Seizing the Dream: Hillsborough River State Park

The campsites in this park are nice and open, with plenty of space. It was very busy over Memorial Weekend, but we arrived on Monday, so the crowds had dwindled by the time we were set up.

The campsites are pretty big!

We arrived a little early, so we parked in overflow parking while we waited on our campsite to open up. We took the opportunity to ride our bikes around the park and check things out. The campground has three loops – we stayed in the southern loop – each one with a bathhouse that also has laundry facilities and sinks for dish washing.

There is a big swimming pool on the main loop road; the capacity sign said that they could allow up to something like 260 people. On Memorial Day, the park was so busy that there was a line stretching into the parking lot, with people waiting to get in.

On our first full day, we went hiking on the Baynard and Florida Trails on the north side of the river. Later that day we took a drive down to Tampa to visit the Tampa Aquarium. I really recommend the hike, and I really recommend avoiding the aquarium. Tampa Aquarium is overpriced at $25 per person, and the whole aquarium can be seen in about two hours if you take your time.

We also went canoeing on the river – it is absolutely gorgeous on the river. Also, the river flow is slow enough that the return trip upstream is about as easy as the downstream paddle. Along the way, keep an eye out for herons, anhinga, and other water fowl. We also saw an otter and, of course, a couple of alligators.

This is a great park to visit; I wish we had more time to stay!

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