pinellas county parks
Pinellas County Florida Botanical Gardens
Pinellas County Florida Botanical Gardens is located in Largo Florida. Here you can wander through over 30 acres of cultivated gardens and view the wildlife in the 90 acres that are kept in their natural, wild state.
The cultivated gardens include a herb garden, palm garden, tropical fruit garden, patio garden, butterfly garden, succulent garden, bromeliad garden, native plants garden and a seasonal plantings display area. In addition to that, there is a beautiful wedding garden as well as a tropical courtyard.
Naturally, a botanical garden down here in Florida would not be complete without an aquatic habitat demonstration area with a large retention pond complete with water lilies and alligators. There are also sixty acres that were once used for agriculture and are now being restored to it’s natural state. Volunteers are available to answer your questions throughout the park. There is also a gift shop and an information center where you can bring in plants or soil to receive guidance on your own garden.
Pinellas County Florida Botanical Gardens is adjacent to both the Florida Gulf Coast Center for Fishing (with their interactive museum) and Heritage Village (28 historic structures dating back to the 19th century). This is the perfect destination for the entire family! The botanical gardens are open seven days a week.
Mobbly Bayou Wilderness Preserve North & South – Oldsmar Florida
Mobbly Bayou Wilderness Preserve has two sections: Mobbly Bayou South Support Area and Mobbly Bayou North Support Area. Both of these wonderful waterfront parks are directly on Tampa Bay and both are in Oldsmar Florida. Here you will learn about both.
Mobbly Bayou South Support Area is located at the eastern end of Shore Drive, directly on Tampa Bay. This great park has a beach, picnic shelters and restrooms. It is an extremely popular destination to take the kids for a picnic and romp on the beach of Tampa Bay.
Mobbly Bayou North Support Area is located off Lafayette Blvd in Oldsmar. There is a great kayak launch area in this park. From here you can travel east in your kayak to the Upper Tampa Bay Park and return on the scenic route via Mullet Creek. This is a great opportunity to enjoy the mangroves and birds along our coastline. This park is also popular with those who enjoy fishing from the shoreline. Mobbly Bayou Wilderness Preserve North Support Area also has picnic shelters and restroom facilities as well as a large playground for the kids.
Oldsmar Florida is growing! Convenient to both Tampa and the Gulf Beaches, it has great schools and is close to top rated medical facilities.
R.E. Olds Park – Oldsmar Florida
R. E. Olds Park in Oldsmar Florida was named after Ransom E. Olds, who was the founder of Oldsmobile and REO cars. In 1913 R.E. Olds purchased 37,541 acres of land on the northern shores of Tampa Bay and named the area “R.E. Olds-on-the-Bay”. The area became known as Oldsmar in 1937, when the town’s name was officially changed.
Back when Olds built the city, there were no bridges across Tampa Bay. The only way from Tampa to St Petersburg was to come through Oldsmar. Olds had many plans for the town, including a banana plantation, horse track and a casino with a major hotel. Tampa Bay Downs has become a major attraction, bringing tourists and their horses down to Oldsmar during the winter months. It is the only Thoroughbred race track on Florida’s West Coast and is one of America’s oldest race tracks.
Today R.E. Olds Park is frequented throughout the week since it offers hiking trails directly on Tampa Bay, a great fishing pier, several playgrounds, sand volleyball area, fitness equipment, restrooms, an open amphitheater, picnic shelters and fantastic views of Tampa Bay. From the shores of R.E. Olds Park you can see Philippi Park across the bay over in Safety Harbor.
R.E. Olds Park is one of several great parks located in the town of Oldsmar Florida. Convenient to both Tampa and the Gulf Beaches, the town of Oldsmar is growing. Here you will find excellent public schools and lovely communities.
Wall Springs Park – Palm Harbor Florida
Wall Springs Park is located right on the shore of the Gulf of Mexico in beautiful Palm Harbor Florida. Wall Springs Park is a natural spring that was once a bathing and spa area for wealthy northerners. Charles Wall purchased the property in 1884 and it was used as a spa retreat until the 1960’s. Pinellas County began purchasing the property with the goal of making a large park and today the park comprises 210 acres. 
Wall Springs Park, located between Crystal Beach and Tarpon Springs, is a favorite destination of locals. Accessible from the Pinellas Trail as well as by car, this great county park offers five picnic and grill shelters that can be reserved for parties. In addition to the shelters, there are restroom facilities, wonderful nature trails, boardwalks, an observation tower, fishing piers, playground, butterfly garden and a historical area explaining about the history of the park. If you are planning on fishing in the park, remember that here in Florida you must have a fishing license, even if fishing from shore.
The spring in the center of the park comes from the Upper Florida Aquifer. The average water flow from the spring is 2,917 gallons of water per minute and the spring’s temperature is a pretty constant 74 degrees. Swimming is no longer allowed in the spring and neither is fishing. Here you can see not only some of the largest mullet you will ever encounter, but also snook, redfish, sheephead, needlefish, white bait and of course otter and a wide variety of tropical birds. The fish seem to know that as long as they are in the main spring area, they are safe from fishermen. Naturally, since the spring and Boggy Bayou are connected you have a great chance of catching plenty of fish from the park’s fishing docks that are on Boggy Bayou.
We are indeed lucky to have Wall Springs Park here in Palm Harbor Florida. It is a popular family destination for all who live in the area.
Eagle Lake Park – Largo Florida
Eagle Lake Park located on Keene Road in Largo Florida is a beautiful 163-acre park that once belonged to the Taylor family. This pioneering family raised cattle and had orange groves. Many of these trees are still growing in the park.
Pinellas County purchased two sections which now comprise the park back in 1998 and 2006. Now county park-goes can enjoy the picnic shelters, playground, fishing piers and miles of hiking trails. The fishing is catch and release only.
Here you can also bring man’s best friend and let your pet romp in the enclosed dog park with other visitor’s pets. Outside of the enclosed dog park, dogs must be on a leash at all times.
This natural habitat includes over 2,000 feet of well maintained boardwalks over beautifully restored wetlands. Convenient to both north and central Pinellas County, Eagle Lake Park is a popular destination for locals to hold birthday parties, family outings and even morning yoga classes. One of the things I love about Eagle Lake Park is how the turtles come swimming up to the piers, obviously awaiting handouts. That makes photographing these marvelous creatures ever so easy!
Eagle Lake Park runs from Belleair Road to the north all the way to Rosery Road to the south and is a real treasure for the neighboring communities!
John Chesnut Park On The Eastern Shores Of Lake Tarpon – Palm Harbor Florida
John Chesnut Park is located on the eastern shore of Lake Tarpon in beautiful Palm Harbor Florida.
This 255 acre waterfront park was built in cooperation with the US Army Corps of Engineers. Home to three fantastic nature trails, playgrounds, picnic areas, picnic shelters, restroom facilities, a horse shoe pit, fenced in doggie park and a public boat ramp with access to Lake Tarpon, this is one park you don’t want to miss!
Lake Tarpon is five miles long and over a mile wide. It is home to large bass as well as our Florida gator. Fishermen love fishing this lake but remember that you do need a Florida fishing license to fish from shore or boat.
The park is also home to deer, raccoon, hawks, osprey and many other creatures. With miles of boardwalk along the shores of the lake and through the swamp areas that connect to other hiking trails, this park offers enjoyment for the entire family. Just remember to bring your camera so you can capture memories you will never forget!
John Chesnut Park is one of several magnificent local parks here in Pinellas County Florida.