Just minutes from downtown Tampa, this Hillsborough River State Park Camping offers a refuge from city life with its seven miles of nature trails and ample places to cool off in the water.

 Except for occasional reenactments, the cannon and guns are now silent at Fort Foster. No longer do Seminole Indians have to fight to keep a foothold in Florida, and soldiers no longer guard a strategic river crossing. The reconstructed fort and its surroundings are now part of Hillsborough River State Park.

 Besides a living history lesson, visitors can kayak or canoe class II river rapids, rare in Florida, hike seven miles of nature trails and swim in an ADA accessible swimming pool.

 Tucked away, only a short distance from the bustling city of Tampa, camping is a popular activity at Hillsborough River State Park.

Hillsborough River State Park Campground

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.

Outdoor Florida

This is a big state park on the Hillsborough River. Our church camped here years ago and there was a scavenger hunt which almost got me lost. There were lots of sites with water and electric. There are many activities like Hiking, biking, Swimming, canoeing and kayaking too.  The loops have restrooms with showers and laundry facilities. This is a great park and don't have to travel far to get to it if you live in Tampa bay. Cost about $24 per night for hookups.

Lots of Room to Roam

One of the most awarded State Parks! This park has everything! 3 full service camping loops full of sites - lots of space for RV's and Tents - 2 designated hammock camping spots. During busy season you can really be packed in but the primitive camping site is another option - hike out and camp away from the crowds! Pools and Cantina are very popular in the summer with the locals so be prepared! Canoe  rentals to tour the river, fishing spots along the shore. Canoes and bicycles are available for rent at the Pool Side Café.  The café also provides food, beverages, picnic/camping supplies and souvenirs. Pool lounge chairs for rent.  Park visitors can stay connected with FREE Wi-Fi service within an approximate 150 foot range of the pool area (weather and signal permitting). Golf carts are available daily. 

Hiking trails are wonderful but if rainy season some could be closed to flooding. Take bug protection during warm months! Spend some time enjoying the wildlife along the trails. There is also a 2 mile paved loop bicyclers enjoy shared with cars so drive carefully. You can hike to the neighboring Dead River Park for even more of an adventure! Picnic area is wonderful - nice large pavilions and grills. They do have a air conditioned building with kitchen great for weddings and special events.

Gold Medal Camping at it's finest

Don't hesitate- we had a great time here. Private sites, great kayaking. Woods, water. Clean. Would return in a heartbeat.

AWESOME GEM

This was my first time at a campground in Florida! I was surrounded by beautiful wildlife (alligators, birds, and even a wild boar). The hiking trails were perfect for a beginner or a regular hiker. The little shop/restaurant sells a nice, quick meal for when you're done hiking as well! I will definitely be going back.

Beautiful views

This park is full of great adventures. If you like to hike, there are a bunch of different trails to walk and they run alongside the river. You may even have the opportunity to catch site of some alligators as this river is very populated with them. There is also a cute shop and cafe so if your not feeling up to cooking, you can head there. At the shop you have the opportunity to swim in the pool, rent kayaks, canoes, and bikes. I also love that they are pet friendly. I take my dog everywhere (and sometimes my cat) and they enjoyed the trails just as much as I did!

There is a lot to do!

Recently enjoyed 3 nights here. It is a nice quiet park that is still recovering from Hurricane Irma.

This park offers some great amenities that are not common to state parks so I will start with those.

1.  They have a huge saltwater swimming pool which will be opening soon after sustaining some damage during the hurricane.
2.  They also have a little cafe that serves some pretty decent food and they even sell beer! Which was a nice surprise! I heard MANY people express surprise and excitement over this. Clearly a hit with the adult population:-)
3.  Rentals, canoes, bikes, golf carts, surreys and kayaks although it was a big disappointment that they only had 2 singles and 1 tandem.
4.  They offered guided tram tours, offering information on the history, the eco system the nearby fort and general information on the park.

The campsites were well kept, the restrooms/showers were clean and easily accessible. The hosts were great about coming around frequently selling ice and wood.

My biggest disappointment with the Park was the site descriptions. Sites that were listed as having full or part shade did were in full sun. This is a pretty big deal in Florida. For the sites that do not have trees maybe they could build simple sheltered areas over the tables or to sit under during the heat of the day.

Overall, this is a great park and will definitely return!

Hillsborough River State Park

Inexpensive, clean , quiet, alot of shade!! We had a pull through and with all the storms we had the ability to leave our 5th wheel hooked up. Trails along the river were incredible, we will def go back to do day trips. Some sites were dirt, some were rocks, some were concrete. Golf carts seem to be the way of getting around out there, swimming pool was open and nice, need to pay for daily pool access at the entrance gate which sucks considering the pool is quite a distance from the gate, cafe should be selling this, sold decent food and Beer at the cafe. All in all a place we will def go back to.

Canoe, kayak, bikes, golf carts for rental....as well as firewood and ice.

They do have tours as well, we didn't get to everything.

Very nice place to camp!!

