Little Manatee River State Park, State park in Hillsborough County, US.

Little Manatee River State Park covers 2,433 acres (985 ha) south of Sun City, off U.S. Route 301 on Lightfoot Road, along the Little Manatee River. A narrow, dark river runs through the center, its glassy surface broken by reflections of trees in brown, green and blue. A thick dark trunk leans diagonally over the water on the left, dense green foliage borders both banks, and pale strands of Spanish moss hang from limbs on the right. Fallen branches rest at the water's edge among the vegetation.

Little Manatee River State Park was established in 1974 as the Little Manatee River State Recreation Area, covering 663 hectares. It was redesignated a state park in March 1999. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection manages it under a 99-year lease that expires on April 10, 2074.

The park's name comes from the Little Manatee River, which flows along its western edge; the river shares its name with the manatee, though the park's 2,433 acres are managed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection under a 99-year lease running to April 10, 2074. Visitors today kayak, canoe, fish and ride horses on 12 miles of equestrian trails, with four equestrian campsites and a primitive campsite along the hiking trail.

The park lies 5 miles south of Sun City off U.S. Route 301 on Lightfoot Road and is open from 8:00 am until sundown year-round. Trails total 6.5 miles for hiking and 12 miles shared with horses, with four equestrian campsites, a full-facility campground, a primitive site along the trail and a youth/group campground. A picnic area by the river has tables, grills and pavilions.

A 1998–2000 plant survey in the park recorded 523 taxa, 436 of them native and 29 endemic to Florida. Ten taxa are listed as threatened, endangered or commercially exploited, among them Chrysopsis floridana and Rhynchospora megaplumosa. The park covers 2,433 acres (985 ha).