US-1829

Alafia River State Park

A reclaimed phosphate mine in Lithia, about 30 miles southeast of Tampa, with real elevation change — genuinely unusual for central Florida. Mixed hardwood forest, pine flatwoods, scattered lakes and the South Prong of the Alafia River. The picnic area gives open space for a vertical and a full radial field.

At a glance

Entry: $5 per vehicle (two to eight people). $4 single-occupant vehicle. $2 pedestrians,...
Hours: Open 8:00 a.m. until sundown, 365 days a year.
Operating position: See park page →
Tables: Yes
Shade: See park page →
Restrooms: Yes
Water: See park page →
Grid: EL87ws

Official park page Florida State Parks → Trail maps, closures, facilities and current alerts, kept current by the agency. Activation history POTA.app — US-1829 → Every activation, activator and hunter log for this park. This guide covers conditions on the ground, not the logbook.

Useful for activating

Listed by Florida State Parks , checked August 2026. Not verified on site. This is only what affects operating — see the park’s own page for everything else.

Campground
Primitive camping
Electric hookups
Roofed pavilion
Hiking trails
Equestrian trails
Kayak launch
ADA accessible areas

Full details on the Florida State Parks site →

Getting in

Parking

Easy access from the Tampa Bay area. Operating was done from the picnic area with a car nearby.

Hours

Open 8:00 a.m. until sundown, 365 days a year.

Access

Florida state park.

Accessibility

The picnic area has ADA accessible picnic shelters. Campground restroom facilities are ADA accessible. Three ADA campsites.

Setting up

Where to operate

The picnic area has enough open space to lay out a full 8-radial field around a vertical, and includes ADA accessible shelters and a playground. Mountain bikers use the park heavily — trails draw riders from across the state — but the picnic area stayed quiet enough to set up without issue.

Antennas

A JPC-12 vertical with eight 17 ft radials was used on both visits. Enough room in the picnic area to lay the radials out properly. A Yaesu FT-450 was run here as well as the X6200, which is practical because the car is close — the FT-450 is viable for a table setup but not for a carry.

Before you go

Conditions to plan for

Alligators are a regular presence along the lake shores. Watch your footing near the water.