Went here recently, nice little mini beach. Sat for awhile, watched the boats, overhead planes, and people. Got my groove on. $2 entrance fee not bad. Plenty of parking. They also have some trails to walk nearby , and a park. Opens up to the bay eith a great view from the beach and lets you get your "chill" on! Very relaxing read more

Beautiful place. There are little picnic areas. A nice little beach and trails. You can sit there all day and look out on the bay.

There's something for the whole family here at this park. There are several playgrounds, campgrounds, docks to look out from, boat/canoe/kayak launches and even a mini beach. Dogs are allowed but need to be leached. I enjoyed being in nature here, you've got to check it out when in the area! Entrance is $2 per car, all day access. read more

See all

$2 for parking, wide open spaces to explore. They have camping sites and playgrounds, lots of little places for beach access. It's not anything too special but definitely does the trick when you need some place to see the water and enjoy the sunshine. read more

Absolutely beautiful county park by the ocean! Very neat and clean Hillsborough County Park. Passes available for pickup at alternative locations. Park entry fee in Saturday was $2/car. Very clean and beautiful. Bathrooms are some of the cleanest restrooms I've seen at a park. Even cleaner than some local restaurants. Highly recommend this County Park. read more

See all

park is great other than no warning of deadly levels of bacteria in the water that landed me in the hospital for five days. Be careful!!

Nice small beach with clean bathrooms and friendly staff. I'll keep coming back, thanks

A little bit of trash on the beach from people being neglectful. Water was great. Lots of seaweed.

Decided to finally visit this beach n park. It's funny, i used to live walking distance from here but sense my life at the time consisted of work n sleep? Never could find the time. Being sick has been a double edge sword for me. Sense im recovering slowly? I allow myself to slowly open the book of shenanigans! Safely of course. I still got bad limitations but if i pace myself, i can find a sort of a good time. I trued fishing n crab trapping for now. Fish ate my bait n would get hooked. Became to tired for that. I sat down n tried catching blue crabs instead. Sooo happy that both the shore n Blue cran licenses are free! Just download the FWC app, register. Then click get license, again press the link so it lets u scroll down. U don't need to pay the general salt one. Just scroll down to salt water. Theres a option for shore n dock. Then the blue crab registration is a little lower. Know that u need these on you, keeps the FWC ranger off your buns. Lol the crab one requires u make a plaque n other stuff to your 5 traps, ohhh yeah! Its 5 per license! Park is nice n big, has nice gazebo's to picnic n grill. Many areas to place kayaks or chill. U can park your car next to your fishing spot. Nobody bothered me, just friendly curious folks. Park has minor trash here n there, it's a good sign that they do have staff cleaning. I just wished people that brought the trash took it back with them. I always bring a bag with me just to help them clean the local beaches. I also enjoy keeping treasure. Im ridiculous over joyed about the pink toy i found lol n a fully functional lighter to. I keep en cuz the graphite inside can be use for projects n other stuff. I love tinkering! Water fountains are cleaned n water is filtered well to. U can fill bottles to with the built in water bottle station. Bathrooms? Ok im not a fan of public bathrooms cuz bs that had happened to me before. The ladies bathroom has NO handle to close it! Worst part? There's a freaking window anybody can just take a peak at ya trying to meditate. My anxiety multiplied by the seconds! not cool at all! I like dark safe spaces. Is it clean? Yes it is. If u here with yo S.O.? Make em wait outside n keep you safe. Uhm child park us right there to. Cute designs n swings. A couple trails ill have to wait to be healthier to trust myself walking through. Plenty of parking to. Huge boat ramp n parking area for boaters. Nice little railed zone for people to watch the boats or fish from to. I think all this place is missing is the food n bait place. Hire a dude to play a bass n sing some fun chill Caribbean tunes. More shaded areas for my sub sensitive folks. But I understand why they don't. Contamination would go up like crazy cuz people suck at keeping things cleaned. It's a sad reality. Even Apollo beach suffers from this. I used to go there with a friend n just take cute romantic strolls picking up garbage with him. Then stop at Alpha Pizza for cheap Beer n phenomenal bar food! They had an Elvis impersonator cone on Thursdays i think. Guy was amazing! Lol love the simple things, these older audience shows are always very fun for my old heart lol. I had fun here, will definitely come back in the future. Better setup n maybe even bring my e board when im healthier. The roads n trail look ridiculously fun to ride n off road it to. Thank you for reading n have a blessed day! Ps: didn't catch a thing except conch kept getting in my crab trap. I looked up in the FWC if the kind i found was ok to take. Says if its the brown one? Its bueno to take. I got plans to use half of them for bait n the rest for "escabeche de Carrucho" it's a island thing. It's like pickled conch in vinegar, lemon n garlic. We grew up with it in PR. Bitter n sour but soooooo delicious!! read more

