E.G. Simmons Park & Campground — Hotel in Saint Petersburg

My partner and I stayed here for about 2.5 weeks in our trailer. The conservatory is very beautiful. The sunsets and sunrises are amazing, the wildlife is everywhere around you. Manatees, dolphins, BIRDS, crabs and fish! Much like the other reviews say, there is also a horrifying amount of no-see-ums. Little biting bugs, if you aren't familiar. They hurt and itch and just infest the whole park. The entire time we were there, we got eaten alive. No bug spray would work for those little jerks. It was awful, especially at sunset and at night.

Camping is first come, first serve. My partner and I showed up an hour before they opened and seven campers were waiting in front of us! It's a very busy park, with LOTS of boaters. People coming and going all day! Show up EARLY of you want a spot. Park behind the white line before the gate, to allow the park rangers in! They open at 8am. You are placed on a list, and they don't start calling people until 11am when campers start to check out. You have to be there in ten minutes to claim your spot, so be sure to hang around close by. Signal is terrible, so don't miss the call!

Edit: If there are spots available, you'll be let in immediately to chose a spot! During the week is far less busy when it comes to camping.

The beach was always busy, and is an incredible spot. Super soft sand, very calm and very protected waters. Perfect for little kids or those wanting to just sit in super shallow waters.

Neighbors were all lovely. We only had a few issues with people and their dogs. Park is VERY clean. Rangers are ON TOP of everything. The bathrooms and showers are cleaned every single day and very nice.

Edit: We have stayed on both sides now; East and West. The East side was not nearly as clean as the West... It was not cleaned daily, and the showers were far less impressive. Shower heads were more of a spicket. Not sure if the other side just has newer facilities or not? The bathrooms got very gross after a week, and rangers were eventually called because no one was coming to clean the mess people made! Even when they were cleaned, it was done very well. With how busy the park is, they get behind with it very quickly.

Campsites are varied size, all with an electric and water hook up. Some do not have a sewer dump, so be sure to check them out before claiming! There is a wash and dump station for RV's, a little take-one-leave-one book station and plenty of places to hang out.

We'd love to return to visit and do more fishing, but staying is just terrible...

We visit this park almost daily. What a hidden gem! It’s about 2 miles west of Hwy 41/ and 19th street. This county park does require adm fee. ( we just spring for the yearly since we get the vet discount and use the park well over 300 days a year)! The park is a collection of areas including campsites, pavilions, boat launch, kayak launch, tons of fishing spots, and lots of CLEAN ( No funk) bathrooms with soap and water!

The rangers are always around to answer questions about critters or the facilities. Each Park Ranger I have dealt with is knowledgeable, and friendly. They showed up at a moments notice when informed about a possibly distressed osprey. Turns out the Osprey was a juvenile newly venturing from the nest. He had a little blue flag near his bum that may have startled him. He was standing on the ground immobilized. He landed up taking flight with no apparent injury.

We kayak here often, paddling by the mangroves. We come across manatee, pulrays ( like mama rays) in schools. We see mullet, tarpon, herons, pelicans, and racoons.

The main boat launch is a great spot to see in the water.

The small beach is clean, roped off, never crowded.

The playgrounds are well maintained, have that rubbery soft surface. Great for exercising with soft landing. Speed limit is 25, and bicycling is safe. Roads are paved, trails wind around and through each section of the park.

Fantastic Hillsborough...

The park itself is beautiful. The staff however are very unwelcoming to say the least. Forget about a smile and have a nice day. These workers scaw at you like they hate life. The bathrooms if working are dirty and barely stocked. The bathhouse had decent pressure and hot water, but the head wasn't adjustable and was pretty low for tall guys. There are plenty of fishing areas (even a place to clean fish) and enough spots for any type of camping. I was in a tent, but I saw rvs, campers and even a few vans around. They have a fire ring, power, water and a table at each spot. Shopping is close too. The desk guy also lied and said if I stay a max of 14 days I couldn't return for 6 months! However on the back of the camp sign they give you it says a max of 150 days per year and 14 day intervals. These "Rangers" seriously act like they don't want repeat visitors. The female with the long blonde hair was the worst cuz she made me wait while holding the sliding glass window shut for about 5 minutes so she could finish her personal conversation with a coworker, and then as always was very rushed and forward. She should never be allowed to work any customer service job. If you can get past the front gate you should have a...