Hillsborough River State Park is in Thonotosassa Florida. It’s about 15 miles north east of downtown Tampa, or about 10 miles from the nearest exit off I-75, and is a great spot to get out and explore nearly 3000 acres of unspoiled Florida wilderness for a day. The price is $6 per vehicle or $4 if you’re driving in by yourself.
The park opened up in 1938, as one of the original eight Florida State Parks, and some of the original structures are still there today including the suspension bridge that crosses high over the Hillsborough River to two of the parks main hiking trails.
There are 7 miles of hiking trails at the park. The only one that most people ever see though is the fairly short and easy River Rapids Trail. This trail is a series of paths and boardwalks that follows along a 1.2 mile stretch of the Hillsborough River. This trail has some really nice views of the river, and usually plenty of wildlife like birds, turtles, and plenty of gator sightings. They just like keep to themselves and won’t bother you unless you bother them. But like you may have guessed from the name of this trail, the main draw here is the short stretch of Class 2 rapids that flow through a section of the park. The site of rapids on a Florida river isn’t something most people would expect to see. This isn’t exactly a raging stretch of water, but occasionally a kayaker will come through here. And if you want to get on the river, you can rent canoes and kayaks here, as well as bicycles or even these 4 passenger surrey bikes that you can take around the road that loops through the park.
Crossing the river on the Suspension Bridge will take you to two more of the parks hiking trails. The short and easy Baynard Trail, which is only about a mile long and loops through the woods and along the river. And the longer, more moderately challenging Florida Trail. This one is over 3 miles long, and follows a good long stretch of the river before taking you deeper into the Florida wilderness. I actually really love hiking on this trail. It is a fairly long 3 miles though, because some stretches of this trail are uneven or with lots of tree roots. So watch your step. If it’s been raining recently, there might be some muddy sections too, so be prepared for that.
If you want to stay longer, you can pitch your tent or hook up your RV at the campground, and even pick up some supplies at the Poolside Cafe which also has a really big swimming pool for those who are staying here. Or if you just want to spend the day here with a big group there are picnic pavillions for rent and a huge playground to keep the little ones entertained.
I really love this park, and come out here a lot when I want to get out and go for a nice long hike, and would highly recommend it to anybody who wants to see a piece of the Real unspoiled Florida. Its easy to access and just a short drive from Tampa, so lots of people are within an easy distance of this place.
Hillsborough River State Park
15402 US-301, Thonotosassa, FL 33592
(813) 987-6771
https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/hillsborough-river-state-park
Prices:
$6 per vehicle, limit 2-8 people per vehicle.
$4 for single occupant vehicle.
$2 for pedestrians & bicyclists
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