St. Pete's waterfront parks, five city beaches, six dog parks, eight boat ramps and the 400-acre Boyd Hill Nature Preserve. Parks and Rec: 727-893-7441.

Last checked Oct. 10, 2026. Facts on this page come from St. Petersburg Parks and Recreation. Updated when the city changes hours or facilities.

St. Petersburg’s parks run from a string of public waterfront parks along downtown’s Tampa Bay shore to the 400-acre Boyd Hill Nature Preserve in the south of the city. St. Petersburg Parks and Recreation runs them, along with beaches, dog parks, boat ramps, pools and recreation centers.

Who to call

The downtown waterfront

Downtown’s shoreline is a chain of city parks, per the city’s downtown waterfront page, listed here south to north:

  • Albert Whitted Park, 480 Bayshore Drive SE
  • Demens Landing Park, Bayshore Drive and 2nd Avenue S, with a boat ramp
  • South Straub Park, 198 Bayshore Drive NE, and North Straub Park, 400 Bayshore Drive NE, home of the city Christmas tree
  • Spa Beach Park, 615 2nd Ave. NE, on the St. Pete Pier
  • Vinoy Park, 701 Bayshore Drive NE
  • North Shore Park, 901 North Shore Drive NE, with a beach and a dog park
  • Elva Rouse Park, Flora Wylie Park and the Gizella Kopsick Palm Arboretum along North Shore Drive at 11th to 13th avenues NE

Pioneer Park at Central Avenue and Beach Drive and Poynter Park, 1000 3rd St. S, round out the list.

Beaches

From the city’s beaches page:

Beach Where
Spa Beach Park 600 2nd Ave. NE, on the St. Pete Pier
North Shore Beach 901 North Shore Drive NE
Lassing Park Beach 2042 Beach Drive SE
Maximo Park Beach Sunshine Skyway Lane S and Pinellas Point Drive S
St. Petersburg Municipal Beach 11260 Gulf Blvd., Treasure Island

The Gulf beach is the city-owned beach in Treasure Island, about eight miles west.

Nature preserves

  • Boyd Hill Nature Preserve, 1101 Country Club Way S. The preserve spans 400 acres and connects to Lake Maggiore, with trails through habitat for gopher tortoises, alligators and marsh rabbits. The nature center’s exhibits are closed for renovation, but the preserve and trails are open. An annual trail pass is $30 for one person or $50 for a family, half off with a Friends of Boyd Hill membership. It also has the Pinellas Pioneer Settlement and the Terry Tomalin Campground. See the Boyd Hill page.
  • Clam Bayou Nature Preserve, 4099 34th Ave. S, with mangrove-lined waterways that Boyd Hill staff lead kayak tours through.
  • Lake Maggiore Park, 3601 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. S.
  • Maximo Park, at the Sunshine Skyway end of Pinellas Point Drive S.
  • Abercrombie Park, Park Street and 38th Avenue N, which the city lists as an archaeological site; Jungle Prada de Narvaez Park, Park Street N and Elbow Lane N; Broadwaters Park and Forrest Bluff Park.

Dog parks

Six city dog parks, open 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset:

  • Coquina Key, 3595 Locust St. SE
  • Crescent Lake, 1320 5th St. N
  • Kenwood Park, 401 20th St. N
  • Lake Vista Park, 1401 62nd Ave. S
  • North Shore, 901 North Shore Drive NE
  • Walter Fuller, 7901 30th Ave. N

Each closes for weekly maintenance on a posted schedule. The rules on the city’s dog parks page: pick up after your dog, stay in the park and in sight of it, leash in and out, voice control at all times, no aggressive dogs, and fill in any holes your dog digs.

Boat ramps

City ramps, per the boat ramps page: Crisp Park (37th Avenue NE and Poplar Street NE), Demens Landing (Bayshore Drive and 2nd Avenue S), Grandview Park (6th Street S and 39th Avenue S), Jungle Prada de Narvaez (Park Street N and Elbow Lane N), Lake Maggiore Park (9th Street S and 40th Avenue S), Maximo Park (34th Street S and Pinellas Point Drive S), Northeast Exchange Club Coffee Pot Park (1st Street NE and 31st Avenue NE) and Sunlit Cove (2nd Street NE and Sunlit Cove Drive NE).

Skate parks

St. Petersburg Regional Skatepark, 1360 5th Ave. S; Lake Vista Skatepark, 1401 62nd Ave. S; and a skate park at Fossil Park, 6635 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. N.

Trails and biking

The city’s CityTrails network covers bike lanes, routes, recreational trails and sidewalks; the cycling and walking page links the city bike map. The League of American Bicyclists rates St. Pete a Silver-level Bicycle Friendly City. A few city rules: you may ride on sidewalks unless signs say no but must not block people walking, and city residents are required to register their bikes with the Police Department. The new shared-use path across the Howard Frankland Bridge links St. Pete to Tampa; see road construction.

What this means for you

  • Boyd Hill is the city’s big nature escape; buy an annual pass if you will go often.
  • Check a dog park’s maintenance day before you go.
  • Watch the Fourth of July and New Year’s fireworks from the downtown waterfront parks.

More: things to do this month, farmers markets and getting around.

Frequently asked questions

What are the dog parks in St. Petersburg?

The city runs six: Coquina Key, Crescent Lake, Kenwood, Lake Vista, North Shore and Walter Fuller. They open 30 minutes before sunrise and close 30 minutes after sunset, with weekly maintenance closures.

Does St. Petersburg have city beaches?

Yes: Spa Beach on the St. Pete Pier, North Shore Beach, Lassing Park Beach and Maximo Park Beach, plus the St. Petersburg Municipal Beach at 11260 Gulf Blvd. in Treasure Island.

How much is a Boyd Hill Nature Preserve trail pass?

An annual trail pass is $30 for an individual or $50 for a family, with half off when bought with a Friends of Boyd Hill membership.

Where are the boat ramps in St. Petersburg?

City ramps include Crisp Park, Demens Landing, Grandview Park, Jungle Prada de Narvaez, Lake Maggiore, Maximo Park, Coffee Pot Park and Sunlit Cove.