Hillsborough River State Park

Boasting classic American “parkitecture” built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, Hillsborough River State Park opened in 1938.

It’s one of the oldest Florida State Parks and certainly beloved of families in Tampa for its big swimming pool, suspension bridge, and overlook on the famed Hillsborough rapids.

The Hillsborough Rapids

While many Florida rivers once had rapids, too many were dyanmited for the sake of commerce more than a century ago.

The foam and froth of the Class II rapids of the Hillsborough are a delight to listen to and behold as the waters tumble between cypress trees in a narrow chasm.

Suspension bridge across the river

Resources

Resources for exploring the area

Hikers Guide to the Sunshine State book cover

Central Florida Orlando Explorers Guide book cover

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Overview

Location: Thonotosassa
Length: 13.4 miles across six trails
Trailhead: 28.137639, -82.231306
Address: 15302 US 301 North, Thonotosassa
Fees: $4-6 per vehicle
Restrooms: At various day use locations
Land manager: Florida State Parks
Phone: 813-688-9500

Open 8 AM until sunset. Leashed pets welcome. Reserve camping in advance.

Directions

Take Interstate 75 to Tampa exit 265 (Fowler Avenue). Head east to its junction with US 301. Turn north and drive 10.5 miles to the park entrance. Follow the one-way loop to your chosen parking area. Parking Area #2 provides easy access to a view of the rapids.

About the Park

There is a little something for everyone inside Hillsborough River State Park. Perched along the river bluffs, it has picnic areas beneath ancient live oaks.

Trails wind along both sides of the Hillsborough River through lush, jungle-like forests, connected by footbridges.

Pavilions along broad sidewalks in forest

Picnic areas in a lush forest

Their popular campground has 112 sites, with some specifically set aside for tent and hammock campers.

Backpackers have a destination primitive campsite to strike out for on a short but wild loop along the park’s northern boundary.

On the river bluffs along the Seminole Woods Trail

On the opposite side of US 301 from the main gate, history buffs can tour Fort Foster with a guide.

This replica of a frontier fortress that formerly stood along the Fort King Trail is home to an annual Rendezvous and re-enactment.

Inside Fort Foster

The interpretive center for the fort and its role during the Seminole Wars can be found at Parking Area #1 along the park road.

Fort Foster State Historic Site Part of Hillsborough River State Park, Fort Foster State Historic Site takes you back to the era of Florida's earliest pioneer settlers and their clashes with the native Seminoles.

As conservation efforts extended over the decades beyond the bounds of Hillsborough River State Park, it has become an integral part of a larger greenbelt.

Protecting the natural floodplain of the river basin immediately north of the Bypass Canal, the Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve encompasses 16,000 acres.

North, south, east, and west of this park are an array of public lands with an outstanding network of singletrack trails interconnecting them all.

Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve As the largest natural area in the Tampa Bay region, Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve is a major destination for recreation, with seven entrances across 16,000 acres.

Hike

Of the many trails within Hillsborough River State Park, the must-do is the oldest trail constructed by Civilian Conservation Corps workers, the River Rapids Nature Trail.

It’s a gentle walk suitable for families, leading to the rapids overlook from Parking Area #2 and then downriver along a series of boardwalks to the main picnic area.

Visitors admiring an ancient cypress tree

Ending at the suspension bridge, it provides access to two trails on the north side of the river–the Baynard Trail and the Seminole Woods Trail.

Baynard is a 1.1 mile loop named for the park’s first superintendent. It’s a superb sampler of the oak-and-palm hammock above the river bluffs.

Along the Baynard Trail

It can be chained together with the adjoining Seminole Woods Trail, a much gnarlier 3.2 mile loop in and out of river floodplain channels.

With a primitive campsite hidden deep in the woods, it’s challenging in spots but well worth it for the river views and ancient trees.

Hillsborough River Hiking Trails One of Tampa's oldest parks, Hillsborough River State Park has a 5.8-mile trail system as its centerpiece, through old-growth forest and along river rapids.

The south end of the park is home to the Wetlands Trail and the Fort King Trail, which interconnect in the Model Dairy Wetlands.

Both can also be used to explore adjacent Dead River Conservation Park on a 5.5 mile or 6.2 mile loop, depending on the trailhead you start from.

River with tree reflections on blue water

Hillsborough Dead River Loop Explore Dead River Conservation Park by foot or bike on a 5.5 mile loop starting with the Fort King Trail and the Wetlands Trail at Hillsborough River State Park.

Bike

The park contains the northern terminus of the Fort King Trail, which traces a portion of the military road that once linked Fort Brooke in Tampa with Fort King near Silver Springs.

The Fort King Trail extends south from the park roughly paralleling US 301 through Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve.

Inside the park, the Wetlands Trail is open to cyclists, providing graded but unpaved access to the northern extent of the Fort King Trail and to Dead River Park.

All visitors are welcome to ride the low-speed park road, which is one-way counterclockwise around the park once you enter the loop.

The Wetlands Trail

Trail Map

Explore More!

Slideshow

See our photos from this park

Nearby Adventures

Flatwoods Park In addition to the 6.9 mile paved bike path loop at its core, Flatwoods Park at Lower Hillsborough Wilderness provides many different routes for outdoor exploration.

Cypress Creek Nature Preserve A short drive from downtown Tampa, Cypress Creek Nature Preserve is an interesting window into a gradient of ecosystems along a tributary of the Hillsborough River.

Upper Hillsborough River Hiking Trail Following the north side of a blackwater river toward its headwaters, the Upper Hillsborough River Hiking Trail meanders though pine flatwoods, shady hammocks, and forested wetlands.

Lake with marshy edges and gazebo in distance

Colt Creek State Park For a getaway from the busy bustle of the Interstate 4 corridor between Lakeland and Tampa, wander an extensive trail system and camp beneath the twinkling stars at Colt Creek State Park.

Trail Map (PDF) Reserve Campsite Official Website