Emerson Point Preserve

One of my favorite parks. When exploring the trails and grounds it's amazing to know that some of the first indians lived and hunted here thousands of years ago. Very tranquil and serene with some great water views. Worth a trip.?

A beautiful example of FL mangrove marshland and wildlife. Excellent maintained trails and walkways. Be sure to visit the ancient American Indian sites and beach area at the end of the driveway.

The improvements to this park over the past several years have been in a word 'Phenomenal'. Our family would visit often when our children were younger and fully enjoyed the hiking paths and Indian midden mounds with signage all around describing the history contained in this Preserve and we would bring picnic lunch and just enjoy the nature all around. The trails have been expanded and improved greatly making the journey through even more enjoyable. This time we brought our grandson and we all had lots of fun exploring all of the nature, and we saw no less than five professional photographers taking group and family pictures in various locations throughout the Emerson Point Preserve which speaks volumes about the natural beauty contained in this wonderful hidden jewel located on the West end of Snead Island on the Manatee River and Terra Ceia Bay. If You have not visited here before, I encourage You to check it out. You will be blessed and happy for the experience.

This place was pretty cool. Several fun things to do here. First is the boat launch at the end of the island. It’s got a decent ramp, but no parking for boat trailers. Along that area are spots to fish, a beach and a little trail along the beach.

Second, there is an Native American Indian mound at this preserve. It’s back near the entrance but it’s a nice little historical area that tells the history of the natives and the settlers that came after. I love that sort of stuff and this was my favorite area of the preserve.

Third, there are so many walking trails here it’s not even funny. Miles and miles of paved and non-paved trails.

On top of all that you’ve got an observation tower that’s not too hard to get to, a couple of docks and plenty of areas to picnic. The rangers station up front is near the welcome center that has actual bathrooms. Otherwise you’re going to see port-a-johns.

Overall, it was a fun place to spend a day and I will likely return.

Incredible spot for hiking, fishing, and photography. The entire preserve is very well kept. The boardwalks around the mangroves offer great views of Tampa Bay and have lots of wildlife. The best part is that there is no entrance or parking fee.