Emerson Point Nature Preserve - Palmetto

I love to visit Emerson Point in Palmetto and get my dose of nature.  I escape down the shoreline path, or take one of the many marked trails, or boardwalks, and around each bend I might see a new bird, spot a butterfly, or find a new flower.

Emerson Point is located on Snead Island where the Manatee River meets Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.  It is a quiet retreat rich in nature and history. Early Native Americans harvested the water's bounty here and built great shell mounds. Later, Europeans settled here. Today, fishermen cast their lines near the mouth of the river, where egrets and herons also fish.

With picnic tables throughout, marked trails, and rest rooms at the visitors center,  I think Emerson Point is a great place to spend the day. It is a unique Tampa Bay treasure.

Along the winding trails through mangroves, I have found little black mangrove crabs climbing the branches. On the loop around a fresh water pond I've seen blue winged teal, wood ducks, and herons feeding in the shallows.  Warblers and wrens sing in the woods. After a climb up the viewing tower, I can catch a breeze and have a far flung look at the water's many bays and inlets. Biking and kayaking are also popular here.

                                                                       
Written by Lucy Noe

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