Hillsborough River State Park
Encyclopedia
Hillsborough River State Park is located in the northeast corner of Hillsborough County
, Florida
near Zephyrhills
which is itself in Pasco County. It is a popular park due to its proximity to the city of Tampa
.
Popular activities include fishing
, canoeing
, kayaking
, picnicking, camping
, birding, and nature
photography
. The park also has a swimming pool
, camping
, and a restaurant and gift shop. Canoes and bicycles can be rented at the park.
hammock
due to its proximity to the river. Certain sections are swampy
, but much of the forest surrounding the river is elevated, so floods are not regular. Land near the entrance of the park consists of pine trees and saw palmetto
s.
created in 1938. The park is cleaved into two halves by a swiftly flowing section of the Hillsborough River
. This section of the river
is noted for having several clusters of small rapids; it is one of the few rivers in Florida to have a system of rapids.
Also located on park land is a replica of Fort Foster
, which was originally built in 1836 during the Second Seminole War
. Tours of the fort are given on weekends, with many artifacts
on display from Florida's pioneer history.
Hillsborough County, Florida
As of the census of 2000, there were 998,948 people, 391,357 households, and 255,164 families residing in the county. The population density was 951 people per square mile . There were 425,962 housing units at an average density of 405 per square mile...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
near Zephyrhills
Zephyrhills, Florida
Zephyrhills is a city in Pasco County, Florida. The population was 10,833 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2004 estimates, the city had a population of 11,854. It is a suburb of the Tampa Bay Metropolitan Statistical Area...
which is itself in Pasco County. It is a popular park due to its proximity to the city of Tampa
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
.
Popular activities include fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, canoeing
Canoeing
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
, kayaking
Kayaking
Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving across water. Kayaking and canoeing are also known as paddling. Kayaking is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle...
, picnicking, camping
Camping
Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...
, birding, and nature
Nature
Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical world, or material world. "Nature" refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general...
photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
. The park also has a swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
, camping
Camping
Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...
, and a restaurant and gift shop. Canoes and bicycles can be rented at the park.
Environment
Much of the park is a live oakLive oak
Live oak , also known as the southern live oak, is a normally evergreen oak tree native to the southeastern United States...
hammock
Hammock (ecology)
Hammocks are dense stands of hardwood trees that grow on natural rises of only a few inches higher than surrounding marshland that is otherwise too wet to support them. Hammocks are distinctive in that they are formed gradually over thousands of years rising in a wet area through the deposits of...
due to its proximity to the river. Certain sections are swampy
Swampy
Daniel Hooper is an environmental activist, sometimes characterised as an environmental protester or eco-warrior, from the United Kingdom...
, but much of the forest surrounding the river is elevated, so floods are not regular. Land near the entrance of the park consists of pine trees and saw palmetto
Saw Palmetto
Serenoa repens, commonly known as saw palmetto, is the sole species currently classified in the genus Serenoa. It has been known by a number of synonyms, including Sabal serrulatum, under which name it still often appears in alternative medicine. It is a small palm, normally reaching a height of...
s.
History
Hillsborough River State Park is one of the eight original Florida State ParksFlorida State Parks
The Florida State Parks encompass the majority of the lands that fall under the authority of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. There are 160 such entities, including nature reserves, recreation areas, and historic sites, which can be found in every corner of the state...
created in 1938. The park is cleaved into two halves by a swiftly flowing section of the Hillsborough River
Hillsborough River (Florida)
The Hillsborough River is a river located in the state of Florida in the USA. It arises in the Green Swamp near the juncture of Hillsborough, Pasco and Polk counties, and flows through Pasco and Hillsborough Counties to an outlet in the city of Tampa on Tampa Bay. The name Hillsborough River first...
. This section of the river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
is noted for having several clusters of small rapids; it is one of the few rivers in Florida to have a system of rapids.
Also located on park land is a replica of Fort Foster
Fort Foster, Florida
Fort Foster was a fort in central Florida, located 9 miles south of current-day Zephyrhills. The site was significant for a battle in 1837 during the Seminole Wars, when United States forces resisted a Seminole attack. The following year, the US abandoned the fort because of disease among its...
, which was originally built in 1836 during the Second Seminole War
Second Seminole War
The Second Seminole War, also known as the Florida War, was a conflict from 1835 to 1842 in Florida between various groups of Native Americans collectively known as Seminoles and the United States, part of a series of conflicts called the Seminole Wars...
. Tours of the fort are given on weekends, with many artifacts
Artifact (archaeology)
An artifact or artefact is "something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, esp an object of archaeological interest"...
on display from Florida's pioneer history.