Lithia Springs Park

Expected it to be a bit clearer. Seems a bit murky and muddy but good for kids that want to splash around. Would like to see what the canoeing is like. Nice areas for families to grill and hang out. The park area is great for the kids too. But a couple to one and just hang out, not so much.

It’s not often a County park has a fresh water spring for swimming. This is a nice, well maintained park and very family friendly.
The cost is $ 2 per vehicle, and $ 2 per person to swim. Dogs are allowed in the park, but not in the swimming area. There is a nice playground, with plenty of shade for the kids.
The spring is nice, but not very deep. There was a grate over the boiler, so that was a bummer. Even though the water is only over three feet deep in a very small area, there were at least four lifeguards on duty at any given time.
There are several picnic areas scattered all over the park, with picnic tables and grills. There are a couple of scenic nature trails, but I only partially walked one.
Overall, the family and I had a great time! it’s a nice place to cool off from the summer heat. Get here early, it gets very busy.

This place deserves 0 stars. Unfriendly staff, incorrect information on the website, and stupid policies all around. I understand no alcohol, but the website doesn’t mention it, then when you get there — if you are caught with it (even in your vehicle not consuming) they will expel you. Then when you walk to the swim area, you will discover that no food is allowed. They want you to leave it unattended outside the area. (What?! Leave family food unattended??). So if you go (which I recommend not going) just be ready for stupid rules and a bad experience. Unless you like stupid places, then go!

Worker called me an asshole for going 5 over the speed limit. He stopped in the middle of the road and made me roll down the window to yell at me. Very rude and unprofessional. Besides that the park is nice but that experience just ruined my day.

It was absolutely awesome! Are nine month old enjoyed his first taste of sand ! I recommend bringing goggles as the fists are cool to look at. We might be going back tomorrow.

Overall, this is a beautiful park to spend the day on a balmy spring day. It’s natural beauty is nothing less than awesome and offers a unique setting in which to play, relax and make memories. There are two playgrounds, one for under 4, the other for ages 5 – 12, plenty of swings and a sand volleyball court. If canoeing is your thing, there is also an area to launch your own vessel. No rentals available. The spring was clear and clean and very refreshing. Yes, a little chilly upon your initial entry, but on a sunny day, you acclimate very quickly. The facilities are fairly well maintained, although it puzzles me why they wouldn’t make the minimal effort it would take to bring it to 5 star quality. A twice daily beach raking and sidewalk sweeping would go a long way. One of the 2 showers for the swimming area was out on the day we visited… not a big deal for us since it wasn’t a very busy day at the beach. In my opinion though, this is something that should be operational at the beginning of the spring season. To discourage swimmers from using the spring as a toilet, a restroom, rather than the Port a Potty, would be great addition. The camping area was quite charming… large wooded sites, lots of shade trees, each equipped with a picnic table, fire ring, water and up to 50amp hookup. We set up for the day, the daily rate was only $ 24.00, but we left at dusk as we had pretty much exhausted all the activities the park has to offer. This would be a nice place to have the full camping experience though if traveling with other families.

$ 2 per car to enter the park, then an additional $ 2 per person to go into the spring itself. Very small area, and very limited walking/​nature areas to see. There’s a tiny overlook where you can see one of the boilers (non-​Floridians, that’s where the water comes up from the ground) and lots of fish.
Well-​maintained and pretty decent lifeguards. Young children’s playground has lots of shade, which is nice. But get here early — the place is small and fills up quickly. Limited vendors, no booze allowed.

Tucked amongst a beautiful wooded neighborhood lies Lithia Springs Park. It’s a small park in comparison to other parks elsewhere but, gorgeous none the less. Right smack in the middle is their «beach.» Yup, sand and everything. Being filled by a natural spring.
I was visiting a friend that lives in the neighborhood. He suggested we go visit the park while there. He was right about everything he said. I won’t get tired of saying just how beautiful the park is. Again, small in comparison to other parks that are similar.
Let me just get to it. Things to note and blah, blah, blahs:
* It get’s PACKED. If you’re planning on coming here, the earlier you get here the better. When we left the line of cars reached the main road. If you’re planning on finding a table, shelter, favorite spot, etc., get here when the park first opens. We were here on a Sunday.
* Kids will have fun here. The entire park is designed with children in mind.
* I’m from Miami where we have real beaches. The water here is FREEZING. They say the water is 72º and I say, «my foot it’s 72º.» It is FREEZING to the point that I didn’t enter the water entirely.
* The highlight of this park is their «beach.» You shouldn’t come here without checking that out.
* There are plenty of lifeguards here to spare. Obviously safety is on the top of their list.
* Periodically everyone is asked to exit the water for routine procedures. It’s a short wait until you can re-​enter the water.
* The water here is FREEZING.
* Did I already mention that the water here is FREEZING. I swear I almost died. Not literally but, yeah man, it’s freaking FREEZING.

