Upper Hillsborough Preserve

1) What It's Like

It's a sizable bit of land near other interesting hikes (Colt Creek State Park and Green Swamp) so you'd think it might have promise. BUT - at least when we visited in summer it was completely untended. Tall grass and weeds, nothing on trailhead, garbage around. So pretty useless. I'm assuming they just assume only hunters use it and so they take care of it in winter... or maybe it's terrible then too - no idea. I look forward to trying again some time in winter and seeing if there's more to it.

2) Kinds of Birds

Didn't see much. There's a pond but maybe we saw one egret. At nearby parks will often see wren, woodpeckers, owls - forest birds.

3) Wildlife

Hunting here so assume turkey and deer but we saw no sign on the part we did. Weeds might have covered up tracks.

4) Amenities

Barely a parking lot. I do think the trailhead sign is an original Rothko painting called "all black, existential crisis".

5) Directions

Co Rd 54  W of Berry Rd - between Berry Road and channel drive on the south side of road - pretty obvious. I believe there's another entrance on the SW side on Chancey road.

6) Dear Ranger

I'd rather you have 10 trails that are not maintained in summer than to have 5 that are - so not complaining that you don't clear vegetation in summer if it's a money/lack-of-use issue.

That said -

1) It was weird to have nothing on the trailhead sign

2) That sign-in sheet clip board - doesn't it get wet? Not complaining - just seems impracticable.

3) Nobody else does this but I'd love it if you just put a prominent sheet of paper on the trailhead that says something like "TRAIL NOT MAINTAINED JUNE THROUGH OCTOBER. EXPECT TALL GRASS AND DOWNED TREES. TAKE PRECAUTIONS FOR TICKS". Sometimes trails can seem passable until you're far in and committed.

7) Time Requirements

We didn't go far because it was boring and overgrown. BUT - from the map it looks like it's a couple miles to the center of the park or the closest walk to the river. I'd guestimate there's 10 miles of loop combinations but the park borders could and may contain more than the map. BUT - I can think of about 100 places I'd rather try to walk a lot of miles in.