Parks and preserves in St. Petersburg/Clearwater -- Florida's Beach - Official Travel Site for the St. Petersburg & Clearwater Area America's #1 Beach


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Park Places

From far-flung islands to intimate city squares you'll uncover the secrets of St. Petersburg/Clearwater by visiting our parks and preserves.

City Views
These unique local parks show off the personalities of the towns and cities of Florida's Beach. Click here for a complete listing of area parks.

Largo Central Park
In Largo's 70-acre Central Park you'll hear the sound of a train whistle rounding up children and the young at heart. The community park is home to the Largo Central Railroad group, which maintains 1.2 miles of track where they run the miniature train line. The public is invited to take a ride on the large scale models the first full weekend of each month.

Surrounded by the public library and the performing arts center, the park is often busy with community activities, including concerts in the tree-filled town center.

Sunshine Skyway State Park
Set at the southern end of Florida's Beach, the Sunshine Skyway State Park is home to the world's longest fishing pier. On both the north and south sides of Tampa Bay, remnants of the old Skyway Bridge have been converted into 24-hour piers. Fishermen angling for snook, tarpon and mackerel line their cars on the pier at all hours and concession and bait shops are open continuously as well.

Straub and Vinoy

Parks
In downtown St. Petersburg you'll find two city parks. Straub Park is the smaller of the two, set between the north and southbound lanes of Beach Drive. Weddings are often held here overlooking the bay front, and with the Museum of Fine Arts and numerous stores and restaurants surrounding the park, you can spend the entire day here exploring. Just a few hundred yards away, Vinoy Park provides a sprawling green lawn popular for picnics and area festivals. From the shaded sea wall you'll have an open view of Tampa Bay.

Pinellas Trail
To finds the ins and outs of other parks throughout St. Petersburg/Clearwater, use the 34-mile Pinellas Trail, which links all of our communities. The paved corridor safely brings cyclists, joggers and in-line skaters to parks, preserves and downtowns. For Trail information, click here.

Castaway Islands
If you've ever dreamed of having your own private, pristine island, your fantasy can be realized (safely) at these island parks that are accessible only by boat. A list of charters visiting the parks is available here. Plan for at least a half day to explore each park.

Egmont Key
Set on a tiny island at the opening of Tampa Bay, Egmont Key is a favorite spot for local boaters.

Start the morning with a tour of the island that

saw action during the Seminole War, the Civil War and the Spanish-American War. There are 100-year-old brick roads that lead to gun batteries built in 1898 and a 150-year-old working lighthouse. Storms damaged the original 1848 lighthouse, but the current 87-foot tower has withstood hurricanes and weathering since 1858.

After touring the historic sites and nature trails, enjoy a swim, snorkeling or fishing.

Caladesi Island
Caladesi Island's natural white sandy beaches lined with driftwood and seashells consistently rank among the top beaches in the United States. In 2006 the island park that is located a mile off shore was voted the second best beach in the United States by Stephen Leatherman, a.k.a. Dr. Beach.

To reach Caladesi, take a ferry from nearby Honeymoon Island State Park located at the end of SR 586 or bring your own boat and dock at the park's marina. There are three miles of nature trails on the barrier island as well as a kayak trail that darts between the mangrove canopies of the interior and bay side of the island. A snack bar and a gift shop on the island make it easy to enjoy the secluded paradise.

Anclote Key Preserve State Park
The most remote of the island parks, Anclote Key Preserve State Park is found about three miles off the coast of Tarpon Springs. The wildlife sanctuary is a prime birding spot with 43 species of birds identified on the island.
Campers should plan to spend the night on the island at a primitive site and enjoy the sun setting behind the 19th Century lighthouse at the southern end of the island. In the morning, walk the four-mile beach and watch osprey and bald eagles hunt for breakfast in the surf.