Paddling near Tampa, FL

Three converging river systems define paddling out of Tampa: the Hillsborough River draining the Green Swamp over 50+ miles to Hillsborough Bay, the federally-studied Little Manatee River in the county's southeast, and the shoal-studded Alafia River beneath Spanish-moss canopy. From downtown launches on the Tampa Riverwalk to county trails mapped by the Hillsborough Blueways guide, the inland-to-estuary range earned Tampa Bay a spot on Time's World's Great Places list.