Raleigh Lake

Lake Rogers Park is a 272 acre park and preserve with a 2.25 mile trail around Lake Rogers in Odessa, Florida. There are several benches, picnic areas, grills, side trails, and a nature trail. Signage highlights some of the plant and animal inhabitants. The area includes pine flatwoods and oak hammocks.

The trail beds include sand, grass, dirt and leaf litter. The park is accessible from a parking area at 9010 North Mobley Road, west off of Gunn Highway.

There are areas for fishing (including catfish and catch-and-release for bass) as well as areas for canoe/ kayak launching. An offshoot trail leads to an overlook on neighboring Raleigh Lake.

As of 2012 the park closes at 6 p.m., parking is $2, and camping is $12. The area is owned by the City of St. Petersburg, Florida and operated by Hillsborough County. The lakes provide foraging habitat for wading birds, bald eagles, and osprey. Other animals include raccoons, opossum, and otter. Brown bunnies have also been spotted in the area

There are well sites in the area for municipal drinking water. The wells are part of the Caosme-Odessa Wellfield, established in the 1930s. Water levels had dropped from being drawn down and efforts to retain the water level have been undertaken.

In 1987 the City of St. Petersburg leased the land to Hillsborough County for "passive natural resource based recreation," although the park didn't open until 1999 when the Hillsborough County Commissioners provided the park with an operating budget. The official opening was March 2000.

Lake Rogers Park, 9010 North Mobley Road, Odessa, FL 33556, (813) 264-3917. Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department, 1101 E. Rivercove Drive, Tampa, FL 33604. Phone: (813) 975-2160.

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