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Robinson Preserve, Bradenton FL
Added: May 20, 2020
Category: Parks & Preserves
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Robinson Preserve, Bradenton FL
The Robinson Preserve is located in Northwest Bradenton. This beautiful park, which is a whopping 682 acres that is a mix of mangroves, tidal marsh and coastal wetlands.
Once you enter this nature reserve, you will be met with hiking paths, a kayak launch area, waterways, bridges, picnic spots, mangrove forests and a 53-foot-tall observation tower. The tower provides breath taking views of four counties and five water bodies with a wide-open view of the Tampa Bay area.
There are multiple ways to explore all that this park has to offer. There is 2.5 miles of paved trail where you can bike or rollerblade, or if you prefer to walk or hike, there is 5 miles of shell and coastal trails. To explore via the water channels, you can paddle board or kayak, both available to rent via local companies. There is 2.5 miles of canals, which will take you through mangrove tunnels, marshes, and if you’re lucky, run into a manatee or two.
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If you love fishing, this park is home to jumping mullet and hundreds of other species of fish and marine life. Enjoy tranquil days fishing under shady mangroves and be surrounded by wildlife while enjoying the serene views.
There is a vast amount of species that call the Robinson preserve home. With its unique systems, it supports a variety of rare wildlife with an opportunity to see Bald Eagles, Roseate Spoonbills, Wood Storks, White Pelicans, Least Terns and much more all in their natural habitat.
The visitor center, named The Valentine House, was built in the late 1800s on land covered by several hundred acres of citrus groves owned by the Preston family’s Manatee Fruit Company.
Rather than demolish the 2,700 square foot home, the Preston family donated the two structures to Manatee County.
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The home was floated on a barge for 7 miles, from a site in Palmetto, where it sat for about a century, to the Robinson Preserve, where it now functions as the visitor center. The home is also on the list of historic local buildings that the county considers endangered.
At the historic Valentine House, visitors can get information of the natural ecosystem, along with all the info and history of the Robinson preserve and everything you need to know before exploring the park. Inside there is also a miniature marine life touch tank!
Outside in the Valentine lawn, you will also find a Gopher Tortoise habitat. There you will get a chance to meet the tortoise up close and get to learn about why they are so important to the Florida ecosystem.
Explore all of this and more with free admission and parking. |
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