Great place for a family outing. Really enjoyed the family friendly atmosphere. The park is clean. The play equipment is in excellent condition. Close to supermarkets and restaurants. The spring is so refreshing.

Very cool spring with fish all around. Bring a mask and snorkel! Could improve parking and area within near the spring. Definitely check it out

I love this park it is best when there are not a ton of people in it so I recommend going early in the morning after the springs have ‘flushed’ yesterday’s water into the Alafia. The water is best closest to the source, bring your mask as there Are always a ton of colorful fish to watch.
In the late afternoon the staff is looking for any excuse to shut down the water hole early so plan accordingly…

We love this park. Beautiful (cold) spring to swim in that’s not too deep, not too shallow — just perfect for our 3 & 4 year old. Their favorite part — the hundreds of fish that swim right up to your toes. If you’re not a fan of fish in the water, this is definitely not the place for you. We went late spring this year for the first time and the «shores» had tons of tadpoles! The boys spent more than half their time just putting tadpoles in the buckets. There are great picnic tables and plenty of grills when it’s time to eat and a great 2-​part playground to boot. There are also canoe rentals here but we haven’t tried that out yet. Just a simple fun park to bring the kids to when you’re looking for something different. Especially quiet during the week during the school year. You’re likely to have it all to yourself!

A beautiful natural spring. Stays cool year round, can swim with the fishies. We saw some Sheep’s head, some bass, among others. Lush surroundings. A very cool place to take a dip. Will check out canoe rentals next time I go.

This Park comes so close to being the perfect recreational area except for a few things that could be improved.
1. The policy for buying a ticket to the spring is bogus. Upon entering, you will be told that the springs will be closed if the weather is iffy. Obviously, they have to close them if there are thunderstorms. Well, we paid the $ 2 to get in and enjoy the parks with our daughter. You are NOT allowed to buy a ticket to the spring once you enter if the spring is closed.
When we took a walk to find the springs after playing, what did we see? More than 100 people swimming in the spring that we were told we could not get tickets to because they closed it! Another family was told the same thing when they entered the park and was beyond frustrated! We went up to the life guard on duty and asked if we could pay the fee at the spring gate to which he replied rudely that there was absolutely nothing he could do. We had to go all the way back to the front to get tickets! It is a pain in the ass to get out to the spring when you are fully unpacked only to find out that you have to cart your kid/​s (if you have them) and belongings back to the front gate to buy tickets since it reopened. Who came up with this policy? Get on the ball guys. Sell your tickets at the actual spring so people do not have to drive back and forth and be inconvenienced.
2. When putting in a complaint about how rude the lifeguard was to my husband (who was not rude in return), the employee did not care. So, they have some sucky employees.
3. There are no hiking trails. Big shame. If there were trails, if they fixed their dumb policy, and if the few employees were a bit nicer to guests, then this would be the absolute perfect nature park to be at imo.
As for the awesome things here, there are a lot. You can easily spend the whole day here. We have a 2 yr. old and she loved it. The area itself is very clean. The parks for the kids to play at are great. There was a volleyball net (probably more than one), tons of pavilions for picnics and grills for grilling. The spring itself was very nice. I overheard one of the employees also telling someone that there is fishing in the back. Very cool. The atmosphere is also very nature-​like as it is surrounded by palm trees and those trees that have the hanging moss. It was cool like being near a swamp.
It’s fun here, a great place to spend the day with family and friends, and a super cheap outing. It’s worth it. Just make sure that it isn’t over-​casted when you go.
We didn’t know what to expect so we didn’t bring anything with us, but If you go to the springs to swim for the first time, bring rafts. There is sand too in areas so make sure to bring buckets for the kids, and whatever pool items they play with. It is worth coming to the springs on a hot day over the hassle of the beach if you have small children.

If you’re looking to do something fun and cheap to do this summer in Florida to beat the heat… why not plan a day trip to Lithia Springs? Lithia Springs is just a short drive from Tampa and offers camping, canoeing, hiking, area for picnicking and best of all… a natural spring. The water is so clear that it only looks a few feet deep until you get in and realize it’s actually about 12 feet or more above the grated cave mouth of the spring feed. Be sure to take some goggles and an underwater cam to get a great view and pics of the fish. Entry into the park is $ 2.00. Swimming is $ 2.00 per person. Canoeing is 25.00 for 4 hrs.

