Ballast Point Park

Ballast Point is the free city park down on the west shore of Hillsborough Bay, with the downtown Tampa skyline across the water and some of the best sunrise views in the city. The single-lane ramp has a boarding dock you can tie to for free, and a board slides in easily right beside it. This is open bay water, though, so the calm at the dock disappears once you clear the seawall, and a south wind stacks up a real chop. One thing to plan around: the long 600-foot pier and the old fitness center have been closed since spring 2025 after Helene and Milton tore them up, so the pier fishing the park is known for is out for now. The park itself is fully built out, with a splash pad, playground, picnic shelters, a bait shop, and a waterfront restaurant, so it is an easy place to make a morning of. Parking is tight, so come early on a nice weekend.

Where do I park, and is it free?

Cost

Free

Parking

Ample

Restrooms

yes

Free city park with a pier and an on-site ramp/slip on Hillsborough Bay.

How clear is the water?

Open bay water on the west shore.

What will I see?

• Brown pelicans on the pilings and herons and egrets along the seawall, easy casual birdwatching
• Dolphins working Hillsborough Bay, often within sight of the launch
• The odd manatee grazes through the bay shallows in the warmer months
• Snook and redfish along the seawalls, trout out on the flats

What's the fishing like?

Hillsborough Bay: snook and redfish along the seawalls, trout on the flats, sheepshead and mangrove snapper off the pier.

How do I share the water here?

Hillsborough Bay is recovering water, and the grass flats just off the seawall are the nursery for the snook and redfish people come here to catch. Keep off the shallow grass at low tide, obey the posted manatee and idle-speed zones out in the bay, and if you fish, carry every scrap of line out: the pelicans that perch on these pilings get tangled in what gets left behind.