Hillsborough River State Park Campground
Florida State Park
Write a Review 15402 US-301 N Thonotosassa, FL 33592 813-688-9500 Reservations: 800-326-3521 Official WebsiteGPS: 28.145, -82.2252
Overview of Hillsborough River State Park Campground
State park entrance fee is included in campsite fees.
Last Price Paid: $38
Reported by camper-902120 on 3/17/2024
Longest RV Reported: 42 feet (Class A)
Reported by Life Rebooted on 1/15/2018
Number of Sites 112
Reservations yes
Elevation 32 ft / 9 m
Max Stay 14
Max Length 50 ft
Tent Camping Yes
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Reviews of Hillsborough River State Park Campground 38 people have reviewed this location.
“Great trails for family, very friendly host and continent store in campground”
Reviewed 5/7/2021
Nightly rate: | $24 |
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Days stayed: | 3 |
Site Number: | 15 |
Wow we went 03/30/21, really clean, it was a last minute booking so we ended up in a small campsite, but we fit. Once car, two tents. The bathroom and location was clean. The best was the trails, they were easily marked and we did all but 2 of them. The grandkids had a fantastic time, between the trails and the playground on propert... more
Wow we went 03/30/21, really clean, it was a last minute booking so we ended up in a small campsite, but we fit. Once car, two tents. The bathroom and location was clean. The best was the trails, they were easily marked and we did all but 2 of them. The grandkids had a fantastic time, between the trails and the playground on property.
coralang would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
Reviewed 4/4/2021
Nightly rate: | $24 |
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Days stayed: | 2 |
Site Number: | 73 |
RV Length: | 23' (Travel Trailer) |
Stayed here a few times. Always happy to return
rstoltenberg1 would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Under the Live Oaks”
Reviewed 3/7/2021
Nightly rate: | $24 |
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Days stayed: | 8 |
Site Number: | 48 |
RV Length: | 28' (Travel Trailer) |
We spent 8 days at Hillsborough River State Park and enjoyed every day. The sites are medium sized and most have trees with some bushes separating you from neighbors. Many back up into the forest though only a handful are close to the river and none of those have actual waterfront access. It's a park with plenty of outdoor activitie... more
We spent 8 days at Hillsborough River State Park and enjoyed every day. The sites are medium sized and most have trees with some bushes separating you from neighbors. Many back up into the forest though only a handful are close to the river and none of those have actual waterfront access. It's a park with plenty of outdoor activities. A trail leads from the campground and follows the river to link up with the trail network of the park. There is a kayak/canoe launch right in the campground to give access to the river. Plus the park loop road has a dedicated bike lane to let you ride around. The swimming pool was closed during our stay, but it looked like a big lovely pool. All of the campsites appear to have fire rings and in the late afternoon the camp hosts come by selling firewood which is convenient. Once the sun sets the park is dark dark dark and you'll need a flashlight to make sure you don't step on an armadillo.
A small annoyance is that the dump station can get crowded when everyone is pulling out. It isn't well-designed to facilitate more than two RVs queuing up to dump.
Beerboy would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
Reviewed 12/20/2020
Days stayed: | 6 |
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Site Number: | 109 |
Overall, this is a good Florida state park. Sites are fairly well separated from each other, although not "spacious", The sand/dirt tend to stay damp even after a rain of a few days ago. Gravel would boost the park's ratings! We did daily walks on the park road "loop" which is about 2 miles. The trails along the river are very nice. Ca... more
Overall, this is a good Florida state park. Sites are fairly well separated from each other, although not "spacious", The sand/dirt tend to stay damp even after a rain of a few days ago. Gravel would boost the park's ratings! We did daily walks on the park road "loop" which is about 2 miles. The trails along the river are very nice. Campground host sells firewood and ice from his golf cart. Bath house is clean, but old. Washer and dryer work fine. Dump station can be crowded as it serves about 100 campers. Water and electric at each site. Shopping and restaurants are close by in Zephyrhills.
