Hillsborough County’s 2020 Hiking Spree was going along swimmingly with good participation until COVID-19 struck.
“We were having a good year in 2020 with close to 3,000 participants,” said Chris Kiddy, Environmental Outreach Coordinator for the County’s Conservation and Environmental Lands Management Program. “Then, the last month, we lost it [due to the pandemic].”
This year’s spree fared better: as the 2021 event winds down this month, the spree attracted record numbers of hikers and an off-the-charts number of participants who finished all eight hikes.
Kiddy and his coworkers are busy finishing the compilation of data on this year’s participation. Around 8,000 signed up for the Hiking Spree and instead of the hundred or so who typically complete it, more than 800 have completed it so far. The spree ends March 31.
Participants who send in their completion data will be awarded either a medallion for their hiking stick or a patch, according to the participant’s choice. This year, a dog bandana was also added and more than 1,000 hikers have registered their dogs so far, according to Kiddy.
As for the most popular hiking path, Lettuce Lake Park is always a contender. Blackwater Creek near Plant City and the Carrollwood Village Parks and Recreation site were also big hits this year, as was the Little Manatee State Park. This is the first year that state parks were included in the spree.
Wilderness areas are typically the big draws, Kiddy said. This year’s list included the Upper Tampa Bay Conservation Park, Lake Rogers Conservation Park, Flatwoods Conservation Park, and Edward Medard Conservation Park and Reservoir.
