By:
Submission
Well-known for its natural spring which flows year-round, cool, clean water into the Alafia River, the Lithia Springs Park was originally purchased by Gardinier, Inc., a mining company that soon became Mosaic Phosphate, Inc. When the company leased the park to Hillsborough County as a recreational area in 1957, the 160-acre site slowly became a popular camping spot.
After setting up camp, hikers can explore the woodsy trails and its diverse plant communities, river cypress swamps, and hardwood hammocks. But it is the natural spring that serves as the park’s major attraction, which---courtesy of the water’s 72 degree temperature---provides an excellent swimming experience all year long. In addition to swimming, visitors can fish and play volleyball. There is also a bath house for the parents to rest and chat, while their kids can play at the park’s playground.
The park’s 44 camping sites---which is also suitable for RVs---include water/shower and electrical services. The campers also have access to picnic shelters and tables, restrooms, and barbecue grills. There are no reservations for these sites; everything is done on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Park rules to know:
-Picnic shelters are not rented for the months April - September.
-All shelters, tables and grills and parking spaces are first come first serve
-Due to the high demand of the swimming area and current conditions maximum capacity is
-No rain checks / refunds
This was such a fun place! The water was clear, and cool. The gate guy had great customer service. We can't wait to go back!
I found a HUGE TORTOISE ON THE ROAD! I called and the staff were AWESOME! Gave me directions on how to get to them patiently. I was concerned about the environment that was available. I got to ride along for the release and it was great! Rangers were very knowledgable and kept me safe and answered all my questions. Very clean and well kept reserve. Wildlife was AWESOME and very present. Great experience!
Park was well organized and the campsites were great. The front gate attendant was helpful and the restrooms and showers were relatively clean compared to other parks. Definitely would visit again.
We were 1st timers at this location. We arrived in late afternoon on a chilly day and spent time viewing the spring. It was pretty and had fish jumping out of the water to say hi, lol. We also journeyed through the walking trails and stopped along the river for photos. We were one with nature with a 1.2m hike, it was great, just make sure to wear sneakers. Keep your eyes out for wild life as a wild boar ran onto our trail, stopped, looked at us for a while, then ran back into the woods. 😊
A quiet clean little place to visit. The springs was a neat experience. If you have never been to a spring before, this would be a great little place to start.
