Trail runners and day hikers will want to check out Boyd Hill Nature Preserve. Located on the shores of Lake Maggiore in St. Pete, this treasured 245-acre getaway offers 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 hammock, then trek through the sand pine scrub and pine flatwoods. Also in St. Pete, the 400-acre Sawgrass Lake Park offers 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. Want to journey through one of the last remaining virgin pine forests in the U.S.? Take a hike on the Osprey Trail , located on the gorgeous barrier island that Honeymoon Island State Park calls home. (You guessed it: It’s an ideal place to encounter nesting ospreys.) Winding along the edge of the peninsula, the park’s Pelican Trail treats you to stunning Gulf views and up-close encounters with shorebirds. Every step is an adventure. The largest of its kind in the county, the Brooker Creek 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 bird-watching and the award-winning, state-of-the-art Brooker Creek Preserve Environmental Education Center (a school field trip hot spot). Protecting a mosaic of fragile habitats, the preserve is a great place to see white-tailed deer, bobcats, wild turkey and even otters. Bring a pair of binoculars to Boca Ciega Millen-nium Park, which regularly wins high praise from bird-watchers and has earned a Great Florida Birding Trail designation. Just look around: More than 175 species of our feathered friends regularly hang out on the shores and branches here. The park also features nature-canopied boardwalks and other amenities, including a dog park, a covered children’s playground and a 35-foot wooden observation tower, which offers incredible panoramic views of Boca Ciega Bay. Unwind & Be Kind 6 TIPS FOR VISITING R�SPONSIBLY Lend a hand while you’re visiting St. Pete-Clearwater. Help protect our wildlife and keep our destination beautiful for everyone to enjoy! 1 Help keep America’s PICK UP TRASH: Favorite Beaches beautiful by picking up trash, even if it’s not yours. On any given beach day, the Baskets for Beaches program encour-ages trash pickup with bright yellow baskets. leave nothing but your footprints behind when you visit the beach. Needless to say, the sea turtles aren’t there to clean up your mess. 2 Please be kind and PACK IN, PACK OUT: you're out at the pier or on the beach, please help us keep our destination beautiful by refusing single-use plastics in favor of reusable items such as metal water bottles and straws. 3 PLASTICS: Whether NO SINGLE-USE turtle nesting season, from May 1 through Oct. 31, make it easier for baby sea turtles to find their way to the Gulf by knocking down sandcastles and filling in sand pits at the end of your beach day. 4 TURTLES: During sea SAVE THE SEA super photogenic and are sometimes a tempting shortcut. But they’re also there for a reason – to protect the beach from wind erosion. 5 Sand dunes can be WHAT’S OFF-LIMITS: outside of a designated no-wake zone, you should still watch your speed in case a manatee wanders into your path. Trust us when we say that they are not built for speed. 6 When you’re boating BE A GOOD BOATER: VISITSPC .COM 55
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