Lithia Springs: Hillsborough County’s Local Swimming Hole

Not too many people outside of Hillsborough County know about this particular swimming hole. Located smack dab in the middle of the county, this quite spring along the Alafia River is popular with the locals who are more than happy to show you around.

Here’s a look at the main attraction:

Here’s another one:

The actual spring is officially known as Lithia Spring Major and sits just 500 feet away from the Alafia River, which surrounds most of the park. The springs discharges about 35 million gallons of water per day into the Alafia River and maintains a 72 degree temperature year round.

Other than playing in the spring, you can rent one of the 44 campsites, rent a canoe to take on the Alafia River (or bring your own), play volleyball, and go on some hiking trails.

I had a lot of fun when I went and this is definitely a spot to check out if you are in the area. I didn’t like that the asphalt parking lot is practically on top of the spring, as if the park designers wanted to see how close they could get to the spring without actually paving it over. But overall, I really enjoyed my visit.

Location: 3932 Lithia Springs Rd, Lithia, FL 33547
Admission: $2 per vehicle (up to 8 people per vehicle) to enter park | $2 per person for swimming in the spring
Hours: Spring – Summer 8:00am – 7:00pm | Fall – Winter, 8:00am – 6:00pm | Swimming opens at 9:00am and closes an hour before the park closes.
Phone: 813-744-5572
Website: https://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/locations/lithia-springs-park

P.S. Far from having gone to all of the FL springs, I still feel confident in recommending Rainbow Springs as my favorite. I also loved Blue Springs, Ginnie Springs, and Juniper Springs.

Photo Credits: Lithia Springs Park (Hillsborough County, FL) by Paul Clark, Lithia Springs Big Spring by DixieHwy