Outdoors VisitSPC.com/Outdoors JOHN CHESNUT SR. PARK On Land While we love our water-based activities down here, we’re also huge fans of lacing up our boots and exploring the numerous parks, trails and wildlife preserves our area has to offer — from hiking and biking to camping and birdwatching. It’s wild out there. Extending from St. Pete to Tarpon Springs, the Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail has long been a favorite of locals and visitors alike. Craftily fashioned along an abandoned railroad corridor, it is one of several of the 75+ miles of trails connecting numerous captivating cities in the region – including Dunedin, Palm Harbor and Tarpon Springs, whose vibrant shops, cafes and brewpubs each offer tempting detours. Bike, jog, skate or walk across dozens of NORTH SHORE PARK pedestrian bridges with sweeping views of all the urban, suburban and natural settings. Embarking at Maximo Park in south St. Pete and eventually connecting to the Pinellas Trail, the Skyway Trail Extension offers a scenic passage through diverse landscapes. This trail’s main attraction is the dazzling Clam Bayou Nature Park waterfront in Gulfport, which it passes through via bridges and beautifully landscaped trailways. The park also has a fishing pier — a beautiful spot to catch snook, redfish and trout. You can trek through the site of a scenic former Native American settlement at Philippe Park in Safety Harbor. The park spans across 160 acres of land purchased in 1842, and is home to an ancient Tocobaga temple mound (a national historic site). The trail offers stunning views of Old Tampa Bay, plus coastal mangroves, nature trails, playgrounds and a tiny beach. Palm Harbor’s expansive and shaded John Chesnut Sr. Park features a 2.7-mile multi-use nature trail that winds through lush canopies, marshes and over boardwalks — perfect for jogging, walking or cycling. If you want to take in some spectacular views of downtown St. Pete’s waterfront, ride the paved 6.5-mile North Bay Trail , which passes by the iconic St. Pete Pier, Vinoy Park , North Shore Park and Coffee Pot Bayou Park . Boyd Hill Nature Preserve has become a treasured getaway for trail runners and day hikers. Located on the shores of Lake Maggiore in St. Pete, this 245-acre preserve has 6 miles of nature trails and boardwalks that provide a serene escape from the otherwise densely populated area just outside its borders. Start your hike in a hardwood ham-mock, then trek through the sand pine scrub and pine flatwoods. The exhibits within the Lake Maggiore Environmental Education Center can give you additional context and insight about the environment you’re hiking through. Also in St. Pete, the 400-acre Sawgrass Lake Park offers a mile of elevated boardwalk and trail loops that meander through one of the largest maple swamps on Florida’s Gulf Coast. You’ll need to leave the pups at home, though – dogs aren’t allowed in the park. Traverse through the gorgeous barrier island that Honeymoon Island State Park calls home by taking a hike on the Osprey Trail . The 3-mile trail twists and turns through one of the last remaining virgin pine forests in the U.S. – and, as you likely guessed, it’s an ideal place to encounter nesting ospreys. The park’s Pelican Trail works its way around the edge of the peninsula along the Gulf of Mexico, offering glimpses of shorebirds and unforgettable water views. The largest of its kind in the county, the Brooker Creek Nature Preserve showcases nearly 9,000 acres of forested wetlands and pine flatwoods. Located in Tarpon Springs, Brooker Creek is home to nearly 5 miles of wildflower-adorned trails, stellar birdwatching and the award-winning, state-of-the-BEST WALK IN THE PARK SUNKEN GARDENS, ST . PETE Florida Botanical Gardens, Largo Philippe Park, Safety Harbor Brooker Creek Preserve, Tarpon Springs Boyd Hill Nature Preserve, St . Pete 54 AMERICA’S BEST BEACHES
Gulf To Bay St. Pete Clearwater FL Gulf To Bay 2024: Page 54
