Alderman’s Ford Park

5 stars for a small piece of Florida left as mother nature intended.
Pulling into the main entrance there is a $ 2 per vehicle fee to get in which is very affordable for anyones budget. When you first enter into this park it looks small but looks can be deceiving. At first glance you will notice there is not a lot of parking but there is a large playground and several picnic pavillions. As you venture into the park, you realize there is a lot more to its story.
Take a walk to the back of the park and find there are several choices of walking trails and a Canoe rental. The largest walking trail starts in the far right corner and is marked with a small post. A few minutes into your walk the voices of the playground fade away and you find yourself a serene environment. There is a paved trail for bike riders and dog walkers and those who just wish to take a stroll along the mighty Alafai River. Along the paved trail there are excercise stations and restrooms but the real magic starts when you abandon the pavement. Follow the hiking trails or make your own way for miles and miles of fun. Walk quietly and you may stumble upon wildlife. Walk carefully because you are in the Florida swamp and may possibly encounter poisonous snakes and will most definitely encounter poison ivy! There are not many places left in Florida where you can hike through the woods without tresspassing. Here you can lose yourself in the real Florida. Don’t worry you won’t stay lost, there are arrows posted everywhere to show you the way back to the paved trail. Anyone who wants to get to know the original Florida, should come spend a day with her here.

This is a very nice park to take the family to. I came on a weekday, early afternoon, with my parents and brother. We walked the full paved trail and boardwalk. It was wonderful to walk through such a serene area. There isn’t much that is scenic per say (mostly just brush and a brownish river), but it was still nice nonetheless. My family and I enjoyed testing ourselves on the exercise equipment that is spread throughout the trail. We really had a wonderful afternoon here.

Gorgeous spot for hiking and nature walking with lovely access to the Alafia River. We will try our hand at kayaking here eventually and would love to camp here at some point. Very beautiful.

Beautiful park for really everyone! Playgrounds for kids, trials to run, bike, walk the dog and really nice hiking trails but don’t forget your Mosquito repellent!!!
A perfect place for a family to go and enjoy a beautiful day :)

Another jewel in the Hillsborough County Park System. We have many issues in this county, but the park system is the best in all of the places I have lived. Today was cloudy and very humid but the beauty, the boardwalk, the grounds were immaculate.
We enjoyed the hike and the facilities and it got very busy as the day went on. Lots of parties and families under the pavillions. This always makes me smile. I like seeing kids in the outdoors.
The path was very well maintained and a nice walk.
For 2 bucks grab your self and see the wonderful nature of the Alafia river.

I really wish I lived closer to this area so that I could visit this park again. We had a work field day here and I didn’t really know what to expect. When we pulled up, I was shocked at the size of the area that we were having our event in.
Upon entering the nice inside area, I was happy to see a nice spacious room with a fridge to store our cold goods. If you step outside of the room, there is a huge swamp. It is beautiful and truly «Florida».
The picnic shelter areas are well kept and the park is very clean. I didn’t get a chance to go on the trails, but I have a feeling they are very nice. This is a true treasure of a park.

Being a north Tampa resident, I was aghast when I learned where we would be having a team building work outing and how far I would have to venture to get here. I will say my frustrations with driving the hour plus to find this place was alleviated when I drove in and saw the serene and peaceful background of this park. One of the positives was the decent sized, air conditioned room fully equipped with a fridge and plenty of seating to allow for food and indoor time away from the heat of the day.
The largely shaded and open park area was pretty decent in my book as well as there were plenty of pavilions and space to spread out. Although the boardwalk area overlooked a stagnant swamp, I was impressed with the trails that this park had. In addition, if you drive up the road a bit there is also a canoe launch where you can rent kayaks/​canoes to take a jaunt up the stream. Bring $ 2 as it will cost that much per car to enter. You won’t be disappointed if you are trying to escape the urban jungle and find yourself here.

I went for a work function so did not get to explore the whole park. There were pavilions, a play area, bathrooms and a good amount of shade where we were. There was also a nice paved path and a canoe launch as well. For $ 2 you could spend the entire day here with the fam. Great place for an outdoorsy day!

This is a one of the great Hillsborough County Parks in the area. It has a short, but very nice paved trail going through the woods, and some off road trails that give you a taste of the woods. There is also a well maintained canoe launch. The playground and picnic area is large and has enough room for kids to get their energy out. It’s only $ 2 per car.