Clearwater Beach

Exploring Clearwater Beach

Central to Pinellas County and easy to reach from both the Tampa International Airport and downtown Tampa, Clearwater Beach has long been a getaway for sunseekers in the Tampa Bay area.

Along both barrier islands and the peninsula just across the bridge, scattered county parks, city parks, and natural areas offer immersion in natural habitats perfect for short hikes and birding.

The north end of Clearwater Beach is defined by Caladesi Island State Park, no longer an island since Tarpon Pass silted in long ago. A lengthy beach walk leads to the trail system there.

Nature parks like Eagle Lake and Moccasin Lake are connected to a larger network of parks via paved bike paths, which in turn tie to the Pinellas Trail, part of the state-crossing Florida Coast to Coast Trail.

Trails and Parks near Clearwater Beach

Boca Ciega Millennium Park With its highlight an observation tower providing you a sweeping view of Boca Ciega Bay, Boca Ciega Millenium Park is a popular family-friendly getaway in Pinellas County.

Caladesi Island State Park Protecting a windswept shoreline and a variety of habitats on a barrier island, Caladesi Island State Park is one of the gems of the Florida State Parks system.

Caladesi Island Trail On the Island Trail, discover how virgin pines and mangrove swamps define the wild side of Caladesi Island, a slender barrier island north of Clearwater Beach.

Eagle Lake Park Now an urban forest in the heart of Pinellas County, Eagle Lake Park is the legacy of the Taylor family, early citrus growers who helped to found Largo

Florida Botanical Gardens Walk through the garden gates into a wonderland of sensory stimulation. With nearly 180 acres in the heart of Largo, the Florida Botanical Gardens is a place for peaceful immersion.

George McGough Nature Park Introduce the kids to nature at George McGough Nature Park in Largo, where they can feed turtles, watch hawks, and bound along a bouncy accessible trail through a coastal forest.

Honeymoon Island Nature Trails On a barrier island just north of Clearwater Beach, the Osprey and Pelican Trails at Honeymoon Island State Park offers a close-up look at a rookery of ospreys.

Honeymoon Island State Park An offshore getaway accessible by car, bike, or paddle, Honeymoon Island State Park offers white sand beaches along the Gulf of Mexico.

James E Grey Preserve Hugging the shores of the winding Pithlachascotee River, James E. Grey Preserve follows its natural shorelines with an extensive accessible boardwalk.

John Chesnut Sr. Park Weaving through floodplain forests and cypress swamps, the boardwalks and trails of John Chesnut Sr. Park add a place to pause for wildlife along a wild shoreline on Lake Tarpon.

John R. Bonner Nature Park A hidden gem surrounded by neighborhoods, John R. Bonner Nature Park offers excellent birding opportunities along short loop trails and a scenic boardwalk.

Moccasin Lake Nature Park Savor a sliver of native habitats preserved in the heart of busy Clearwater under the cloak of a shady forest when you visit Moccasin Lake Nature Park and its environmental education center.

Pinellas Trail A paved ribbon stretching the length of Pinellas County from St. Petersburg to Tarpon Springs, the Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail provides nearly 38 miles of low-stress cruising.

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