My Back to Lithia Springs

Actually we are back to Lithia Springs but I have been having back problems (Sciatic Nerve Pain) since we left Hillsborough River three weeks ago. I think lifting and carrying the canoe has taken a toll on my spine. For my close friends and family, click here  My Back Problems for more details about my experience.

Both E.G. Simmons and Lithia Springs are Hillsborough County Parks.

Simmons is on Tampa Bay.

 

 

Lithia is inland near Brandon, FL on the Alafia river.

The campsites are smaller and more open but are all on the mangrove channels at Simmons.

The campsites here at Lithia are wooded and private but only 5 sites are on the river. We were in this same site both different weeks we were here,

There are nice park roads to bike at Simmons but you can connect to miles of concrete bike trails in Fish Hawk Ranch from Lithia.

It is windier at Simmons since they are on the bay but generally they are full even during the week, overflow waiting sites are available. Lithia fills up on weekends but usually has room the rest of the time. The new rules are still first come first served but you can stay all winter for $18/day for those of us over 65.

We will try to do some more biking if it stops raining. It is warm, around 68⁰F, but has been raining for the past 36 hours. We got almost 3” of rain and the river is high.

Our plans are to head south on Saturday morning to W.P. Franklin Campground on an island at a river lock on the Caloosahatchee River near Fort Myers for the next two weeks.