Hillsborough River State Park Campground

We were down for a funeral so we, unfortunately, didn’t spend any time in the park or campground. The park is absolutely gorgeous and we can’t wait to return in November for a week long stay. The roads in the campground are a little narrow so maneuvering a larger rig might take some time backing into sites but there were plenty of big rigs there so it is doable. The sites have picnic tables and a fire ring. As far as we could tell, all sites are sandy so I’m sure it would be a little messy after a rain with possible flooding. Our site was perfectly level with no side to side adjustments needed. Our loop was very shaded with gorgeous trees. The rangers were amazing and patrolled the campground on a regular basis. There is a huge pool but it was closed for renovations, opening sometime this summer. There is a small cafe with ice cream and you can rent kayaks or canoes to take a trip down a wonderfully, peaceful river. It was so clear that we could see fish swimming around. No swimming is allowed in the river because of gators but experienced paddle boarders would love the easy paddle. Lots of trails to hike as well.

Definitely a great place to stay right outside the Tampa area. Recommend highly.

Love it! Great campground with good shade and privacy between sites. Peaceful. Cool weather in February meant little to no bugs (yay!). Clean facilities, level site. Really nice hikes - but unfortunately it’s a bit of a walk from the campground to the trailheads. Worth it though! We will return!

Site 71 back in and HC and paved Very long 50 amp and water only Restrooms and showers across from site and very clean. 2washers $2.50 and 2 dryers $2.25 Lots of trails for walking, hiking, and biking Store and pool. Pool currently closed.

We were able to get a site that had electric and water. We plugged in a fan for our tent and kept pretty dry overnight. The site we booked is a little bit of a walk to the bathrooms but if you are bringing an RV or camper then it would make it a little easier. The sites next to the bathrooms are pretty much all permanent “glamming” that are rented out so it may be hard to get closer. The trails on the other side of the river have not been accessible since the last big hurricane so campers interested in hiking across the river may want to choose a different park.

Great place to stay bathrooms little dated but no big deal we have a 30ft rv and pulling a jeep plenty of room great outdoor activities

This park was close to home and was good for a quick trip. The roads can be a bit narrow depending on the size of your rig and some back in spot may be a challenge. This would be a good park to visit in the cooler months. Make sure you have plenty of mosquito repellent options, they don’t normally bother me too much, but I had welts after the 15 mins it took me to unhitch and set up. Overall, the park has some nice trails, with good wildlife viewing.

We stayed here to glamp in their new glamping yurts. First time glamping in FL and it was a great experience. The yurt was chic and smelt really good like essential oils. Everything was very clean and they put in a lot of effort to customize the stay for you. Best way to “camp” while staying clean and comfy. The bathrooms were nearby and immaculate at well.

We spent two weeks here in December. The staff was friendly and helpful and it is a beautiful park. The site was very open and a bit narrow for our camper, but it was meant for tents as they fit us in on late notice. There are some secluded sites. Canoes/Kayaks can be rented and it is a beautiful river. We saw a few alligators sunning on the banks. Bath houses were clean and well maintained. Washers and dryers are available (currently $2.00/load) and there are vending machines for snacks or drinks. The pool and store are currently closed for renovation.

Says $25. Doesn't include required registration fee $7, or utility fee $7!! $39/night. BS indeed! Just include it in the price! Too high!

We love it here. Great place to just get away from the everyday bs. Very peaceful and the trails are nice. The campsite is very clean and there are a lot sized for big rigs

This was one of our favorite campgrounds. The park was so lush and green it felt like a jungle safari. There are so many alligators just hanging around near the water so watch out while hiking! There are so many great hiking trails and places to explore in this park.

Laundry on site at the bath houses, as well as free hot showers. I didn't like the shower set up as much, because the area for your clothes and stuff and whatnot is in a communal space with other shower-ers.

Campground hosts sell firewood and ice.

We were here in January and the weather was perfect, not too humid, and it wasn't too buggy.

