than the Pinellas County trail in St Pete because there are less road interruptions. There is free parking water and restrooms available at 7499 Montague Street, 9201 W. Waters Avenue, and 10 314 Wilsky Blvd!

The trail was wonderful but the failure to post notices and information about its closing at the bridge and prospective reopening is inexcusable.

Nothing but great things to say. If you’re looking for something different to do then this is it. Fun trail to go down and enjoy nature, near the citrus park area there are homes with horses and other animals you can see from the trail. This trail happens to also have a bike rental not to far from it in the citrus park area, definitely recommend them great prices.

This WAS a great but short trail. Since October ’14 it’s been cut in half as the bridge south of Gardner road is closed due to inspection failure.
I’ve gotten word that bridge repairs have finally begun and should be completed by the end of March (2015).
Sadly, the much anticipated expansion to the north may not happen for many years (if ever).

I love this trail! It’s a great addition to north county.
My favorite part is located at citrus park mall and north. It is shadier (trees, not scary shady) and very safe. I’ve met friends here several times and walked the trail with our babies. It is so nice to walk and not have to worry about traffic or cars.
This is definitely a great addition to the county.

The Upper Tampa Bay Trail is a hidden gem in Hillsborough county. This rural trail in the center of Tampa weaves over the Hillsborough River and through hills hidden between the busy streets. It is approximately seven miles long, but I heard there were plans to expand in the future.
The UTBT is a great place to bring your dog! My pup, Tucker, really enjoys our weekly exercise there (especially rollerskaters and skateboarders. he just LOVES hearing the wheels). I first stumbled upon this trail two years ago while looking for a place to hike with my sister’s dog. There is a nominal $ 2 fee to use the trail and I believe there are three different trailheads, as well as a few roads where you can begin. I prefer to use the Channel Park Trailhead off of Waters since it is closest to my house. There is a rangers’ station at this site, complete with an information booth and public restrooms.
I frequently visit this park on weekends when I’m completing my «longer» runs for my weekly workouts. There are cold water stations placed every couple miles throughout the trail. It can be a little creepy when you don’t pass anyone for awhile, but you will typically see cyclists, runners, and walkers every five minutes on average. About half of the trail is shaded, which is especially nice during the summer. The paved trails are always well-​maintained and you will occasionally see a park ranger driving around in a cart picking up litter or refilling the water coolers.
My only complaint is that the bridge at Rocky Creek (about 2.5 miles from the Channel Creek trailhead) has been closed for some reason for a few months. This definitely impedes progress on doing any long distance hikes, unless you want to turn around and restart. I have yet to see any updates posted on a timeline for when it will be reopened.

Who really needs to pay for use of a treadmill when you have this trail to enjoy?
The trail is well paved and is currently a bit over 7 miles long. Great for hiking, biking, blading, skating or jogging. Great scenery and some nice shaded areas. Well maintained and lots of nature to enjoy.
My fav trail as it’s very close to home and always lots of friendly folks. Can be brutal in summer months but fabulous to enjoy with our summer light season.

What a great trail! I just recently started running in different parts of the Tampa area and came to UTBT for an early Saturday morning run.
Something I found really great about UTBT was that it has quite a few shady spots and generally doesn’t look like it’s in Florida. There is a specific part of the trail where I thought I was in the countryside, which is a great change of pace for this born and bred Florida gal.
The trail is pretty well-​maintained and there’s a lot of stuff to see, from little lakes to swampy areas and little critters in some areas.
The water stations are plentiful which is great if you’re on a long run or biking and need a nice cold refreshment. There are bathrooms scattered around the trail area too.
Definitely a fun, quiet and peaceful little place, and a great place to work on your fitness!

This is a beautiful trail for road cyclists, joggers and dog walkers alike (oh and skaters, hi Karen F!). I only started using this trail once I got a bike, and now I’m here as often as possible.
As previous Unilocalers mentioned, the trail is paved, wide and passable, often shaded and lined with some cool views. There are water stations every few miles with ice cold coolers and disposable cups — probably not the most eco-​friendly option, but still nice when you have a dog or don’t want to drink from a fountain. The areas also seem pretty safe to run alone since there are plenty of people out exercising at all times of the day.
My favorite parts of the trail include the landfill/​hills north of Linebaugh Ave. and the picturesque bridge directly south of there. As you keep going south, there are a few small elevation changes that keep things interesting.
My only wish is that the trail was longer! I think the total mileage one way is about 7.25 miles, which goes by quickly on a bike!

An absolutely great trail! I’ve had the pleasure to walk, run, and cycle down this trail now and I am glad it remains to be a great place to do so. The run/​walk way is always neat and clean and you are sure to come here and not worry about any weird hazards some other trails may possess. They have benches along the way for those who might get tired and they also have water every so often just in case you get thirsty. Parking was simple for me, as I was able to do so just under the bridge at no cost at all. I was able to park in the lot of the fitness center and found no problems at all as I returned a couple hours later.
What mostly draws me to this trail is the beautiful sights. When one with nature, there is no better feeling. The air you breeze is wonderful and you are happy enough to go and exercise.
Happy trails for all those who walk this path. I definitely approve of its beautiful journey laid out ahead.