EG Simmons Park - Ticket! - Parks Near Me - Ruskin, Florida

See all

Okay... GREAT... maybe is a bit much to say for such a short visit we had, BUT overall it was such a good visit and the staff member who attended to us was completely unforgettable - Jade was friendly, courteous, casual, and super informative. She tried as hard as she could to make sure we spotted Manatees out in the bay... and while we personally never got to see them this was in no way a reflection of he attempts to point us in the right direction twice! She keyed us in on the best times to come in for kayaking, wildlife viewing, swimming, etc. I did not really find the swimming all that enjoyable but that is mainly because of the "Wetlands" feel and all the grass growth in and around the swimming area; but for the pelicans, crabs, pipers, and other creatures we did see (Manatees I WILL see you next time!!!) it is apparent why this growth is so important. Ao, thank you E.G. Simmons Conservation Park, and thank you Jade for being so friendly and kind. read more

See all

This is an amazing little state park hidden away in Ruskin. It's $2 to get in but they have everything. I love the idea of avoiding the crowds and having parking. Also, I don't have to worry as much with my kiddos because the park is so well kept. read more

Just lovely. The sand needs to be cleaned a bit more, but its wonderful. Cheap to get in, and the bathrooms are not horrible. Such a beautiful area. We really enjoy kayaking the water path as well! Shallow water so there are usually manatees read more

What a beautiful park and beach- yes beach! We decided to explore our new area Saturday afternoon and pulled up this gem on Yelp when we typed in beach. As you pull up to the gate to enter, there will be a $2 charge to enter. This $2 allows you to stay at the park all day, which is a steal we soon learned! As we started exploring the inside of the park, we noticed immediately all of the great fishing spots! Some of the little cutouts had tables and grills but there were some that were empty. As we moved through the park, we saw a nice sized playground and endless water views! You're able to rent kayaks or bring your own boat! We then parked and explored on foot- amazing! We found several walking trails that had a mixture of sand and rocks... very off the beaten path, but really worked our legs out! You are able to bring your fur babies but they have to stay on a leash. Overall, the park is extremely clean, the beach area looked very relaxing and we can't wait to come back! I also forgot to mention that we saw several campers on property so if you wanted to get away but stay local, you could do that too! read more

See all

We love this park! We saw manatees by the boat launch over near the beach. They have kayak rentals at the park entrance. The camping is affordable and sites are abundant. read more

My wife and I entered the park at 11:30 am, today, June 14 and paid our $2.00 just to go and give our dog a nice long walk, somewhere new. Unfortunately the asshole working the 'gate' made sure to tell us to clean up our dog's 'mess'. Well no kidding asshole, I'm 68 years old and was raised correctly. I wouldn't normallly say something but the park itself was filthy with trash including women's underwear at multiple spots as we walked around. E.G Simmons, FU. read more

Hidden gym in Ruskin! Didn't realize it was right around the corner. I came to run but found it would have been better to bike. I ended up in exploration mode wanting to see all the park had to offer. From campgrounds to kayak and boat launch areas... My favorite find was the secluded beach area! read more

EG Simmons Park - Parks Near Me - Ruskin, Florida

Great playground for kids. Beautiful beach. Good fishing from the bridge. Nice campsites but first come, first serve.

Went to check out the kayaking. This is a big park, clean with trails, docs and a small beach. The price to rent kayaks was reasonable.

Definitely a gorgeous park & people who have their dogs walking thru there pick up after their pet. Kids celebrating their birthday having a party . you see the family BBQing & kids playing on the swings & slides. People fishing , launching their boats , Campers .. It's definitely a park I often go to with my dogs & the staff who work there are amazing & helpful read more

We checked it out once just before closing time. Quite large, very clean lovely beach (nature preserve) atmosphere, boat launches, campgrounds and clean bathrooms . We'll maintained for next to no $...worth checking out ! read more

We had such a great time on our trip. I highly recommend this park for camping. When we drove up, the ranger that helped us was very nice. He let us drive around and pick campsites from what was available. We were able to get 2 campsites, side by side, in a great spot. Tips: Arrive early. They do not take reservations. 2 cars per campsite. The bathrooms/showers are SO clean. You can rent canoes for $25 for 4 hours. You have to rent it before 1pm. Bring coal for cooking and fire wood for s'mores. Each campsite has a fire ring. Each campsite has outlet box and picnic table. There are tons of campsites right on the water, docks, and other fishing areas so packing your fishing gear. Clean your plates, serving utensils and anything else that smells like food ASAP. Throw your trash out ASAP. Tons of raccoons and they are around day and night. Bring LOTS of bug spray/repellant and candles. There are flies, mosquitos, gnats, sand fleas, sand gnats, etc. read more

