Opening Of Riverview's Pebble Park Celebrated By Outdoor Lovers

RIVERVIEW, FL — Residents, hiking enthusiasts and parks staff gathered recently at the newest county conservation park to celebrate the official opening of Pebble Park, a new passive park on the Alafia River in Riverview.

The 27 acres of preserved outdoor space at 9955 Riverview Drive, Riverview, features a half-mile network of paved and natural-surface trails, large pavilions with picnic tables and a butterfly garden in the shape of a butterfly, built by a local Girl Scouts troop.

Approximately 500 native trees and plants thrive in the park. Restrooms, lighted parking and drainage improvements are among other amenities. The addition of a boardwalk and observation overlook along the river is planned for the future.

Resident John Bakas, who attended the opening ceremony, said he was anxious for the park to open and would frequently stop by on his walks to peer through the gate and get a glimpse of the progress.

Construction of the park came about through a partnership with The Mosaic Co., which owned the land for decades as part of the phosphate mining and manufacturing industry, but the land was never mined.

The center of the roundabout entrance to Pebble Park includes a statue of Benjamin Moody, a pioneer settler of what eventually became Riverview and a three-time Hillsborough County commissioner in the mid-1800s.

Additionally, the park will soon include a Native American-inspired statue created by Milligan Studios in collaboration with artists and craftspeople of the Seminole Tribe.

Spring and summer park hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and fall and winter park hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

There is no entrance fee.

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