Super relaxing! Really easy to find your campsite and they are decent sized as well. Bathrooms are all relatively close but a little outdated. Great for nature walking and out dog had a great time!

We stayed at Hillsborough at site 031 which was right next to the kayak launch. There was not a lot of traffic which was a concern of mine. There’s plenty of short trails for easy hiking. The campground is wooded with spacious sites and privacy. Kayaking on the river was amazing. Lots of local wildlife and easy up in back river for beginners. Very peaceful campground. My one negative would be that it’s very dusty. Not a lot of rock or pavement anywhere on the roads or at the campsites themselves. It did not bother us however it may be troublesome for others. We will definitely be back. Also the entrance is locked at the evening which is a great safety however no where does it tell you that the code to get in is on the sticker that they put in your car. It gave us a little bit of panic before we realized where the code was on our first night coming back to our site.

We loved how close this was to Tampa yet it felt like you were miles away from it all . I can see how summer would be tough here as mentioned in other reviews.. wet would be my guess , so a winter visit is favorable. Tye hiking trails were amazing and we saw tons of wildlife. Gators on the trail next to the water. Night was filled with songs from the owls and calls from the coyote .. Make sure you cache all your food in bear proof containers because the raccoons are talented.. Bathroom is nice with great hot water .. good laundry machines too.. Only CON—- sites are too small and you’re right next to your neighborhoods.. very little privacy..

Beautiful drive into the campground with all the tropical plants and trees. Spacious lots and quiet

HBR State Park is what it is, as far as camping goes. The car campground is as expected from places like this. Lots of RV campers, sites that are quite close to each other, and rock-hard ground from being packed down by heavy vehicles day after day. If you plan on ground sleeping in the campground, make sure you have a sleeping pad or you will certainly be miserable. They do have very nice bathrooms at this park, which is always appreciated. In general, HBR is a pretty nice park, but I wouldn't camp here if you want a quiet night of solitude In the woods.

There is also a severe limit on Hammock camping - it is only allowed at a few of the sites, so make sure you reserve a site where you are allowed to hang a hammock if that is what you are looking to do.

The trails and the river are beautiful and definitely worth walking along at least once.

The primitive campsite that is off the trail, last I called them , has been closed off for over a year. I'm not sure why this is the case, when it is perfectly accessible, but it would be nice if it could get opened back up.

I will say that several workers seemed to be quite suspicious of me since I don't have a vehicle, and I was asked multiple times if I was hiking out. Not really sure what the big deal was.

This was a very nice swimming and paddle boat park on the Hillsborough River when I was a kid.As a family we visited many times. Now everything is closed down except camping, hiking, canoeing if you bring your own. But still a nice place to camp. Better if not during rainy season here in Florida. The ground was wet. Some sites had overflow from the river, I guess? Our site was nice. We had water and electricity. Pretty quiet. Lots of dogs. Very nice Rangers. Also someone went through every evening selling ice and firewood, which was great! Overall we will go back.

There are several trails crossing the river, paved and unpaved bike, walk, run trails, a ginormous swimming pool, a snack shop and equipment rental.  It's breath taking and has everything you could want.

We recently state a Hillsborough River State Park, the pool, concession stand and canoe rentals were all closed. Shady sites, clean showers and bathrooms

The best thing about this park is the reasonable rates with its proximity to Tampa. Unfortunately, the sites did not have sewer connections so we had to bring the portable tank. It is very shaded. Bugs do get very bad though so come prepared.

Loved the hiking, huge pool (closed due to cover though) will go back.  Hiking along the river almost forgot we were even in Florida :-)

This was our first time camping here.  It's a beautiful park with a lovely shaded campground and lots of oak trees.  The quality of the individual sites varies quite a bit, but all of them are pretty decent.  But there's one big problem--as you can see from the photo, there's a wastewater treatment plant between the loops right in the middle of the campground!  The plant's motors/generators are very noisy and run 24 hours a day (watch the video).  It's especially loud if you're camping in sites 82 - 100.  We had to use earplugs to sleep at night.  If you want to enjoy some peace and quiet, reserve a site on one of the other loops.  Otherwise, we had no complaints.  The staff was friendly and there are lots of hiking and kayaking opportunities.

