Experiences & Amenities

Bicyclists are invited to ride on the 1.6-mile Wetlands Restoration Nature Trail as well as the 2.2-mile Park Loop.

• Helmets are highly recommended for all cyclists and Florida law requires helmets for cyclists age 16 and under.

Hillsborough River State Park offers RV and tent camping with electric on most of the sites in this 112-site campground. Each site is equipped with water, a fire ring and picnic table. Each loop has restrooms with hot showers and laundry facilities. The campground offers a dump station for your convenience.

Pets are welcome, but must be confined, leashed (up to six feet in length) or otherwise under the owner's physical control at all times.

• Maximum RV length = 50 ft.
• Hammocks are allowed to be used in certain campsites. Sites 41, 61, 110 and 111 allow one hammock each, while sites 68 and 70 allow two hammocks each. Set-up requires the use of straps at least 2 inches wide on trees at least 12 inches in diameter.
• Reservations may be made up to 11 months in advance through ReserveAmerica. Book online or call 800-326-3521 (8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) or TDD 888-433-0287.

Primitive Camping is currently unavailable.

A primitive camp located across the river is available via foot trail. Backpackers must check in and out at the ranger station before hiking 1.5 miles to the camping area. 

At least one person 18 years of age or older must accompany the party. Campers should pack in and pack out all necessities and remove all trash.  

• A map of hiking trails and the primitive campsite are available at the park office.
• Call the park at 813-987-6771 to make reservations. Call 24 hours prior to reservation to receive updated trail conditions.
• Check-in: No later than one hour prior to sunset. 
• Hammocks are allowed to be used in the primitive camping area in sites C and D (two hammocks each).
• No pets are allowed at the primitive camp.
• As a primitive camp, the sites have no electric, no water and no restrooms. 
• It is advisable to bring four quarts of drinking water per person, per day. 
• Trails are subject to flooding and may cause the temporary closure of the primitive camp.

Group primitive camping is available for organized youth or adult groups, defined as six or more persons affiliated with a recognized nonprofit or community organization such as Scouts, Boys & Girls Clubs, Sierra Club or church groups. Priority is given to youth groups with over half its members under 18 years of age. 

• The camp accommodates up to 60 people at one time. 
• Fees are youth (up to 18 years of age), $1 per person, per night; and adult, $5 per person, per night. 

Four camping areas are set in a wooded area, offering shade as well as beauty. All four sites have water, picnic tables, grills, a fire ring and restrooms with cold showers. Organizations must be under the sponsorship of a recognized entity for a particular outing. Adult supervision is required. Pets are not allowed in this ecologically sensitive area. There is no electricity.  

• Reservations can be made for groups up to 60 days in advance. Adult groups may use this camp when it is not being used by a youth group. Call the park at 813-987-6771 to make reservations. A $22.40 deposit is required for all reservations and will be applied to the final balance.
• Hammocks are allowed to be used in the youth camp area. Site C allows one hammock, and sites A, B and D allow two hammocks each.
• No deposit refunds will be given within 14 days of reservation.

The park is a popular location for fishing the Hillsborough River. Fish that are commonly seen include bass, bream and catfish. 

• A fishing license may be required. More information is available at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s website, Fishing in Florida.

Geocaching is an outdoor game using hand-held global positioning systems (GPS) devices. It's effectively an inexpensive, interactive, high-tech treasure hunt that's a great way to learn geography. Participants use location coordinates to find caches. Some caches are easy to find; others are more difficult.

The biggest reward is the thrill of the search and the discovery of a place where you have never been. Geocaching should have minimal impact to the environment and conscientious land-use ethics should be followed.

• Operation Recreation GeoTour 

Visitors have four hiking trails to choose from, which total 7.3 miles. Along the Hillsborough River, the trails take hikers through a dense, hydric hammock forest and provide interpretive displays, changing elevations and a multitude of opportunities to view and photograph nature. 

The Wetlands Trail begins in a pine flatwoods community and continues to fork in the trail, offering visitors a choice to enjoy the Fort King Trail or continue on the Wetlands Trail. 

Another example of how Hillsborough River State Park is where “history and nature” come together! A trail map is available at the ranger station.

• Park closes at sundown. Please allow ample time to leave trails by sundown.
• Due to increased rains in spring and summer, the park experiences seasonal flooding throughout the park. Approximately 25% of Hillsborough River State Park is in lowland areas and these areas are prone to seasonal flooding. These floods are extremely unpredictable and may affect your hiking experience. 
• Please call the park office at 813-987-6771 for the specific conditions of our trails prior to your visit.

The Fort King trail parking lot is currently closed.

The ride along the Model Dairy Road into the adjacent county park and back is approximately five miles.

Paddling is a popular activity in the park. Visitors must bring their own canoe or kayak. Canoe and kayak rentals are currently not available.

Visitors can picnic under one of the pavilions built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s or at one of the many picnic benches available throughout the park. 

• Pavilion rentals are currently unavailable. All pavilions are first-come, first-served.

Fort Foster is currently closed. Tours of Fort Foster are unavailable.

Fort Foster Tours

Fort Foster is the only standing replica of a Second Seminole War Fort in the United States. Guided tours of Fort Foster are offered, weather permitting, beginning in November on Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. Summer tours are offered on every third Saturday at 11 a.m. 

Your step back in time will begin at the ranger station where you purchase your ticket. Fort Foster is where you will see the only authentically reconstructed fort from the era of the Second Seminole Indian War (pre-1840s). Allow approximately 90 minutes for the tour.

• Tours are offered weather permitting.
• No pets are allowed on the tour. 

The park is a wonderful representation of the harmony between history and nature. This is the perfect backdrop for your dream wedding.

A variety of habitats exist in Hillsborough River State Park, including pine flatwoods, floodplain swamp, hardwood and hydric hammock, cypress swamp and grass pond. 

These natural communities allow for diverse plant and animal communities to be observed by our visitors. Whether on a trail or picnicking, bring your binoculars to get a good look at the wildlife.

• Additional information about identified animals seen in Hillsborough River State Park can be found in the ranger station.