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Hillsborough River

1101 East River Cove, Tampa, FL 33612
813-975-2160
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Ranked #10 of 72 attractions in Tampa
Type: Bodies of Water, Forests
Activities: Camping, Kayaking
Description: State park campground in forest and along river.
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72 reviews from our community

Visitor rating
    47
    16
    7
    1
    1
Date Rating
Tampa, Florida
Top Contributor
55 reviews 55 reviews
8 attraction reviews
Reviews in 24 cities Reviews in 24 cities
58 helpful votes 58 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 7 May 2013

Awesome river for a leisure trip; enough current for minimal paddling unless you're in a hurry. Lots of wildlife, great for birding, viewing alligators, turtles, etc. There are picnic and bathroom facilities available within the state park.

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See 18 more reviews by Mike L for Tampa
Mayaguez, Puerto Rico
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
5 attraction reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 14 April 2013

Boating past the modern shiny buildings on one side and the exotic architecture of the U. of Tampa on the other is the perfect way to appreciate the heart of downtown. Also, the crewing graffiti under the bridges is intriguing.

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See 2 more reviews by fogeyjane for Tampa
gulfport, fl
Reviewer
5 reviews 5 reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 13 April 2013

This is a great river to paddle, and a really good choice if you're taking someone new to kayaking. We put in at Sargents Park, take out at Morris Bridge for lunch and then end at Trout Creek. The wildlife you see is wonderful and the river is a great blend of straight open areas and then fun twisty turny... More

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Tampa, Florida
Senior Contributor
31 reviews 31 reviews
3 attraction reviews
Reviews in 15 cities Reviews in 15 cities
7 helpful votes 7 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 12 April 2013

We visit many of the state and county parks on the Hillsborough River. Most of the parks charge a small fee to use the facilitys

Was this review helpful? Yes 1
See 9 more reviews by BDSHANK for Tampa
Clearwater, Florida, United States
Contributor
13 reviews 13 reviews
6 attraction reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 9 April 2013

There is plenty to do, we camp there at least once a year. Plenty of canoes, pool is huge, great for little kids with graded entry. Camping pads are lovely. Bring your bike, binoculars, and happy faces!

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Coldwater, MI
Contributor
19 reviews 19 reviews
Reviews in 15 cities Reviews in 15 cities
18 helpful votes 18 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 8 April 2013

Enjoyed two nights camping here.Very friendly campers and nice, large lots.Bathrooms clean and even though the park was full every night,never had to wait for showers.most people were in RV's but we tented.About a 10 minute drive to Zephry Hills which has stores and good places to eat.Park even has washers and dryers- which were being used by a Ot... More

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Tampa, Florida
Senior Contributor
41 reviews 41 reviews
25 attraction reviews
Reviews in 15 cities Reviews in 15 cities
13 helpful votes 13 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 6 April 2013

Took a boat ride through the river and had a great time. Without expecting it a bunch of dolphins came to play with us and followed the boat throughout the river. Got to see the city of Tampa from a whole different perspective. I would definitely recommend it.

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See 9 more reviews by Laura_Magal for Tampa
St. Petersburg, Florida
Senior Contributor
44 reviews 44 reviews
21 attraction reviews
Reviews in 13 cities Reviews in 13 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 31 March 2013

If you want to go canoeing down the river for a beautiful ride you found it. You will find plenty of places to rent a canoe where they pick you up and bring you back

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See 7 more reviews by bugsymob2007 for Tampa
Waunakee, Wisconsin
1 review
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 26 March 2013

We took trip 1 in a canoe rental with our 2 boys. We LOVED it! My kids wanted to see gators while in Florida and this was the best way to do that! We saw at least 80 gators and 80 turtles....as well as lots of birds and a glimpse of 2 wild pigs. The staff was so friendly and... More

Was this review helpful? Yes 1
West Palm Beach, Florida
Top Contributor
102 reviews 102 reviews
21 attraction reviews
Reviews in 22 cities Reviews in 22 cities
16 helpful votes 16 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 25 March 2013

I did a four hour canoe run here and liked it very much. Just make sure you pick the right run because there is one called "17" something that has many downed trees where you have to pick up the canoe to get over them. The one I did had no obstructions and tons of wildlife. We saw around 40... More

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See 17 more reviews by Amanda P for Tampa

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