McKay Bay Nature Park facts for kids
McKay Bay Nature Park is a 38-acre park located in Tampa, Florida at 134 North 34th Street. The park and nature trail access McKay Bay, an avian sanctuary and a location along the Great Florida Birding Trail.
There is a .17 mile boardwalk trail through mangroves and mudflats, an observation tower that doubles as an education pavilion, a paved 1.25 mile multi-use trail and .5-mile nature trail. Picnic tables and interpretive signage are offered.. The boardwalks remains closed since 2015.
The park is part of the larger 62-acre McKay Bay Preserve. Many species of wading birds forage, particularly in winter months. Birds may also be viewed with spotting scopes from either the park's observation tower/education pavilion, located on the east side, or the bird-viewing station on the west side.
The park is situated north of the 22nd Street Causeway and the McKay Bay Resource Recovery Plant on the east side of 34th Street.
McKay Bay Greenway
The complete McKay Bay Park and Greenway encompass about 200 acres. The preserved area is operated in a partnership between the City of Tampa, Hillsborough County and the Southwest Florida Water Management District. The land was purchased using the Hillsborough County ELAP Program in 1990 and a smaller parcel on the Palm River was purchased in 2000 by ELAPP and the State of Florida Greenways and Trails Program. A large tract of land along the southeast shoreline is owned by the Southwest Florida Water Management District, and used as a spoil disposal area for the Tampa Bypass Canal.
