Like a patchwork quilt of variegated greens tossed out over Tampa Bay, this 3190-acre preserve protects a diverse aquatic and wetland ecosystem. At the preserve's heart is the excellent Cultural and Natural History Center (open 9am to 4pm Thursday to Saturday and 11am to 4pm Sunday) with exhibits about the natural environment and the early Weedon Island people. Sign up for interpretive boardwalk hikes, or go alone with the online map. The preserve is on Riviera Bay, south off I-92.
Alternatively, rent a kayak from Sweetwater Kayaks and head out on the 4-mile South Trail loop through the idyllic mangrove islands.
