boyd hill nature preserve

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.

A beautiful sanctuary so close to downtown St Petersburg. Beautiful well marked trails on easily transversed flat terrain and boardwalks. Multiple species of birds and wildlife.Best of all the staff are highly knowledgable and are more than happy to share their knowledge about the habitat with you.

My son and daughter in law took me here with their kids (7 and almost 10), and I can't believe how gorgeous it is! I never even knew it existed until my grandson went there for a field trip! Thankfully, it wasn't too hot today and we could really enjoy being outside following the trails. I don't think it would be as enjoyable on a hot day, so I'd consider the temperature before venturing here. I think this is a great place for all ages. Serene and peaceful place to get away for adults, but plenty of wildlife and natural beauty to keep the kids interested without their Ipads! There's a small little museum inside and some birds of prey along the trail in large cages the the 9 year old couldn't stop talking about. Definitely worth the trip, but I'd bring some insect repellant just in case.

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.

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.

This place is amazing. Such a diverse nature reserve so close to the city. The raptors which are being cared for are wonderful to be see up close. In the rest of the park, you never know what you might see - alligators, otters, numerous types of birds etc. Worth the visit. Various lengths of trails to walk.

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.

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'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.

Beautiful nature preserve in the heart of the city with native plants and animals. Unfortunately, didn't spot any gators, but still a great experience!

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!

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.

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 day was definitely well spent at Boyd Hill Nature Park. Even though it was raining a little the day we went, it was a wonderful trip. To get on the property you have to go through their main building and pay a very cheap fee ($3 per adult). There are raptors outside that cannot survive in the wild and permanently live at the park where you can see them up close! The park itself has many trails and they make a great walk. Even though it was a dreary day we saw lots of birds, a HUGE alligator in the water, and even a few juvenile raccoons (that ran away as soon as they saw us). We went on a day where it was very empty and we had the entire park to ourselves. There are many different habitats to walk through, and each is a nice view into nature. It is a beautiful untouched nature park in the middle of St. Petersburg. Be sure to make time to stop by here! I bet it is even prettier on a sunny day!