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Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides

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Fakahatchee ferns

Hillsborough River

Hiking, biking, paddling, camping, and other outdoor recreation, public lands, and communities along the Hillsborough River.

.Hillsborough River

Fort Foster State Historic Site

Peeking over the walls of a wooden fort

Hillsborough River State Park  |  Tampa
( 28.144518,-82.224331 )      

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.

Hillsborough River Hiking Trails

View of rapids from above

Hillsborough River State Park  |  Tampa
( 28.1491, -82.2273 )      5.8 miles

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.

Hillsborough River State Park

Foreground of cypress knees with rapids beyond

Thonotosassa      ( 28.144716,-82.224621 )      

With a trail system and picnic grounds built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, Hillsborough River State Park delights with miles of scenic trails, a swinging bridge, and the froth of river rapids.

Lettuce Lake Park

Lettuce Lake Park

Tampa      ( 28.0752,-82.3745 )      1.8 miles

At the north edge of Tampa, Lettuce Lake Park protects 240 acres along the Hillsborough River, with a loop trail and boardwalk that shows off cypress swamps and uplands.

Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve

Woodlands at Flatwoods Park

Tampa      ( 28.148891, -82.278711 )      

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

Morris Bridge Park

Bridge leading over Hillsborough River to boardwalk loop

Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve  |  Tampa
( 28.098967, -82.312367 )      0.4 miles

While the gentle loop boardwalk at Morris Bridge Park is a major reason to stop and savor the Hillsborough River, the park also provides cyclists a trailhead to off-road adventure

Tampa

People looking inside a massive ancient cypress

While Tampa is a large city along the north shore of Tampa Bay, it has many natural lands protecting its water supply, providing outdoor recreation opportunities.

Upper Hillsborough River Hiking Trail

Upper-Hillsborough-Hiking-Trail

Zephyrhills      ( 28.223013, -82.146181 )      4.7 miles

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.

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