Places to Paddle ^tm
Canoeing - Kayaking - Rafting

Our Route Summary

• Submitted by: Al Vazquez alvazquez@kayakguide.com
• Date Submitted: 9/2004
• Location: just northwest of Oldsmar and Tampa, Florida USA
• Class: 1 with 2 mile per hour current down the creek in some places
• Distance Paddled: 4 miles round trip
• Water: fresh, suburban runoff,
• Wildlife: cypress, alligators, egrets, herons
• Special Regulations: No alcohol

Entry and Exit

• Directions: Brooker Creek enters the southeast side of Tarpon Springs Lake northwest of Oldsmar and Tampa Florida Launch at John Chestnut County Park on the west side of East Lake Road (2 or 3 miles north of Tampa Road (SR 92)
• GPS N 28 degrees 05'11.1" W 082 degrees 42'06.4"
• Fee: $5 for parking at ramp area
• Description: Concrete ramps
• Parking: adjacent paved
• Facilities: restrooms, picnic tables, hiking trails by the creek, observation tower
• Handicap Access: nothing special

Where We Paddled and What We Saw

From the cement boat ramps at the put in, exit the channel onto the lake and turn left (south).

Paddle about 100 yards to the mouth of the creek to the east. (Photo at left)

GPS N 28 degrees 05'05.3" W 082 degrees 42'25.9"

First, the creek ran along the hiking trail and some benches in the park.

Then we passed some houses and condos before the creek turned into the woods under a nice, solid canopy of trees.

We paddled under two road bridges. The one closest to the creek mouth is East Lake Road.

The golf course began shortly after the second road bridge. Then we paddled under a third golf cart bridge.

GPS N 28 degrees 05'14.0" W 082 degrees 41'33.0"

A stiff current begins to flow as the creek narrows shortly after the first bridge. And it increases as the creek narrows even more where it runs beside a golf course (see photo at right). It requires strenuous, skillful paddling at times.

We turned around at a dead fall at the far end of the golf course.

It's a great paddle, mostly under canopy, right in the middle of the Tampa suburbs!

To return to the put in, paddle to the right (north) exiting the creek mouth onto the lake.

You'll see the channel with the observation tower shown in the photo at left about 100 yards from the mouth of Brooker Creek.