This state park has lots of hiking trails along the river. You can kayak or canoe or swim in their pool. It’s a great place!


Well-kept

A beautiful park that is a real taste of old Florida , with a campground that is completely shaded by oak trees. At night the green fireflies put on an amazing light show in the canopy. Unfortunately , the fireflies aren't the only bugs . The mosquitoes were ridiculous in June . We practically had to anchor our toddler to the picnic table so he wasn't carried away by them. You can rent Surrey's and golf carts to cruise the park which is a nice plus , although they are overpriced. Nature Trails are amazing.

Also , don't come expecting the pool to be open , just consider it a lucky bonus if it happens to be. They look for any reason possible to close it , and it seems to be closed almost all the time.

Beautiful but not perfect

I love this park, this section of the Hillsborough River has some of the only class 2 rapids in Florida! This park has every amenity you can imagine for camping from a giant swimming pool, kayak/canoe rental, bike rentals, fishing, hiking, so much to do. Its honestly a kind of hidden gem so close to Tampa! 

best state park

lots of different sites to choose from and love to just walk the park 

just a weekend getaway 

booked it specifically because it has a pool at the state park however upon arriving found out pool will be closed for undetermined amount of time. camped in tent and was given a site with HEAVY flooding... 

wilderness rapids

We arrived late and left early here, but our overnight was pleasant. Large sites, plenty of room for big rigs. Lots of little hiking trails and a pool. Very prompt with checkout here - someone came by a half an hour before we left to be sure we would be leaving. Overall, a pleasant spot that I'd be happy to return to.

Nice little wooded campground 

This park is amazing. If you get up and about early you will see families of deer and hawks galore. There are several trails along the river which makes the day fun for the pups. Along one of the trails is a suspended bridge and I am still in awe of its beauty. The campgrounds themselves are well taken care of and the park rangers are very friendly.

WILDLIFE BINOCULARS

always have fun when i stay here. from weekend getaways to Halloween trip. i normally try and stay close to the new bathroom due to having young kids and it is bigger and easier to wash the kids. the biggest downside is they charge 4.00 for the pool per person.

fun spot close to tampa

The group camping site at Hillsborough River State Park is perfect for all scouting adventures. The group site can hold multiple troops at a time and is away from the regular tent and rv camping sites It typically is booked up on weekends 3-4 months in advance but during the weekdays is seldom used. Church groups and other not for profit organizations can book this space if the scouts have not - but they are given first opportunity according to park staff that I worked with.

  

There is plenty of wildlife in this part of the park, group camp is a short walk from rapids Trail and gift shop, canoe rentals and other concessions. Fishing along the river is hit or miss - and there are alligators so refrain from fishing with chicken or liver. There is a large fine for harassing a gator (or feeding them) and this is strictly monitored. If you get a gator on your fishing line you should call a ranger  - do not just cut your line.

  

Bathrooms at the group site are something to be desired. They are are small, even tiny...and as old as the park. Just forget about the group camp shower... There are nicer facilities a short 10 min walk down the road near gift shop where you will also find a play ground.

  

Winter months are best- that is when mosquitoes are not too bad. June and July are nearly impossible to find relief from these insects.

I personally camped in a hammock and had a baby raccoon playing with my lines at night. YOU HAVE TO SECURE YOUR FOOD!

  

There are lots of picnic tables to have for seating and nice fire pits.

Group Camping with Girl Scouts

I typically avoid tent camping here in the summer months– early summer the trails are heavy with mosquitoes and summer rains bring a large amount of flooding. Though in the fall winter and spring this park is AMAZING. We were very lucky on this trip to have snagged spot at the high part of the riverside loop. Sites 20 and 21 typically stay dry enough for tents. Sites along the river side of loops are prone to flooding some holding as much as 4-6 inches of water.

 This trip was a short overnight to get rid of some pent up cabin fever. We loaded up a tent and the bikes, praying for dry weather. The mosquitoes were not bad, almost none, the the river was near flood stage and inches from overflowing its bank near the campground. 

  

The 2.5 mile loop from main entrance is perfect for biking, be careful near the pool area that is VERY crowded in the summer as many locals visit and it will reach capacity early in the day. You can rent bikes and canoes at the concession area near the stand if you did not bring your own. The grounds are beautifully kept, campground hosts are helpful, bathrooms clean and playground areas are plentiful. There are very nice pavilions and one air conditioned building available for rent for special events. If you are visiting in the summer call to make sure the site you booked is dry. 

  

We did see where one person got his travel trailer stuck on the mud trying to get into his site. There are very few tent campers in the summer so be prepared if you are tent camping to hear neighbors a/c running all night. 

  

I get products to test from time to time- today I am testing the INNO INH540 Bike Rack On first impression upon receiving– this is a heavy duty rack! Shipping weight is nearly 50lbs. and came fully assembled. This bike rack will fit both 1.25 and 2 inch receivers. We first tried to mount on my Jeep Liberty but we need to get a receiver extension as our spare tire prevented installation. So we mounted on our Dodge 1500 truck. I had to have my husband help me slip it into the receiver(was a bit awkward for me to do on my own).

