HILLSBOROUGH RIVER PADDLE - Level II
Trip leaders: Scott Jantz (386-853-5159) and Jill Lingard (352-665-1776)
Description: TBSK hasn't paddled the Hillsborough River since last fall's hurricanes. The extensive damage to riverside parks has been fixed and treefall has been cleared...so we're ready to return! With its lush tree canopy, the Hillsborough offers a mostly shady paddling experience on hot summer days. You'll see all kinds of water birds as you paddle this meandering river lined with cypress and swamp lilies. Our rainy season has returned water to the river, giving us ample room to share this space safely with alligators. And you WILL see gators. Jill and Scott counted 48 on this paddle a couple weeks ago, but none of them were aggressive and there was plenty of river space to give them wide berth.
Location: We'll paddle from Sargeant Park to Trout Creek Park for a total of 7 miles, all downstream. We'll go by Morris Bridge Park a little over halfway through, which makes a nice rest/snack stop. Restrooms are available at all three of these parks.
Schedule: Meet at Sargeant Park, located at 12702 N US Highway 301 in Thonotosassa, at 8:00AM. We'll sort out our shuttles to place vehicles at Trout Creek Park, 12550 Morris Bridge Road in Thonotosassa, and then return to Sargeant Park. We'll aim to launch around 9:30-10:00AM and finish the day by 1:00PM. Paddlers who leave their vehicles at Sargeant Park will need to pay a $7 parking fee, payable by credit card. On Jill & Scott's July 6 visit, parking at Trout Creek was free.
Difficulty: Level II, due to mileage only. This is a sheltered river for most of the way, opening up a little during the last mile. See TBSK's Skills Assessment Chart and contact the trip leaders if you have any questions.
Required/suggested: Kayaks of at least 14' in length and properly fitted PFDs. Bring snacks and PLENTY to drink. It's summer in Florida.
If you have any medical issues that might impact your paddling, please notify trip leaders before the trip so that they can be best equipped to assist you as needed.
Please register (or cancel) on the website or contact the trip leaders to notify them of any changes to your plans to participate.