We are usually in St. Pete Beach every January for a conference, and this was our second visit to Boyd Hill Nature Preserve. There are many trails to explore, all well-maintained, and there is always plenty of wildlife to see, including alligators (we saw one with 4 offspring today), anhingas, and really awesome osprey that nest there successfully every year. A really great non-touristy attraction a bit off the beaten track.
Want something a little different than the beach scene? There are trails through different habitats here with something around every corner. There is a little island that is really neat to sit and watch the birds and view St Petersburg.Nice gift shop. Staff friendly.They have an aviary with birds of prey that cannot be released into the wild. Includes Eagles, Owls and Hawks.Admission is 3$ and is a great value. You can spend 4 hours here easily.
It is far more interesting than the sunken garden, but closed Monday for your inconvenience. Lovely lakeshore, helpful staff, nice gift shop, gators, even a bird zoo, called an aviary. No food, so bring a sandwich.
Boyd Hill is a large piece of parkland and lake within the city. It encompasses several Florida geographic features, from sandy drylands to a lake -- yep, the gators sometimes venture on to the shore to sun themselves. On various walking trails, you might see everything from armadillos to owls, gopher tortoises to poisonous snakes. Check the local newspaper, the Tampa Bay Times, for ranger-led events.
I'm not really a beach person and I like to be active in nature. The Boyd Hill Nature Park was a very short car ride from downtown St. Pete, on the western shore of Lake Maggiore. In 2014, this lake got cleaned up from too much storm water runoff and sediment, motorized boating got halted, and lots of native plants and wildlife got a new chance of a more natural habitat. Tread softly, listen quietly, and enjoy nature's surprises.The Main Trail is less than a mile, and there are plenty of other walking loops that you can branch off. We enjoyed bird watching, ospreys, grey heron, anhingas, mudhens. We chanced on a family of raccoons sauntering along the wooden boardwalk through the mangroves. And we did a double-take when we realized that we were standing just about six feet above a giant alligator, sunning itself at the water's edge. (The park ranger told us later, that this was alligator Mom who's tending to her hatchlings for a couple of months. - I learned something new, wow.)There are a couple of intriguing sculptures in the park that are enchanting. The Ranger station is nicely appointed and fun to browse through with children. There are also some impressive raptor birds in the aviary (injured rescued birds from the wild) that are treated with respect and care. Check out the calendar for special events, from Astronomy night, to Raptors weekend.Lots to see for young and old nature lovers. And check out other nearby parks, on the website links.
We were really looking forward to this visit but, as the driver hadn't turned up to negotiate the tram ride (and one of our party lacking energy for the exploration by foot, plus the tardy sharing of information by the staff) we have had to rely on the exhibition and generous brochures.You should know that there are 24 acres that we might have explored (and hope to, in the future) and that the tram ride would have cost $2 plus the cost of $3 admission,and that it's closed on Mondays!On the subject of alligators, it's VERY unwise to go closer than 60 feet, if you spot an alligator ( and you should never, ever offer them titbits); and there are many ways of minimising ways of conflict with venomous snakes.Boyd Hill is "hot" on safety!It also offers a very interesting range of events and talks, in the evenings and is home to what so many British children lack in schools: a Junior Gardening Club.You can also hire bikes.Despite my somewhat negative comments on the lack of info passed on by the staff, it's one of those local "gems."And had Bill been feeling better, we'd have got on the bikes, for sure! As it was, another experience that we will cherish was awaiting us!
Had a great time walking around and seeing the wildlife. We sae a racoon chasing the geckos, a gopher tortoise, and a few other things. Beautiful place to visit :)
We love nature and so we were pleased when this park was so close to where we were staying. The trails are well kept and the kids park is second to none. This was our go to place to see gators daily. They are huge and come very close to the walkways so the signs about gator watching out are correct. Everytime we went we would see anywhere from one to three. This was also a great area to check out some of the natural birds of the area. We saw our first duck billed flamingo here. There is a putting green and small jogging trail, and picnic area as well. Lovely park for entire family.
Our family of 8 enjoyed an afternoon walk at Boyd Hill Nature Park. Being from Ohio, I enjoying searching for gators and observing Florida water fowl in a natural setting. The paths were not paved but we such that I could push a stroller without trouble. A nature play area (logs to climb on, forts to build with sticks, etc) for the kids would be a nice addition. The area we drove through approaching the park looked a tad sketchy but once there I felt safe. We even had a picnic in the area out front which had a traditional playground for the kiddos. There was a nominal admission fee but I was fine with that as it went to help support the facility's bird rescue and recovery efforts.
I am not a hiker, so the trails here were perfect for me. Be sure to take the tour. Our guide was amazing - she loved what she was doing and made the sights exciting to see. The price is great too.