I drove past this place twice and was unsure if the parking«lot» was the patch of sand located near a blue-pipe matrix or on the side of the road. Being that Sunday traffic was heavy on Memorial Highway, I opted to park in the far back of the office complex next door. I certainly hope they don’t mind. It’s easy to miss the entrance as it is a very narrow pedestrian only break in the fence a few feet away from a heavily chained gate. The gate, along with the lack of parking for access made this place seem a bit uninviting. The primary trail is linear, clear and does not pose any sort of strenuous effort to navigate. It cuts a nearly direct line through the park to the Pam Callahan«rock,» a large boulder found in the middle of a clearing with a dedication plaque. I applaud Pam Callahan and her efforts, this part of Tampa seems pretty congested and I was surprised at how«isolated» you can feel while inside of the Preserve. I couldn’t hear any road noise at the dedication boulder; in fact, noise was limited to a distant fountain and the scurrying of animals unseen in the underbrush. As easy as the main path is, there are several trail-heads marked along which lead further into the preserve. Most seemed overgrown and I spied what could have been poison oak. I will have to return with some hiking boots and 5.11 pants, and definitely some insect repellent in order to fully explore this piece of nature nestled in a busy area of the Tampa Bay area. Another striking feature was the abundance of butterflies all around me when I was exploring the main trail. I don’t know if i just happened to stumble upon«butterfly season,» or if this is the norm. I wish I could have given this place another star, but the lack of access and parking, as well as the rubbish strewn around, put this place as a solid 3. During my excursion and I even found a full sized reclining chair, similar to what you’d find by a pool, and a distributor cap sticking out of the dirt.
Nick S.
Évaluation du lieu : 3 Tampa, FL
The actual address is 5750 Memorial Hwy Next to the Audubon(room for a couple cars in the grass) The Pam Callahan Nature Preserve is a 150 acre park at a site that was formerly used as a weapons testing area for Drew Field Air Base that became Tampa International Airport( ). The area surrounds Peppermound Creek. There is a. trail leading to a memorial marker commemorating Pam Callahan, one of the local organizers who helped saved the property from development. She passed away before the property was saved. There are also a couple side paths. The marked one to the left near the end of the trail was too overgrown with poison ivy for me to see where it goes. The property has been closed temporarily due to concerns over heavy metal and chemical pollution from the testing and in early 2015 after a sewage spill. More info on preserve: Here’s a link to a trail guide:
