US-3663

Terra Ceia Preserve

An island community just south of the Skyway Bridge, with the preserve protecting a large undeveloped stretch of Tampa Bay coastline. Karst coastal terrain — submerged limestone supporting seagrass beds and mangroves. Archaeological sites in the area date to 8,000 B.C.

At a glance

Entry: Free
Hours: Land access sunrise to sunset. Boater access is unrestricted.
Operating position: See park page →
Tables: None
Shade: See park page →
Restrooms: None
Water: Bring your own
Grid: EL87rn

Official park page Florida State Parks → Trail maps, closures, facilities and current alerts, kept current by the agency. Activation history POTA.app — US-3663 → 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.

Hiking trails
Kayak launch
Boat ramp

Full details on the Florida State Parks site →

Getting in

Hours

Land access sunrise to sunset. Boater access is unrestricted.

Access

Nine miles of foot trails are accessible from the park gates on Hightower Road — do not block the gates. A further trailhead is at 8054 Bishop Harbor Road, Palmetto. Some trails flood in the wet season.

Setting up

Where to operate

Not described in detail. A tripod-mounted vertical with eight radials was used, so there is room to deploy.

Antennas

A vertical on a tripod with eight radials. No SWR figure recorded.

Before you go

Conditions to plan for

The park's own guidance is to bring water and bug repellent. There are no facilities of any kind — no restrooms, no water, no picnic areas. Trails can be submerged at wet times of year, and the grass off-trail is tall and uncut.