See all

4 stars for variety at this park. It may not have an award winning beach but the many things you can do in this park make it a good place to visit with the family. Beach - well if I was just grading the beach it would be a rather low score. Water is shallow, warm, and full of seaweed and grass. Also very limited beach access. But does have a breath taking view of downtown st Pete and downtown Tampa. And if you are just looking for some sun time in the sand and a place for the kids to splash around then it will get the job done. Playground - good sized playground by the beach access and a very large playground on the other side of the park. Picnic - plenty of pavilion and picnic table spots complete with bbq built in. Lots of choices for locations and places to set up a picnic, including one by the beach and one by the big playground and a bunch right by fishing holes. Fishing - lots of fishing spots available. Everything from a dock on a calm interbay water, to fishing holes cut out along the shoreline, to all in one spots that include a little parking cut out, pavilion with picnic tables, built in bbq, and a cut out fishing/water hole. Camping - haven't experienced the camping yet, but there is a separate location for camping fun. Will update when I get a chance to officially experience it. Boating - a few boat drop off points allows easy access to hitting the open blue water. Overall if you want to have fun in the Florida sun you will have no problem finding one or multiple things to do here. read more

EG Simmons Park - Parking, picnic, pavilion, and fishing! - Parks Near Me - Ruskin, Florida

See all

The beach itself is small and probably isn't the best swimming beach, but the park has a lot more to do than swim. Do to its proximity to the Power plant, this park is best place in Tampa Bay (other than the power plant itself) to watch for manatees. It also makes it a great fishing spot in the winter as fish of all shapes and sizes flock to the warm waters of the power plant. In fact it is where we took my nephew fishing for the first time. Boat docks and plenty of picnic tables and pavilions, make this park a great place to go for a day outdoors without having to cross the bridge to Pinellas County. It is only a few dollars per car which ends up being cheaper than parking in Pinellas county. Park hours are Dawn to Dusk. read more

I've been coming here since the 70's while my daddy fished. I love it, there is something for everyone. Fishing areas, with boat ramps. A place to dump your waste and rinse off your boat. Canoe and Kayak rentals. Camping area's primative or for an rv, with fishing just steps behind your camping site. Beach area to lay out and swim. Play ground for the kids, lots of parking every where! Clean restrooms, it's a great place to just hang out and bbq under one of the many shelters located all over the place. Just watch out, not all shelters have running water. Park officals say they are working on that. The views are amazing, it is a bird sanctuary so you see all kinds of wildlife. In November there is a seafood festival, that has any type of seafood you can imagine. During regular times of year (not during the seafood festival), the entrance fee is only $2.00 The only down fall is the sand gnats aka no see'ums, during warm weather at dawn and dusk they can really be a pain. Our family rubs a little skin so soft, by avon on exposed skin. You smell good, and the no see'ums leave you alone. Other than that it's the sand spurs, ouie...wear your shoes. BOTTOM LINE: great place to fish, collect your thoughts, or just to get away. read more

See all

Such a nice place to to. Cost is 2 dollars but you can fish or play in the one of many playgrounds. One issue I had was they don't seen to clean them often, since we had a birthday party and it was wasp nest everywhere. Besides that we had a good time. Very pretty and definitely worth the fee. We will be back but hopefully someone can focus on maintaining the pre existing structures. read more

This is a nice park that offers RV sites, picnic tables, a boat ramp that leads into Tampa Bay, a sandy beach, swim areas, and private areas. They also hold various festivals and events here throughout the year. This would be a nice place to have a family reunion, work function, or celebrate a birthday. There's at least 2 large play grounds for small kids, plenty of open grass areas to play frisbee or pass a ball. There are lots of parking areas all over the park. It cost $2 to get in with 1 car, and of course more for campsites and boat ramp use. There are several covered shelter areas with grills and you can even park your car and watch the sunset over the water. The park overall was clean and looked well maintained. read more

