Navigating an RV through Central Florida can often feel like a juggling act. You’re trying to dodge the theme park traffic around Orlando, endure the sweltering humidity, and find a decent place to park your rig that doesn’t feel like a sprawling asphalt parking lot. It can be exhausting. But just about twenty minutes northeast of the urban core of Tampa, there’s a sanctuary, a place where you can escape the concrete and noise. Hillsborough River State Park offers a completely different kind of Florida experience. Here, you can empty your tanks and set up camp under a cooling canopy of towering live oaks, surrounded by the sounds of nature instead of the drone of the interstate. It’s a shaded, serene oasis that lets you catch your breath and enjoy the wild heart of the Sunshine State.
The park’s main attraction is the river itself. The Hillsborough River features class-II rapids, a rare and exciting sight in a state that is largely flat. It creates a dynamic, beautiful environment that feels a world away from the nearby city. You can spend a whole day just exploring the park, renting a canoe or kayak to paddle through cypress-lined waterways, or biking along the shaded park roads. For bird-watchers and nature lovers, nearby Lettuce Lake Conservation Park offers even more opportunities with its extensive boardwalks that wind through pristine wetlands. But the park’s location is also incredibly convenient. When you’re ready for some city adventure, you’re just a short drive from Tampa’s vibrant Riverwalk, the historic Cuban-influenced streets of Ybor City, and the stunning Gulf Coast beaches. It gives you the best of both worlds: a peaceful, natural home base with easy access to major attractions.
The dumping experience at a Florida state park like this one is typically straightforward and efficient. Hillsborough River follows the standard model: a single, centralized dump station located near the campground exit. It’s designed as a wide, pull-through lane, so you don’t have to worry about any tricky backing maneuvers. There’s a non-potable rinse water hose available for cleaning your gear and the bay, as well as large trash bins. One of the biggest advantages is that access to the campground area is restricted to overnight guests. This means you’re not competing with day-use visitors, and the lines for the dump station are almost always short or non-existent. Rangers patrol regularly, ensuring the area stays clean and orderly. And perhaps most importantly, quiet hours start at 11 p.m. It’s a profound relief to know you won’t be awakened by the clatter and roar of a late-night arrival emptying their tanks right next to you, a common occurrence at 24-hour travel centers.
When it comes to amenities, you have to understand the state park philosophy. It’s more about the nature and the site than about resort-style luxuries. All 112 sites in the park come with water and 30-amp electric hookups. The key thing to note is that there are no individual sewer hookups at the sites. This is a crucial piece of information for your planning. You will be relying on that central dump station. If you’re staying for more than a few days, you’ll either need to hitch up and drive to the station mid-stay or, more conveniently, have a portable waste tank (often called a "blue boy") to handle your gray water. The park features recently renovated bathhouses, which is a huge plus in the Florida humidity, providing clean, comfortable showers. There are trash and recycling bins near each loop, and pets are welcome in the campgrounds and on most of the trails, though you should always look for signs restricting them from sensitive areas like boardwalks. Be prepared to be self-sufficient when it comes to fuel; there's no propane or gas for sale in the park, so you'll want to fill up on US-301 before you enter.
The value you get here is simply outstanding. For Florida residents, the nightly fee is incredibly modest, typically around $24 plus a small utility surcharge. Even for out-of-state visitors, the price is a bargain. This makes the on-site dump station one of the most cost-effective options in the entire Tampa Bay region when bundled with your campsite. For what you pay, you’re getting a beautiful, shaded site in a prime location. The scenery, the river access, and the proximity to Tampa’s attractions deliver an incredible bang for your buck that commercial campgrounds simply can’t match. It’s well worth the minor inconvenience of not having a full hookup at your individual site.
A few tips for a great stay: try to arrive and get set up before late afternoon. Florida’s pop-up thunderstorms are legendary, and they can roll in fast, turning a dry campsite into a muddy mess in minutes. The high humidity can also be tough on your equipment, so carry extra rubber gaskets for your water and sewer hoses, as they can dry out and crack. My strongest recommendation is to take advantage of the park’s main feature. You can rent a canoe near parking lot number four and spend a few hours paddling the six miles of cypress-lined river. It’s a far more memorable experience than sitting in I-4 traffic. And, of course, this is Florida, so be smart about wildlife. Alligators are present in the river and lakes, so always keep your pets on a leash and away from the water's edge. In the end, Hillsborough River State Park is a perfect choice for the RVer who values peace and nature over pavement and polish. It offers a shady, serene, and incredibly affordable way to explore everything the Tampa area has to offer.
15402 US-301, Thonotosassa, FL 33592
(813) 688-9500
Cost: Price not available
Category: State park
Has Water
floridastateparks.org/park/Hillsborough-River