THONOTOSASSA, Fla. — Day one of our journey took us to Key Largo to visit John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, the first underwater park in the country.
On day two, we visited Sebastian Inlet State Park, located on the east coast of Florida and home to world-class surfing and fishing.
For our third and final stop, we came back to the bay area to visit Hillsborough River State Park, one of the oldest parks in Florida.
Established in the late 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, Hillsborough River State Park has the only class two rapids in Florida.
“That’s pretty unique in Florida to have rapids,” Park manager, Brian Pinson said.
To help preserve the rapids, you can’t canoe through them, but the river is still great to explore. Canoes and kayaks are available to rent, or you can bring your own.
While the river may be the focal point of the park, there’s plenty to do on land. The park has more than 100 campsites and nine miles of hiking and biking trails.
“A lot of people, when we survey them, they just want to come out and do nothing,” Pinson said. "They just want to see the wildlife and kind of get away from the other end of the Hillsborough River, downtown (Tampa).”
For all the history buffs, there is the Foster State Historic Site, a reproduction of a fort originally built on the same grounds in December 1836. The original Fort Foster was used during the Second Seminole War to defend the bridge crossing at the Hillsborough River.
Tours, re-enactments and even candlelight dinners are offered at the fort throughout the year.
“It’s great that they’re preserving it and I hope more people come down here,” Rita Goins, who was visiting the park from Ohio said.
One of the parks biggest draws is its location. Hillsborough River State Park is located just on the outskirts of Hillsborough County, just a 20-mile drive from Downtown Tampa.
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