See all

While living in Ruskin, I visited this park often. At times I went privately, with friends & community events. I never camped there, but I have sure enjoyed the park. In my humble opinion, I believe this is one of the top parks in Hillsborough county. Being directly on Tampa Bay, just can't be beat. Water sports, including motorized can be accomplished, sometimes with the help of the boat ramp. The view of the back of downtown St. Petersburg is great. There are grills & shelters for picnics. Love it, so serene & beautiful. This park is also very well kept & maintained. What's a girl to do? Any park on the water with a sunset view will always get my vote! read more

Decent "outdoor experience" park if you're looking for campgrounds and kayak launches. Boat docks here too. $2 entry fee gets you all day privileges, so if you need to make a mid-day McDonald's run, via con dios. Beach access is tiny, and very windward, so you'll get a lot of spray in your face. But the area is very event-friendly, and if someone of my substantial reubenesque status can run a 5K here, so can you. read more

Fun, picnic. Lots of Racoons! great park, clean and goes on forever. Lots of places for boats! little known park and access to water!

EG Simmons is a very nice park for a picnic or a day at the beach. I came here for a work function and we took over a very large picnic area. There are grills available and pets are allowed. They do have some silly rules (no pinatas or water balloons), but other than that it is a really nice park. There are also some other amenities that I haven't gotten the chance to take advantage of. This park is right on the beach, so you can spend the day laying in the sun, swimming, or taking out a canoe or kayak. There is also a campground here, which makes it a nice little getaway. The only reason I probably won't be back to this park is because it is inconvenient to my home. EG Simmons is definitely a nice place for a relaxing day if you are ever in Apollo Beach. read more

This beach is not what people come to the Gulf Coast for. It's in a little cove off the Bay, and the water is stagnant and yellow-green. There is no salty sea smell, just occasional whiffs of sewage. It's also too shallow for adults to swim -- I waded all the way out to the warning sign for boaters, and the water never came above my mid-thigh level. There were no waves. The bottom is more like a muddy lake than a sandy beach, and the beach area has only a thin layer of scrubby sand. The rest of the park, such as the picnic and camping areas, seem very nice, and the calm waters that are so disappointing for swimmers are great for boating and fishing. If you are coming to the park for other activities, go ahead and bring your swimsuit. But given the availability of really beautiful Gulf beaches within a half hour drive, this beach should never be your main destination. read more

This park is absolutely beautiful with lots of options for things to do. I got on a boat here, and docking and undocking were very easy. Also, there's a filleting table, so you can take care of that before you go home. Just bring the knife! One warning- there's a fee to park, so bring cash. No plastic accepted! Otherwise, enjoy! read more

I visited the park in June 2009 to search for a few geocaches. The park is pleasant and attractive and there were many boaters and others enjoying the sunshine. read more

See all

Nice park close to home. Pay to put boat in extra but if you have kayak you can just put in anywhere. Fishing is spotty, all about tides. If you camp this is a good place. They have nice facilities to use when here. Nice sunsets looking at St..Pete and plenty of dolphins! read more

Nice little place not too crowded. Came here on a Sunday in the morning nice place for a BBQ, place for the kids to play or just get the sand in-between your toes(Play ground not fenced in so watch you kids people). Its not too bad just 2$ makes for a nice Sunday morning/afternoon. read more

See all

This is such a cool park. I had heard it mentioned several times. I am so glad I finally went. It's only like 20 minutes from my house. It's only $2 to get in. There are several areas for fishing. There are boat ramps. There is also a beach. They offer camp grounds. It was nice and clean. The park staff was very friendly and happy to answer our questions. I can't want to take the boys back. It is right on the bay and is fresh water. read more

As always have cash readily available in Ruskin... The park is very well kept up. The roads are easy to understand and they seem to be serviced frequently. Haven't made to all the points of interest yet but since we live in Ruskin now its bound and determine to happen. read more

Nice and serene for canoeing/kayaking/fishing. Very cute tiny beach area. But the hours on the county website are not correct. They're open from 7-7. There's a couple of covered pavilions, a swing set, some other things. Cute and quaint-nice if you're not expecting to get what you would at Larger public park or what's Offered in some cities/states that don't have so many planned communities read more

I make it work...the sunsets here are beautiful. And there are some really cool spots including a lifeguard shed, chair, and really pretty tree. Downsides of this park can be the quality of the water. It's only $2 to get in there's plenty parking, they have camping areas, a boat ramp, playgrounds, shelters and bathrooms. read more

EG Simmons Park - Parks Near Me - Ruskin, Florida

I have camped at E.G. Simmons about 4 times. As a Boy Scout leader I have been to many parks. This one is one of the best maintained and clean parks I have ever seen. The park ranger and his staff will go out of there way to make sure your visit is a good one. I can not say enough about this park. It is one of the hidden gems of Florida. read more