This is a beautiful park close to the Tampa area. The campsites are separated into 2 areas. Most are small and open. On our visit, there were NO friendly people here. Some good hikes in the park. There are a few places to launch kayaks and I went from campground up to rapids and back down. Good paddle, lots of birds. Roads are paved in park and its a big circle so great for bike riding. There are large day use areas and a beautiful huge pool. Concessions were closed not sure if seasonal or covid? There is a neat suspension bridge and class 2 rapids along hike. Also a CCC museum (closed). Don't arrive before check in time because you have to wait in day use area until "it's time" for you to check in. Great park but not a great vibe.

Tent camped at a site in loop one. Weather was nice, though we were warned it can get a bit muddy when it rains. Crowds were a bit higher on the trails during Saturday afternoon but Sunday morning was much more quiet and we saw lots of wildlife.

We needed a campsite near Tampa FL for a few days to meet friends visiting the area from up north. Being a Floridian, we’ve experienced FL’s state parks and found them to offer privacy between sites. We weren’t disappointed with Hillsboro River State Park. Weather was cool in February that allowed for comfortable hiking and biking. Good Verizon signal to allow for plenty of streaming.

There are normal drive in sites and primitive hike-in sites.

Hiked in the mile or so to the primitive sites -- pack everything you need in. HELLA skeeters in the woods, bring high DEET spray. We went after it had rained and about a quarter of the trail was basically a mudpit. We were the only ones out there, which was great!

Canoe or kayak down the river is a must do! Gators, turtles, lots of birds and all downstream so pretty lowkey paddle.

We are boondockers so we tend to stay away from very peoplely places.. and this is a bit peoply. That said it was very comfortable everything was clean and super convenient. There was 30 amp as well as 50 amp water there's a dump station clean bathrooms nice showers even dedicated dishwashing sinks and a washer and dryer. We definitely heard people talking but as it got dark which happens early this time of year things settle down pretty quickly and never had a problem at night. I would definitely go here again if we didn't have backwoods options.

Nice campsites, clean bathrooms, friendly campers.

The windshield placard they give you says dont hang things from the trees, however the parks website says its fine if you're hanging a hammock with 1" thick webbing, and its on a thick tree. I hung my hammock and have had no trouble.

Bring plenty of bugspray, the mosquitoes here are big enough to carry away a small dog.

Sites right on top of one another. Ppl nice, Beautiful river.

Everything about Hillsborough River State Park seemed easy. It was easy to get to from our home in Largo. Once onto the 275 and over the Howard Franklin Bridge, it was just a few miles on I-4 toward Orlando. Then exit 7 to Highway 301 north about 10 miles to the campground. The way in which the state park and campground are set up is easy too. The main road is one big loop out and back from the Ranger Station. Located on this road is the main part of the park(the Hillsborough River and the 3 main hiking trails). The 3 campground loops are located just a little further along the main road.

As we always do, we rode our bikes around both loops scouting out campsites for the next time we come. Nearly every site has ample shade. This is a mature campground, and trees surround each campsite. Our site,#8, had a perfect canopy of trees above us keeping us cool for our entire stay.

If we gave out an award for ‘The Friendliest Campers’, Hillsborough River State Park Campground would win. Many of the people we met had camped there many times. Some had driven across the state from the east coast to camp at Hillsborough. Some had been camping there for a week or more and switched campsites to be able to stay there longer. A couple that camped behind us come here every year. People went out of their way to greet and talk to you. Some came to our site to introduce themselves and say hello. When we walked around, we stopped and talked to people about the campers. We even got some tours of the inside of their RV.

To see our full review visit https://lifestyleover50.com/hillsborough-river-state-park-campground-review/