Charlie would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Looking for a party this is it. Looking for quiet keep looking.”
Reviewed 12/5/2020
Nightly rate: | $29 |
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Days stayed: | 3 |
Site Number: | 75 |
Arrived at 5:30pm on a Thursday and no Ranger at gate just a phone number. Called to let them know that we arrived and heading to our site and he was surprised that we got in the gate. Ranger said to come up to the station in the morning which is about a two mile walk each way. We got set up and we’re very surprised by the volume of no... more
Arrived at 5:30pm on a Thursday and no Ranger at gate just a phone number. Called to let them know that we arrived and heading to our site and he was surprised that we got in the gate. Ranger said to come up to the station in the morning which is about a two mile walk each way. We got set up and we’re very surprised by the volume of noise, foot traffic and golf cart traffic. At 11:30pm a site on the other side of the park was having a party and I think people outside the park could hear it. We notice a lot of volunteers here which were very helpful and friendly but can not say the same for the Rangers. Most of the sites for a state park are side by side so close that the fire pit for the site next to us was four feet off our driver side slide out. Most of the people we talked to are from close by and it seems this is a local getaway. Dump station only has one station for over a hundred sites and every day there was a long line. Can not imagine what it’s going to be like on Sunday when the rush to leave happens.
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Not my cup of tea, but might be yours.”
Reviewed 11/23/2020
Nightly rate: | $24 |
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Days stayed: | 2 |
Site Number: | 29 & 53 |
RV Length: | 25' (Travel Trailer) |
First, I want to say that I have visited HRSP several times, but this was my first time camping overnight. Previously, some light hiking and biking brought me here, but I never really paid that much attention to the camping area but should have. See the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQ4llGPDbJ4 To be fair, while this par... more
First, I want to say that I have visited HRSP several times, but this was my first time camping overnight. Previously, some light hiking and biking brought me here, but I never really paid that much attention to the camping area but should have.
See the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQ4llGPDbJ4
To be fair, while this park was not for me, many may feel right at home. Personally, I don't want to feel like I am camping in the middle of an apartment complex's courtyard! I prefer not to see or hear people, much less talk to them through their window. My ideal area is boondocking in the mountains somewhere where people are scarce or non-existent! Now, I know HRSP is right smack dab in the middle of Tampa, so I'll base my opinions on that.
I stayed in site #029 LP2 the first night and then #053 LP3 the second. Loop 2: Tight & stacked with no buffers does not even begin to describe this area. Sites are small, and most are 90° to the road (vs. set in at an angle), making it somewhat challenging to back into. Site #029 is a "pull-thru," with a hard right/left/right around a tree to get in. When I first got there, the picnic table and fire ring were located on the backside of the RV? When I realized that the fore ring was not fixed to the ground (or even use at this location), I moved it to the other side of the site and repositioned my trailer to match. This gave me a view of the woods and river vs. all the other campers.
Loop 3: This area was more spread out and included some buffer zones between sites. Still, nothing between the sts to help block the view of your neighbor, but I didn't feel nearly as claustrophobic as I did in Loop 2. The drive lane was skinny, and the area for the table and fire ring was small. It would have been better with a 6'table and not the 8' that was there. This was much better than the first, and there was no one on either side of me, making it feel much larger! Site photos are of #53.
There are many hiking and biking trails (on and off-road) throughout the park and outside the park. November &December are great for wildlife, but January and February are a photographer's dream! See the photos.
The river is a fantastic place to paddle, which I have many times. I especially like putting in a few miles down the road at Canoe escape in Seargent's Park and then using CE to shuttle back to my truck. 3 main tours ranging from a couple of hours to a full 8 hr day.
Hillsborough River State Park is located in the northeast corner of Hillsborough County, Florida, near Zephyrhills (which is itself in Pasco County). It is a popular park due to its proximity to the city of Tampa. The park consists of over 2,990 acres, and there are more than seven miles of trails that run throughout it. Popular activities include fishing, canoeing, kayaking, picnicking, camping, birding, easy to moderate hiking, trail running, and nature photography.