 I was very pleased to find the unit came with a hitch lock that was keyed the same as the cable lock for the bikes. Rack came with 2 keys so we each have a key on our ring and can access without looking for it. 

The bars are adjustable and the rotating upper and lower cradles are well designed. The support bars also fold down when not in use. Another nice feature is locking pivot at base that will allow you to tilt the rack out of the way of tailgate to enable access without removing the entire rack. 

The rack will hold 4 bikes up to 35 lbs each or a total of 140 lbs. We have mountain bikes with less space on crossbars of frame so was a bit tight to get loaded. Loading was much easier once we did it a couple times and got used to where we needed to place the cradles. Street bikes load with no issues,(we borrowed the neighbors bikes to test and to show off our new INNO bike rack– they were jealous)! 

  

Order yours today from https://www.innoracks.com/ You will not be disappointed!

Ranger Review INNO INH540 bike rack at Hillsborough River State Park

The campground here is very nice! The bathrooms are well kept and clean. The park itself is very nice, with some hikes and kayak rentals! You can kayak in the river, which is really neat to do. The campground is also not far from some big cities, such as Tampa and st pete, which is convenient. 

I loved this park!

Campsites were nice. Lots to do. Rapids to look at. Plenty of hiking and biking. Rental canoe staff were amazing. Tons of wildlife.

Lots to do!

Fantastic Campground not far from Tampa. This could be a good park to stay at if you want to do Busch Gardens which is just 16 miles away.   The park offers over 13 miles of hiking in and near the park, 2.2 mile multi purpose trails, exercise stations and one of the few Florida state parks that have a 1/2 acre pool (which is ADA accessible). There is a separate fee for this but my husband did lap swimming everyday we were there and loved it.  There is a poolside cafe and a store with camping items and souvenirs. The park even offers kayaking/canoeing and pool related rentals.  The hillsborough River  has great kayaking/canoeing and even some Class 2 rapids.  It was fun to kayak downriver to the now abandoned Dead River County Park.  
The 112 Campsites have 30/50 amp and water, most sites were  large  and shaded.  Bathrooms are older but clean.  You can tour the  historic Fort Foster only the third Saturday of each month at 10am....(watch the video and you will see some additional info on this...wink wink) The trails are really good here but rain can flood them- I hiked thru calf deep water but I like overcoming obstacles - however- you might not think that is fun.  Our video here on the Dyrt shares more hiking info.   The stationary bridge was closed when we visited and a quick look at state park website indicates it is still being repaired. PS.  there is a another video  on our YouTube channel that highlights some  additional hiking trails. Happy Camping- you can visit our website to get our Facebook/instagram and YouTube channel.  www.travylcouple.com

Hike,Bike,Paddle and SWIM near Busch Gardens, Tampa

We stayed here to attend the Florida RV Supershow and it was perfect. Less than a half hour to the fairgrounds. Peaceful campground with nice size sites. We were in site 51A (pull through) for 2 nights and site 42 for 2 nights. Both were level and shaded. Bathhouse was nice. We really enjoyed the trails.

Great campground 25 min. from Florida RV Supershow.

I had two locations during my stay, first in Site 83 in Loop 1 and then in Site 6 in Loop 2. Loop 1 is definitely quieter. I’d pick a site that backs to the woods rather than the middle of the loops. Be aware that some of these sites get flooded during the rainy season. It’s a great park to launch your kayak from, a spot near the trails and another in Loop 2. Yes, there are gators, this is Florida (see video). There are numerous scenic trails. The ones across the river are less travelled and quieter, the ones near the parking areas tend to be filled with noisy families. Clean, well maintained restrooms. A cart comes by with firewood and ice, not sure if that’s just because if COVID but it was convenient.

Nice campground

Great rapids

This park has so much to offer and comes through on most, but (you knew this was coming) it needs an infusion of money to update and upgrade the campground. We had to request a site change as the site we had reserved was under water when we arrived. Rangers were more than accommodating and in fairness to them a tropical storm had just made a pass of the state in the Gulf of Mexico. Also because of Covid the pool was closed. We did take a very cautious dip in the river but it’s Florida and gators are present. Bring a kayak, biking is limited, for us it was restricted to the park as we were uncomfortable with the county roads with no shoulder outside the park. Not much to see in nearest town Zephryhills but good for restocking the pantry and if you want it fast food.

Needs some TLC

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/

Wins our Award for Friendliest Campground plus lots to do & nice campsites

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.

Walk in primitive sites, as swampy as it gets

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. 

Well maintained sites, nice walking trails.

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.

Great place, but...

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

Nice, went with friends 

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. 

Nice State Park

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.

Nice but wet.

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. 

As Expected. 

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

Beautiful Campground

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..
 

Winter is the best time to visit !

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.

Great campground

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. 

Great Hiking

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.

Nice River

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. 

Yurt Glamping in FL

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.

Quick trip

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. 

Truck bed tent camping

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. 




Enjoyable

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!
