Fall at Camp Bayou!

 Get into the Fall spirit with a few fun events at Camp Bayou!

Saturday, October 1 is the Annual International Observe the Moon night paddle. Explore the Little Manatee River after dark- without flashlights! Canoes and kayaks are available for $25 per boat; $5 if you have your own vessel. Plan to arrive by 6:30pm to be out on the water by 7pm. Registration required, email campbayou@gmail.com or call the office 813-641-8545. Camp Bayou continues to offer day paddle trips on the first and third Saturdays each month at 9am, reservations required. 

On Friday and Saturday evenings, Oct 14 and 15, Camp Bayou will offer our popular themed night hikes. Two options are available, both without using flashlights.. At 6pm, the hike focuses on the native creatures of the night, without a scary element for the younger ones. At 7pm, the hike reflects the season with Camp Bayou's own tales of ghosts and cryptids. Both hikes end with s'mores around the campfire. Cost is $5 per person. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Space limited- register online here.

For those who are interested in helping with registered groups, Camp Bayou is looking for enthusiastic volunteers who love the outdoors and want to pass along that passion to others through hands-on activities, walks and canoe tours. Contact Becki at 813-641-8545 or fill out the form at campbayou.org. We are mainly looking for folks to help teach school groups K-6 but there are other opportunities as well.

Camp Bayou Outdoor Learning Center is neither a campground nor a summer camp. It was an RV park before the County's ELAP program purchased the land but it is now open for day use only, open to the general public. Through volunteers, donations, supporters and grants, the managing non-profit- B.O.L.D. - offers pre-registered programs to schools, youth groups, adult groups and families. The Center is open from Thursday- Sunday from 9am-2pm for passive recreational pursuits such as wildlife watching, nature photography and trail walks.  General admission is still FREE.

The Camp Bayou Outdoor Learning Center is a public- private partnership between Bayou Outdoor Learning and Discovery, Inc. (B.O.L.D.), and Hillsborough County Conservation & Environmental Lands Management. Camp Bayou is located 3 miles south of SR674 at the end of 24th St SE in Ruskin. Check out the Camp Bayou Facebook page and for more information visit the website at http://www.campbayou.org/ or call 813-641-8545.

 ###