Little Manatee River

The Little Manatee River is a free-flowing blackwater river on the west-central Florida peninsula. It runs east to west across southern Hillsborough County, briefly dips into Manatee County, and empties into Tampa Bay. It rises east of Fort Lonesome and passes Wimauma, Sun City Center and Ruskin on its way to the bay. Wikipedia gives its length as 41 miles, Florida State Parks says almost 40 miles, and the USF Water Atlas lists 50.3 miles. The river drains a 243-square-mile watershed, and its lower 5 miles are tidal. Over that course it widens from a creek 10 to 20 feet across to a tidal river about 300 feet wide. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has designated it an Outstanding Florida Water. Parts of the river lie within Little Manatee River State Park and the Cockroach Bay Aquatic Preserve.

The state designates a 10-mile paddling trail on the river. It starts at the US 301 bridge and passes Little Manatee River State Park, where canoe launch access is coordinated through the ranger station, and the Camp Bayou launch on 24th Street. It ends at Wildcat Creek Park. Hillsborough County runs the single-lane Wildcat Creek and Domino boat ramps, and each charges a $5 launch fee. The Domino ramp sits on Mill Bayou between the US 41 and I-75 bridges. The county ramp pages require boaters to follow posted idle and slow-speed zones, and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission maps show manatee protection zones on the lower river. A former boat ramp at Sun City Heritage Park has been converted to a fishing pier.

The river supports both freshwater and brackish-water fish. The Spanish town of Uzita, visited by the de Soto expedition, is believed to have stood near the river.