The City of St. Petersburg strives to preserve its natural beauty by maintaining more than 125 parks for its citizens. Most notable of the parks are Weedon Island Preserve, a 626-acre conservation area with more than 2 miles of trails and a 50-foot observation tower; the 205-acre Boyd Hill Nature Park offering many educational programs throughout the year; and Sunken Gardens, a tropical botanical gardens featuring exotic plants, tropical birds and a butterfly aviary. One of St. Petersburg's most unique attributes is a 7-mile long downtown waterfront park system. When you're ready to hit the water, visit one of the area's nationally-ranked beaches at Fort De Soto Park or Caladesi Island - both consistently in the Top 10 Best Beaches Worldwide. Area beaches are also recent winners of the Blue Wave award, a national award recognizing outstanding environmentally friendly beaches. Boaters can dock at the southeast's largest public marina, located in Downtown St. Petersburg, or join one of the area's nine yacht clubs. Residents also enjoy hiking and biking on the 47-mile Pinellas Trail - the longest urban linear trail in the eastern U.S., golfing on more than 40 courses, deep-sea fishing and a variety of other recreational activities.
- Visit the City of St Petersburg Parks Department
- Visit the City of St. Petersburg Bicycle and Pedestrian home page
- Visit the City of St Petersburg Recreation Department
- Visit the Sunken Gardens web site