Anyone cached in Hillsborough State Park in FLa?

[+CWagoner]

We are getting ready to camp there for a few days, I intend to try and hit the caches in the area. ANyone ever done them and how are they? Can you get from one park to the next one on the trails or do you have to go from one park to another?? Just curious..

[+Isonzo Karst]

I own a couple of the caches there. There are two foot bridges crossing the Hillsborough River, and two hiking loops on that side, no vehicles and foot traffic only.

There is a single cache on the Baynard Trail loop, and several around the Florida Trail loop. If your walking time/distance is limited, I'd suggest taking the Florida trail loop for some beautiful views of the river. There is also a short, but lovely River Rapids trail with a single cache at the start of that trail.

 

I'm not sure what you mean by "one park to the next". There is a county park, Dead River, south of Hillsborough State Park. You can walk from Hills State Park into Dead River using the Wetlands Restoration Trail, it connects to the river front trail that is on the county land. There are caches along the length of that trail. Friday to Sunday you can drive into Dead River park (leaving Hills River State Park, drive south on 301 keep an eye out for the sign), and start walking that trail from the south end. Tues-Friday the gates to Dead River Park are closed, it's walk or bike in only - a couple of miles back to the river.

 

How are they? mostly simple ammo cans in the woods at really pretty places, not far off trail.

If you're up for more of an adventure, in Dead River park, I'd recommend GCJK3H. An "all bushwhack all the time" cache in the Dead River basin. Dry as it is now, there would be no wading. I don't recall the mileage on that, a couple of miles.

 

Be sure to find King of the Swamp! GCJJZ3. It's in Dead River park. I believe you'll find a pull off along the entry road, you can 'whack back to it. Everyone takes a picture or two of themselves standing next to the King.

 

Edited April 1, 2009 by Isonzo Karst

[Clan Riffster]

If you can get your mitts on a paddle craft, I HIGHLY recommend doing the caches on the river.

Multiple Gators and Seventeen Runs should get you started.

[+Isonzo Karst]

Water levels are too low for Seventeen Runs to be fun. It's more like a wet hike carrying boat now.

 

Multiple Gators is likely okay, but it doesn't start from Hills State park, and the rental with rehaul that's available for that river section is ridiculously pricey at around $60 per person.

 

There are a number of paddle caches available from Hills State Park, and reasonable $ canoe rentals are there in the park.

Here are a couple of bookmarked lists for the available caches.

M&M HRSP/Dead River Caches

 

Isonzo Karst Bookmark, Boat Caches from Hills River

[Keystone]

Moving from the Geocaching Topics forum to the South and Southeast forum.

[+CWagoner]

OK thanks for all the great suggestions! We had a great time and I found 6 caches within easy hiking distance. Dead RIver was very cool. There were all kinds right around the camping/ state park itself, did not have time to get to them all!! I plan on coming back again next year and will hit those I Missed and maybe revist a few that were in such great places! Thanks for all the recommendations. I actually got so excited, I placed a TB in one of the caches and forgot to log it at the time, now I don't know which I placed it in!! Hope it comes up picked up soon.

 

Thanks again all..

 

Photos of the Hillsborough River trip..