I live so close to this park that I try to get there every week. Unfortunately during the summer it’s so crowded that unless you get there right when it opens you’re going to have a hard time finding any relaxation. The crowd isn’t the best, drawing largely from the surrounding rural communities. Lots of rednecks about! And unfortunately a lot of people that attend the park don’t understand what a spring is, and there isn’t adequate signage explaining it. I’ve heard such things as there’s a pipe that pumps the water in, and one that pumps the water out. The pump that pumps out that the person is referencing is a pipe and pump station operated by phosphate giant Mosaic, taking precious water from the spring. The pump has a constant whirring sound which disrupts the serenity of the park.
The environmental stewardship of the park needs a big improvement. There are no signs near the main swimming area explaining what the spring is and why it’s important to not litter. Countless times I’ve been near someone smoking next to the spring who leave their cigarette butts. I’d really love Hillsborough Co to ban smoking at its recreation areas. Not only is it a health issue, but it’s also an environmental issue when cigarette butts litter our public areas. There are also no recycling containers available.
The camping area is very nice, wooded with large sites. Also close to the canoe ramp. Have had several great trips up the river. It’s just unfortunate a lot of the wildlife still hasn’t returned following the giant phosphate release into the Alafia River in the 90’s. For that reason swimming is not allowed in the river. There are also plentiful bbq’s, picnic tables and pavilions for having get-​togethers,

This is absolutely one of my favorite places in Tampa Bay. I took my daughter there when she was tiny (she’s 30 now) and my 11 year old loves it (especially for the fish like Emily K mentioned). My 30 year old is pregnant with my first granddaughter and I’ll be bringing her here too.
Pleaceful, quiet, especiall in the fall and winter. Even in the summer months, if you get there early enough, you can stake out a spot under the shady trees and make a day of it, but it does get crowded. Well worth the price to swim in the beautiful spring.

Such a sweet, quiet park is well worth the drive from Tampa. Lithia Springs Park is packed to the brim during the summer, but if you go in the fall or spring, the water is still a nice temperature and the park is totally empty! Enjoy the beautiful, natural spring without the crowds of families and children that fill the crystal-​clear water during the hotter months.
During the off-​season, the park is deserted. This is my favorite time to go. The Park Rangers often won’t charge the extra $ 2 for swimming during this time, and you won’t see a single other human anywhere in the park. It is simply the perfect place to go for a quiet, relaxing day with friends.
The water is full of fish. Bring some bread or ham – the fish will swarm around it, and after a few times of this you can put the tip of your finger in the water and a whole school of fish will start biting at it. It’s pretty fun.
Large cranes and other fowl can be found in the water, and if you are lucky, you will catch a good show. The cranes love to catch all the little fishies! It’s like watching a ninja (or the nature channel).

I love me a good spring.
At least once a year I try to get off my little island and go find a nice, cool Florida spring to swim in. This summer was closing to an end, and I hadn’t make my spring run yet. We have a couple kids in college at USF, so I decided to try to find one to dive into on my way to the campus. My inter-​web tube search came up with Lithia Springs.
I hit it on the Friday before Labor Day. There were about 20 people in the park, and only 2 were in the water. Perfect. I had talked with a lifeguard during my visit, and he said on peak days they had ‘thousands’ of swimmers. This was based off gate entrances of 2 to 3 thousand people. Wow. I timed it perfect.
The swim was nice, the ‘boil’ was gated over, which makes sense, but still provided for a nice, refreshing swim. I love swimming against a spring boil, so this kept me entertained for a while.
It cost me $ 4 to get in and to swim, well worth the price. While I ABSOLUTELY wouldn’t want to be here on a day with a thousand people, if you plan it right (school back, and on a weekday) this is a REALLY nice spot.
It took me about 20 minutes off my usual run to get here, and 20 minutes to get back, but for me, it was worth it and on future campus runs, I’ll be swinging through again.

People are always complaining that there is nothing to do in the Tampa Bay area, and while I will concede that Tampa Bay isn’t one of the busiest cities in the United States, it does have many things going on. The thing is that things are not well advertised or connected to each other. You have to know the right people or discover the right location on accident someday, such is the case with Lithia Springs Park.
Located in Lithia, just a short drive from Bloomingdale, Riverview, and Brandon. Lithia Springs Park is this hidden park that you could easily drive right past and never visit. I’ve been living in Brandon for about 4 years and had no clue this even existed. When I visited this past weekend though, I found out the place is actually pretty popular among locals and was right under my nose.
The park has camp grounds, playgrounds for kids, and a really nice spring that keeps the water at 72 degrees year round (from their website). The water is chilly, a rare thing to find in summer weather when pretty much every pool or ocean water has been heated to pretty warm temperatures by the hot Florida sun. The water is also crystal clear and you can see all the fishes swimming in the water, and the sand at the bottom.
Lots of families come here and relax either in the spring or around it. There’s a small snack truck selling hot dogs, nachos, shaved ice, and other goods for really cheap prices. Families are grilling and picnicking in the area. It’s a really nice place that I never knew existed right by me. I’ll be sure to be back and drag the family along next time.