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3.67 out of 5 Rider Rating 3.67
26 Reviews

Green Swamp Tour - Northeast of Tampa

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By Guest (0 McR Points) on Sep 30, 2008

Rider Reviews

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6ft10on1100
6 McR Points
March 27, 2015
This is a good run. BUT. just north of Deen Still…
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Guest
January 10, 2014
Nice scenic ride with little traffic. Rockridge…
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Written Directions

Begin at the intersection of I-75 and Hwy 50. There is a Cracker Barrel and all the fast food places there. Head East on 50 almost to the city of Mascotte and look for Hwy 565 (Bay Lake Road). Take a right on to Hwy 565 (Bay Lake Road) and take this down to Lake Erie Rd where you want to take a left and continue to Hwy 33. At Hwy 33 turn right and go down to Green Pond Rd where you want to turn right. Stay on Green Pond as it turns into Rockridge Rd. Follow Rockridge Rd until the stop sign and turn right to remain on Rockridge Rd. Then follow Rockridge Rd across Hwy 98 to Old Dade City Rd and turn right. Take Old Dade City Road as it heads north up to Hwy 98. Turn left on to Hwy 98 and almost immediately turn left on to Hwy 54 heading west. Take Hwy 54 into Zephryhills, where the tour ends. Ride Safe.

Scenery

A scenic tour of the Green Swamp Preserve and some nice rural roads. Allow two hours for the ride plus gas and food stops. The Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve is an official Florida protected area found in the adjoining corners of three different counties - Sumter, Lake, and Polk. This is a large preserve consisting of 560,000 acres of wetlands, flatlands, and low ridges. Sections of the area are bounded by well defined and visible sandy ridge lines. The rainwater that flows across the surface to help form the headwaters of four major rivers: the Withlacoochee, the Ocklawaha, the Hillsborough and the Peace. The protected status of the area and as well as the nice collection of natural water bodies combine to form a nice quiet & rural feel that motorcycle riders from all around the area ride in to enjoy.

Drive Enjoyment

This one has lots of twisties for Florida and a good amount of nice rural riding. Another bonus is you will find very little traffic to get in your way.

Tourism Opportunities

Eat at the beginning of the ride because there are not a lot of options for food on the tour. You'll also pass through one of the sections of Withlacoochee State Forest which is the 3rd largest state forest in FL yet it is broken up into many sections (you'll be going through what is called the Richloam Tract). At the end of your ride, you'll end up in Zephyrhills where you'll find a lot of restaurants.

Motorcycle Road Additional info

- View the weather forecast for this area from Yahoo weather .
 

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6ft10on1100
March 27, 2015
6 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Cruiser
This is a good run. BUT. just north of Deen Still and South of 474 there is a side road that turns this into a Very good run. Take the Green Swamp Road on the west side of 33. Adds a few curves and some mighty fine stuff to look at then connects to the rest of the run. Have Fun and Ride Safe.
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4 riders found this road review useful
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Guest
January 10, 2014
0 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Touring
Nice scenic ride with little traffic. Rockridge and Green Pond roads are posted 35 MPH for a reason! CAUTION! Going east on Greenpond there is a 90 degree left turn with a 4 inch sunken tire rut right at the apex of the turn. It caught a few of us by surprise. Gas up at 98 & Rockridge because there isn't much east of there until you get back up to SR 50.
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3 riders found this road review useful
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Guest
April 29, 2012
0 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Sport
I thought it was a great experience. Hwy 33 was a delight having a stretched 750 Gxsr and mostly straight roads allowed me to open to the throttle a little. Green Pond Road is a back country road with great turns and twistees. The road not in great condition but rideable and very scenic. My bike is lowered and with my wife tagging along, I wasn't able to push it in the curves and lean as much. However, that road alone was prehistoric to modern rural roads, which allowed it to be a great ride on a Sunday afternoon. If you have GPS, I suggest eating at Chowder House Restaurant on SR 54 heading west in the Sweetbay Plaza. This will be a great meal after a long ride. Until next time, seeya in the wind!!!
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