MacDill 48 Park
A car-free, 48-acre South Tampa park that is secretly flood control, with a 1-mile loop around a 25-million-gallon stormwater pond and bald eagles.
- Address: 6415 S MacDill Ave, Tampa, FL 33611
- Neighborhood: South Tampa
- Category: Hidden Gems
- Hours: Monday Sunrise to sunset; Tuesday Sunrise to sunset; Wednesday Sunrise to sunset; Thursday Sunrise to sunset; Friday Sunrise to sunset; Saturday Sunrise to sunset; Sunday Sunrise to sunset
- Website: https://www.tampa.gov/news/2024-11/tampa-opens-newest-public-park-159436
Most people walking the loop at MacDill 48 Park have no idea they are circling flood control. The 48-acre park's 1-mile, partially paved trail winds through a forested canopy around a 10-acre pond built to hold 25 million gallons of stormwater for the Lower Peninsula, and the City of Tampa called it "our newest hidden treasure" when it opened in November 2024.
It is car-free: walkers and bicyclists only, open sunrise to sunset, per the city. Along the way you will find covered picnic tables, pond-side benches and a 14-foot-wide boardwalk over a natural wetland.
Keep an eye out for wildlife. The city lists native fish, gopher tortoises and large birds, including bald eagles, among the park's residents.
Sources: City of Tampa (https://www.tampa.gov/news/2024-11/tampa-opens-newest-public-park-159436), 83 Degrees Media (https://83degreesmedia.com/macdill-48-park-doubles-as-flooding-relief-in-south-tampa-111324/), That's So Tampa (https://thatssotampa.com/macdill-48-park-tampa/).
Photo: City of Tampa