I’ve been running this trail for 6 years now. I absolutely love it. There are plenty of water stations, five altogether. 2 restrooms and a mcdonalds farther up near citrus park drive if need be as well. They trail is always well kept. Although some spots are starting to deteriorate. But they have spray painted around those areas. The great part about the trail is there is only 3 roads you have to stop and check to cross traffic. They have done a great job of diverting the trail over or under roads. I highly recommend this trail to any runners or walkers. On a side note there are some bicyclist that think this is the Tour de France. Watch out for these guys. They will never go off of the trail to avoid accidents. They go way to fast and I have been personally run into by one. And the guy didn’t even have the courtesy to apologize. Other than these douches this is a solid place to run.

I really like this trail. It’s paved, many parts are shaded, cold water kiosks and bathroom facilities every couple of miles. There are plenty of parking options. If you park next to Ballyhoo’s on Ehrlich, parking is free. If you park in a county lot, it’s $ 2 or you can buy an annual pass. You can easily do 10+ miles and there are signs often to tell you where you are and how close the facilities are.
I like that there are many places on the trail where I can get my wildlife fix. Birds, squirrels, bunnies, gators, turtles, etc. can be seen on or near the trail. People are very friendly and usually nod or say hello as you pass.
In all honesty, this trail can get a little sketchy at times but so can any place. I’ve reported someone to the park rangers before for creeping in the bushes. However, when I’m out with my running buddy I always feel perfectly safe. General personal safety rules are in play: don’t go out before dawn or after dusk by yourself. Even though there is a police station on the trail there are still robberies.
Also, some of my running friends found a body on the trail a year or so ago. It’s ok though, it was a suicide.

My favorite park in Tampa Bay! I have been exercising here for years. The trail is very well maintained — it is swept/​blown off daily, and they hi-​light with spray paint any uneven areas — all of which is very important when one is skating (although there are apparently squirrel hit-​men that regularly try and take me out). [Side note to Cece: Yes, Cece — people still skate! ;-)]
The paths are perfect for running, skating, walking, or biking. Some parts of the path are tree lined, which helps to provide shade in the summertime. It is also incredibly handy that they have underpasses or overpasses to bypass every major road the trail intersects.
You do have to pay either $ 2 per visit, or buy an annual pass for $ 50 — I own the pass which is a small price to pay for the convenience of cold water at the rest stations, and clean bathrooms.
The other thing I love about this park is all the wildlife I have seen at various times over the years — newborn turtles, snapping turtles, coyotes, a hog, alligators, vultures, and other misc. birds.

I prefer this trail for most of my long running needs. It’s paved throughout with asphalt and lined with trees for the majority of the seven plus miles.
Bathroom facilities are placed sporadically through the trailheads, along with water coolers and cone cups for your hydration needs.
Parking is available near Ballyhoos at Gunn Hwy, at Whilsky Rd and near Montague and Memorial.

Love ridding my bike on this trail !! There is always ice cold water in the water stations and the trail is very well kept and clean

Excellent trail to bike for beginners and professionals. It’s very well kept. Plenty of rest areas and water coolers all the way. not very crowded!

When I lived in Citrus Park, I was a huge fan of running on the Upper Tampa Bay Trail. There are always people running, walking and biking– and most people I passed always smiled and said hi. The path is wide enough to accomodate everyone without any crashes!
A good portion of the trail is shaded, which is good for those sunny days. And as a young female, I never felt unsafe running on the trail.
It is kinda tricky to get to though (it took me a lot of google mapping to figure it out). If you’re going to drive– you can get to a parking lot off of Wilsky Blvd and Linebaugh. I think they ask for a $ 2 donation to park there.
You can also get onto the trail behind the McDonalds on Citrus Park Drive.
What’s nice is they have cold water stations scattered throughout! There are also bathrooms at a couple spots. Both of these things can be found at the parking lot off of Wilsky. Makes it worth the $ 2 to park.
I don’t live in the area anymore, and I do miss running on this trail! Once it gets hot again, I will probably head back there for some shaded running space.

Great for running and biking. It”s paved and about 7 miles and some change with clear markers every half mile. Super scenic. I entered at the Waters entrance. You pay two bucks for parking. There is a green envelope that you put money in. There’s a part you tear off and hang in your car. The envelope goes in the short metal bin next to where you got the envelopes.
They have bowls for dogs next to the water fountains and water boxes. Overall, great spot for running or biking around (there’s some non-​paved paths as well, but I don’t know too much about those. Did see bikers on those routes though). Very clean too. Bathrooms were missing a few things though.