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Nice shade trees and hiking trails”
Reviewed 10/31/2020
Nightly rate: | $24 |
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Days stayed: | 3 |
Site Number: | 39 |
Typical Florida state park, neighbors can be pretty close in many sites.
Staff very friendly.
Chrisl88 would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Muddy”
Reviewed 8/3/2020
Nightly rate: | $24 |
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Days stayed: | 3 |
Site Number: | 19 |
RV Length: | 22' (Travel Trailer) |
This park came highly recommended however I'd strongly avoid it in the summer (or anytime there is rain in the forecast). The first day our entire campsite was under ~2 inches of water. The ranger was super nice and said he'd move us but said it normally soaked in rather quickly. It did soak in however the ground stayed mushy the e... more
This park came highly recommended however I'd strongly avoid it in the summer (or anytime there is rain in the forecast). The first day our entire campsite was under ~2 inches of water.
The ranger was super nice and said he'd move us but said it normally soaked in rather quickly. It did soak in however the ground stayed mushy the entire stay. Most sites looked this way. Bath house was kept clean (the center bathhouse has larger shower stalls).
This hikes around the river are good (but not for biking), they are well shaded, and pretty easy. Make sure to bring bug repellent.
If you have a tall rig, avoid taking McIntosh Rd to the park, go to 301 (west side) or 39 (east side).
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Outstanding bike and hick trail”
Reviewed 6/23/2020
Nightly rate: | $24 |
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Days stayed: | 2 |
Site Number: | 105 |
Quick and clean place, friendly staff ice and firewood service available inside campground. Pool and store close at this time for the pandemic
Hp would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Lovely Florida Wild River”
Reviewed 6/10/2020
Nightly rate: | $28 |
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Days stayed: | 5 |
Site Number: | 31/48 |
RV Length: | 16' (Travel Trailer) |
Located ten minutes from Zephyrhills Thirty minutes from Tampa. This like many Florida State Parks has a campground in a well shaded oak/pine canopy. We hit it right as T.S. Cristobal was on it’s way to the Louisiana coastline and a global pandemic was affecting everyone, but vacation time is what it is. We had reserved site but #31 bu... more
Located ten minutes from Zephyrhills Thirty minutes from Tampa. This like many Florida State Parks has a campground in a well shaded oak/pine canopy. We hit it right as T.S. Cristobal was on it’s way to the Louisiana coastline and a global pandemic was affecting everyone, but vacation time is what it is. We had reserved site but #31 but discovered it underwater when we arrived, a quick call to the ranger station and, they got us a better spot #48. The park has an excellent looking swimming pool, that was closed understandably, due to the pandemic. If I could change anything about Reserve America it would be more up to date info on what is going on at a particular park. The river is clean and a good option for swimming but it is Florida and there are alligators so proceed with caution. Not much difference from other Fl. State Park Campgrounds same amenities same spotty cell service but just the recharge I look for when camping. The Hillsborough river State Park is one of the oldest in Florida and another “Conservation Corps Jewel” just wish the state government would fund the upkeep of these national treasures better. There is a great kid friendly trail that follows the river to, one of only two in the state, river rapids. Also on that trail is a suspension bridge, built by the Conservation Corps in 1935, that crosses the river. I would highly recommend this park but wait for this global nightmare to pass.
Tim would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
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Amenities
Hookups
- 50 Amp
- 30 Amp
- 20 Amp
- water
- Partial Hookups
Recreation
- bike rental
- boat rental
- fishing
- picnic area
- playground
- recreation trail
- swimming pool: outdoor
- water access
Site Amenities
- big rig
- fire ring
- picnic table
- pull thru
Facilities
- dump station
- ADA Accessible
- laundry
- recycle
- restaurant
- restrooms: flush
- showers
- swimming pool: outdoor
- trash
Pets
- pets
Nearby
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