HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — We could all use a little fresh air! So why not take a hike on one of the Tampa Bay area's many wonderful trails.
Florida is so much more than beautiful beaches and there's a fun way to see more of Hillsborough County's natural beauty.
It's called the Hiking Spree.
Chris Kiddy with the Hillsborough Parks and Rec Department explains. "So we've listed 25 possible trails that you could hike. All you have to do is hike eight of them between November and March and once you've done that, you submit your completion form online and you can get a prize."
Bob McElroy has hiked almost all of them and many more around the Tampa Bay area.
"One of the things I really love about the hiking spree is it gets people who normally wouldn't to come out and see the trails and see what's out here. See the birds, see the squirrels, see the rabbits, see the natural wildlife that is out here and how peacefully it exists out here," McElroy said.
Kiddy says there are easy trails. "The neighborhood parks are usually paved trails, less than a mile, real easy for that beginner that wants to just get out and see if this is for me."
He says conservation trails are a bit harder. "Kind a stepping it up a little bit. More of a nature experience, but there's still park rangers and staff and amenities."
And he says if you're really enjoying it, "We have our nature preserves where you are out in the wilderness. It's usually a trail head and some unpaved trails and you might be the only one out there that day."
McElroy hopes everyone takes the time to at least explore a few trails. "When you get people out here to see this and to just see how beautiful and quiet it is, it's a real good thing."