(Is it cheating to begin where one has already been? I am going to say no.)

In early January (a few weeks ago by the time of me posting this), we made our first foray into Florida’s state parks by driving the hour and a half or so to reach Hillsborough River State Park in Thonotosassa. (Thonotosassa–I love that name. So fun to say.) As state before, I’ve been to this park and seen the white water rapids it boasts a few times before, but to my husband and youngest son, it was brand new.

The park itself lays on the side of a road that is exceedingly rare nowadays in the Tampa Bay area. If the cars that drove on it were doing any less than 60 mph, I’d call it a quiet road… Probably because it looks like it ought to be. There’s absolutely nothing to see but trees and swamp on either side of the road, and there’s not a house, gas station, medical park, or car wash (car washes–if you know, you know) in sight. For miles and miles, there is just a two-lane road bisecting the wilderness and the poor roadkill creatures dotting the way that prove just how very wild it all still is.

But I digress.

Aside from a road that is unique in the area, the park itself feels very different, habitat-wise, than any other nearby (or even near-far). There are hills and slight cliffs made of dirt that border the river, which flows fairly fast and even gets to white water status at some points. Walking along the trail that borders the river gives me the feeling (almost) of being in, say, the foothills of Tennessee or North Carolina… albeit with all the usual Florida swampy flora surrounding you. Still, something about the setting makes it a great respite from Florida-feeling nature when you didn’t have enough money to travel in the last year (cough cough).

Spanning the river are two bridges: one that has been out of commission since Hurricane Irma came through in 2017, and another which still allows passage. (The closed one is somewhat comical with its sign, as it’s immediately obvious with no explanation that the structure is unsound. See the sinking-in boards?)

The working bridge, too, has a feel of the un-Florida like, despite its construction from (what I assume is) cypress logs: being able to step up to a suspension bridge, traverse a hundred or so feet high above a river, and do that thing where you scare the crap out of your four year old by making the bridge itself sway and rock and bounce… That’s an activity usually reserved for, again, somewhere far closer to the Appalachians.

The view from the bridge is more typical for a Florida river, but hey, I’m not going to complain about that. Florida rivers have their own beauty (as do rivers in pretty much any location). I looked for alligators or turtles in the water, but didn’t spot any… which doesn’t suprise me. I believe (believe, not know) that they prefer to hang around in more still waters. (Or at least I spot them far more often in stiller waters.)

After crossing over the functioning bridge, you have a choice of trails to take. We chose a very modest one (about one mile), as 1. I was carrying my 20 lb. baby in a chest carrier, and 2. my four year old wasn’t being the best listener. The trails away from the river are far more what I expect when hiking in Florida: lots of oaks where the land isn’t as boggy, and lots of cypress (and their knolls) where the water tends to stagnate (and tempt a wayward child into soaking their shoes).

We saw a few shy squirrels, as one would expect on a nature trail in the area, but the weather was a bit too cold and cloudy for any reptiles to be out and about. I can’t recall seeing any special birds (aside from a great blue heron along the riverbank). I could have been more attentive to the natural world if I hadn’t have been tasked with being so attentive to two young humans, but as things stand, this part of the walk was… very average and un-eventful. Nothing that would draw me in from miles and miles away, certainly. But, as you could expect from its name, the river is the real gem of this park.

Aside from the trails, the park offers camping (a service which I cannot review in the least because we didn’t even pass the campground), and kayak rental (which I also cannot speak on). When my children are older, I’d like to try both out.

Last but not least, if you’re the picnic-y type (I wish I was!), there are adorable stone tables that are either from the CCC days or are very reminiscent of their work. (I believe it’s the former?) In fact, the stone tables and benchs also add to the non-Florida feel of this park, as I’m used to seeing things like them in Smoky Mountain National Park.

Would I recommend a visit to Hillsborough River State Park? You bet! If you rent a kayak, I imagine you could have a great full day of adventure; if you’re like me, and just walk a bit, you can fill a couple of hours and have a kid or two (or three, whatever you got) happy that they got to cross a river on a pretty cool bridge.