HILLSBOROUGH RIVER STATE PARK
[THONOTOSASSA, FLORIDA]
Highway driving tends to be boring, to say the least. Straight roads, useless billboards, the same cars whizzing past, loud trucks drowning out the songs you picked to save the monotony of the white lines. I-75 goes from Miami to the top of Michigan and hosts thousands of drivers.
On the first weekend of September that highway led us from Cape Coral, FL to Hillsborough State Park near Tampa in Thonotosassa, FL, a quick 135-mile drive with no stops planned for us. The park sits just 16 miles off the highway, and once we entered the park, the thoughts of traffic and asphalt quickly faded. The drive slowed, trees closing in around us. It felt as if the whole car let out a collective sigh when we made that turn, and all that was left to do was to find our campsite for the next few days.
This trip was pretty monumental as it was Lilah’s first birthday celebration. We had visitors coming, presents hidden in the camper, a cake in the fridge, and a list of growing activities I wanted to squeeze in. More than anything all I wanted was Lilah to have another great camping experience because this is what we love to do, a lifestyle we dream of pursuing in the upcoming years. Was it all too much to ask for in a three-day weekend? It might’ve been.
PREPPING The morning we were leaving I woke up early around 6 am to start baking a baby- friendly smash cake for Lilah before anyone else got up. It was the last check off of my list. Coffee brewed as I mashed up bananas, measured flour and cracked eggs. Lilah woke up at 7 like she always does and her little smile said, “Good Morning!’ The timer beeped, we did our usual morning routine, packed up the pups and got on the road just before her nap time. And everything went smoothly with no hiccups, and it was the best time ever! ……. Okay, okay, no—that is not how it went.
Rewind a few days back, we were supposed to pick up the camper early (once again) and prep it to make this go as smoothly as possible, but that did not happen (once again). Kevin’s work schedule was a bit different since he was taking the weekend off, so things started to go a little off from what I had pictured.
Anyone who knows me knows I am a planner to the core, but I am actively learning how to adapt when things are thrown off. Slowly but surely, I will get to the point where it won’t put me in a spiral, I just need you all to be patient with me! (Ha!) It just left me to do most of the packing and shopping and if I am going to be honest here, I was burnt out. I was stressed and really anxious. Preparing to be gone for a few days with a child can be very overwhelming. You want to make sure you have everything, nothing is forgotten, and everything goes smoothly. It was her first birthday so the decorations, the cake, the presents, the outfits, plus two other adults, plus two dogs. It was a lot. My stress was not hidden, and I needed a breather to say the least. Kevin helped when he was home…and all in all everything ended up packed and prepped and the birthday celebration was still underway!
Kevin’s brother was also flying in from Oregon to join the festivities. Lilah loves her uncle so we were all very excited! We worked in another person in the meals we brought before we left so no one had to go shopping while we were camping.
ON THE ROAD No stops were made at all. And Lilah really did end up sleeping the ENTIRE WAY. Did I put that into the universe, and it came true??! I am going to say yes to that one. It was a pretty boring drive really. We rode in silence, one because Lilah was sleeping and we didn’t want to wake her, and two I think me and Kevin needed a silent two hours to process the busy week!
CAMPGROUND This state park is such a gift to have so close to the city of Tampa. Was it the prettiest state park I’ve ever been to? No. Did it have heart and soul? Absolutely. The park reopened in February 2024, and signs of recovery were still visible from Hurricane Milton. Some trails were closed, trees were down, and overall, it wasn’t quite at 100 percent. Even so, I’m so glad they were able to reopen most of the park. During our stay for the weekend and talking to people, there was a lot of visitors from the city and bringing their kids. It was nice to see such interest in nature in general from everyone.
The campground has 112 RV sites, all with electric and water. There’s no sewer, but that’s typical for Florida state parks. A dump station is available. I have gotten into a habit of watching YouTube videos of a campground before we go, and I’m really glad I did with this one. It helped me pick out the best site for us. Most of the sites are very close together with not that much privacy but there was a handful of ones that were perfect and luckily, we were able to reserve one. We were in site 28 and it was on the edge of the Hillsborough River and no campsite to the left of us. Each of the loops had a restroom facility with showers. They had canoe and kayak launches, a gift shop, and a couple of playgrounds scattered throughout. The park is essentially one large loop, making it easy to drive around and nearly impossible to get lost.
ACTIVTIES We did two trails during our stay, and both were very kid friendly and easy. I wouldn’t necessarily call them stroller friendly, but we had Lilah in a baby carrier and had no issues. We explored the River Rapids Trail and the Baynard Trail which had an old suspension bridge. Both the trails are about a mile long. Dogs are allowed on these trails, so we brought Luke and Daisy with us!
We originally planned to hike the Baynard Trail on Saturday afternoon, but it started pouring rain on us midway through, sending us scurrying back to the camper. Sunday’s forecast was better, so we tried again, and it was well worth it! This park has access to Florida’s only Class II rapids and although we did not go kayaking, we saw people that did and it looked so amazing. We even spotted a huge alligator resting on the riverbank! The state park website has a great map, and I definitely recommend using it while you’re there.
The highlight of the trip was the Tampa Aquarium! We went on a Saturday morning around 10 am and while it was fairly busy, it was not overwhelming. The cruise ship port shares the same area as the aquarium parking, so there were plenty of cars, but finding a spot wasn’t too difficult. The area is so nicely done, it was fun to people watch from the windows and dream of a future cruise adventure of our own.
Lilah (and I!) absolutely loved the aquarium though. I felt like it was a mini zoo as well because the first exhibit was like a Florida wetland and it was “outside”. Lilah’s aunts made the drive to spend the afternoon with all of us, and it was just a great time. Tickets were a bit pricey at $44.95 a person and you had to reserve a time before you went. I would say for sure worth the ticket price.
The afternoons were spent around the camp site. My favorite time of day was evening time as the sun went down. Kevin and his brother would be outside cooking dinner, Lilah and I would be playing in the play pen, reading books. There was a quiet in the air as the campground was settling down for the night. One evening, an owl flew by and perched on a branch right above us. We all sat back, watching him watch us, as the sky faded through different colors.
LESSONS LEARNED Sunday we experienced our daughter turning one. We did the smash cake, the presents, the singing, the hugs and kisses. Traveling with a child has its challenges, and anxiety has a way of creeping inside and all around you whispering that you can’t do this or that, it’s going to be too much, you can’t handle it. But as I watched Lilah laugh and smile as she was opening her presents, and as I watched her point with awe at the sharks swimming by in the tanks, and as her eyes took in all the new sights on the trails, I realized the anxiety was wrong, the stress was wrong. It was all okay. and it would be okay in the future. Do all the things. Make all the memories.
