Florida · Hiking

Tortoise Trail

Tortoise TrailPhoto: heytampa, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
0.6 mi
loop
18 ft
high point
Loop
route
Easy
difficulty
Oct–Apr
best months

Tortoise Trail is a short, easy loop in Camp Bayou Park, a county park in Florida. The trail is about 0.6 miles long and sits on county land, with no elevation gain to speak of. The route is flat, with a high point of 18 feet and a low of 14 feet, and the steepest stretch comes at about 0.23 miles in, with a grade of about 3 percent. The most comfortable months for a visit are typically winter and early spring. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show January highs around 72°F and lows near 51°F, while summer brings highs near 91°F and rain on about 17 days a month in July and August. Two other short trails, Palmetto Pass and Perimeter Path, start about 0.1 mile away. Sandpine Trail is about 1.2 miles off, and Little Manatee River State Park Trail is roughly 1.7 miles away.

  • Best time to go · Oct–Apr

    Best time to visit Tortoise Trail

    Best months: October–April. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      72° / 51°

      7 wet

    2. Feb

      75° / 53°

      6 wet

    3. Mar

      78° / 57°

      6 wet

    4. Apr

      83° / 62°

      6 wet

    5. May

      88° / 67°

      8 wet

    6. Jun

      90° / 72°

      14 wet

    7. Jul

      91° / 73°

      17 wet

    8. Aug

      91° / 74°

      17 wet

    9. Sep

      90° / 73°

      13 wet

    10. Oct

      85° / 67°

      8 wet

    11. Nov

      79° / 58°

      5 wet

    12. Dec

      74° / 54°

      6 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Tampa Bay Area Wfo, FL, 2.6 mi away at 40 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Palmetto PassPhoto: heytampa, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Palmetto Pass

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0.57-mile loop in Florida with 46 ft of elevation gain.

Golden Aster PreservePhoto: Always Ascetic, Public Domain Dedication (CC0) (via Flickr)

Golden Aster Preserve

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Perimeter PathPhoto: heytampa, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Perimeter Path

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Skyway TrailPhoto: zoso8203, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Skyway Trail

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6.66-mile out-and-back trail in Florida with 203 ft elevation gain/loss.

Powerline RoadPhoto: Always Ascetic, Public Domain Dedication (CC0) (via Flickr)

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Eagle LoopPhoto: tehbieber, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

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Little Manatee River State Park TrailPhoto: Always Ascetic, Public Domain Dedication (CC0) (via Flickr)

Little Manatee River State Park Trail

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21.29-mile out-and-back trail along the Little Manatee River in Florida.

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Emerson Point Park Trail

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Golden Aster Scrub Preserve TrailPhoto: Always Ascetic, Public Domain Dedication (CC0) (via Flickr)

Golden Aster Scrub Preserve Trail

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Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors