sawgrass lake park

My husband and I had an opportunity to visit the park today. It is free with great shade, views of the lake, baby gators and wooded area. The boardwalk is long and takes you to different points on the lake. The view from the tower was pretty and all the people were very nice.

We visited a few parks this trip that we had to pay to go into, and none of them compare to this beautiful FREE park. The boardwalk is easy to walk on, we saw alligators and got great pictures. The grounds are spectacular with beautiful bushes, flowers and trees. It has many picnic tables on the grounds and it was very serene. It was our favourite park and hope to get back here again.

My wife and I took our two year old here for the morning. We walked the boardwalks for a few hours. We were excited to see an alligator even though it was so cold. The place is well kept and maintained. Lots of birds to look at. The best part is it is free to get in!

Big nature park with many trails on boardwalks and on the ground. You will see many wild birds and other animals, including alligators. Located off 62nd Ave N adjacent to I-275,

Just beyond the northern edge of St. Petersburg, Sawgrass Lake charms with its silence amid pines, oaks and cypress. It has an elevated wooden boardwalk -- you wouldn't bring peanuts to leave on the handrails for the squirrels, would you? Among other destinations, the boardwalk leads to a fine, two-story viewing platform over the lake. You'll likely see alligators, might even see a (non-poisonous) corn snake working its way up the pilings.

Great free place to go and see nature and of course gators the kids love looking for them. Very peaceful. Take the path on the left and follow the creek keep an eye out for critters.

A nice spot to get some nature photos and just take a leisurely walk. They have clean restrooms and an elevated trail to keep you from becoming gator food.

the boardwalk was relaxing and the kids likes seeing the alligators, birds and most importantly, one way in and out so they could run ahead.

The elevated boardwalk trails allow you to relax and not feel as if you are going to blunder into an alligator. We did see a big orb weaver spider resting in its web but this was suspended well above head-height and posed zero threat. We saw anhinga, white ibis, a limpkin, and herons. Also spotted some young alligators and a fish that looked like a gar of some kind. Many plants to see, including some truly impressive ferns. We were really interested to find dozens of empty apple snail shells near the edge of one of the ponds. Must be a regular dining spot for one of the resident critters! Look closely and you might see a bubble-gum-like cluster of apple snail eggs on vegetation near the water. The eggs are salmon pink in color. The observation tower at the end of the Sawgrass trail swayed as if its bolts needed to be tightened. Probably not an actual safety concern but still a little unnerving. The lake view from the tower was disappointing but I understand that it's a work in progress. Don't count on a lot of cooling breezes while walking the trails. It was hot and sticky during our October visit. Overall, it was a nice visit but not my favorite area park.

When the day comes that you just have to get outdoors for a walk, this is the place. Very nice boardwalk paths out to a tower overlooking a lake. We saw baby gators, one turtle, and a few birds. We didn't take the longer trail so I can't comment on that. The main building has restrooms and some taxidermied animals. There were picnic benches and you can bring leashed dogs. It was very quiet and serene.

Spent three hours walking the trails bird watching. Also viewed tortise and baby alligators. Viewing stand was nice.

It is a birds watchers paradise, we saw a lot of different varieties of birds. Plus we saw baby alligators being their normal selves in the muddy waters. On one of the paths we saw a marsh rabbit which was more than happy to be photographed and a gopher tortoise was right by the car park. The wildlife is what we went to see and we got to see it and all for free.Nice easy walking paths and beautiful big trees.My only disappointment was that you could hear & see the traffic on I-275.

There is a gun practice range very close to park. You can hear constant gunfire while you're there, it ruins the experience and certainly made me very nervous. I thought several times that I could hear bullets go past me.

Although not a destination in itself, and not easy to find, it is well worth the effort if you are in the area.We had a few hours to kill before we returned to Tampa airport, so we rolled this into the travel plans. We are so glad we did!This is a well maintained state park with boardwalk style trails through a near-coast mixed environment. We spent two hours , that included a picnic lunch and hikes that included alligators various birds including various shorebirds, and a walk through territory that feels a bit .... primordial. (at least in portions)If you are in the area, add it to your list!

I go there for a change of venue for my daily hike. Some paved trails, some unpaved. If you enjoy a quiet, peaceful stroll with or without your pet, this is the place!