With the Phosphate Mines Long Gone, Tenoroc Public Use Area and its Pretty Trails Showcase Land Reclamation at its Best

Not far from Lakeland lies a local favorite fishing and hiking spot that attempts, not altogether unsuccessfully, to hide its industrial past.  Half a century ago, the Tenoroc Public Use Area was a collection of phosphate mines that, at the time, would not have attracted much interest from nature-loving hikers.  Fast forward 50 years later, and Tenoroc is a blossoming success story of mine reclamation. And although its shooting range makes it less attractive for hikers seeking quiet backcountry serenity, its miles of trails are a great place to log long miles through lush vegetation surrounded by pretty phosphate-pits-turned-ponds and lakes.

Even Tenoroc’s name betrays its recent past, as the name is derived from one of the first companies to mine phosphate there, Coronet. (By reversing the letters of Coronet for its new name, the land managers seem to be paying poetic homage to their current attempts to undo adverse ecological impacts from the land’s former uses.)  Before the mining companies arrived, Tenoroc was a vast wetland containing the headwaters of Saddle Creek, which drained into lakes that fed into the Peace River.  Beginning in the 1940s, phosphate miners drained the wetlands and impounded the water in retention areas as part of their mining activities. After most of the mining ceased by the end of the 1970s, the original tract now comprising Tenoroc was donated to the state in 1982. Additional tracts were then added in 1998 and 2000, and the land was repurposed for conservation and compatible recreational uses.

Tenoroc now covers more than 7,300 acres and includes more than 30 miles of hiking and equestrian trails, a shooting range, picnic areas, and more than 20 lakes that are a favorite for freshwater anglers.  Although only 17 percent of the land there is classified as unmined and undisturbed, the other parts that were mined or impacted by mining have been the beneficiaries of extensive land reclamation projects, with many former pits having been converted to lakes and other land left to regrow naturally. Other more focused engineering efforts have been made to restore drainage to help curb declining flows into the Peace River.

For hikers, the key draw is the distances, the ease of access, and the abundance of shade on the trails.  Tenoroc’s main yellow-blazed loop stretches 8.9 miles through forested terrain with a deceptive amount of elevation gain for this part of Central Florida (nearly 200 feet).  Shorter red- and blue-blazed loops also join legs of the yellow loop.  All depart from the parking lot at Picnic Lake just 1.3 miles past Tenoroc’s entrance station, and all are well-blazed and well-maintained by the Heartland chapter of the Florida Trail Association, which recently built a new bridge near the trailhead on the first leg of the blue loop.

Although many of the trails include sections of shared forest and equestrian roads or straddle property lines adjacent to homes, many hikers-only stretches crawl through restored terrain with lush vegetation which only the trained eye can discern as reclaimed. The converted pits-turned-lakes also provide an abundance of water features frequented by waterfowl and full of the bass, crappie, and blue gill that lure the fishermen but are large enough only for quieter small watercraft.

The biggest drawback for hikers is the shooting range, which is usually busy and can be heard from most of the eastern half of the yellow loop.  The equestrian and hiking loops can also be busy, so Tenoroc’s trails are more ideal for exercise than seclusion or escape. But they do cater to wildlife and provide a considerable amount of shade and trail surfaces that are comfortable underfoot. Perhaps most importantly, Tenoroc sets the precedent for how land restoration efforts can return land once spoiled by industrial uses back to natural habitats for future generations to enjoy.

Tenoroc is open only 4 days a week (Sunday, Monday, Friday, and Saturday) from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. during late spring, summer, and fall months, then closes at 7 p.m. in the winter. A daily fee of $3 per person must be paid at the entrance station, where you’ll also need to pick up a parking pass. Tenoroc often closes on holidays as well. But for pleasant weekend hiking near Lakeland, Tenoroc is a great place to try.