North Anclote River Nature Park

Walked part of this with my dog and we really enjoyed it. We didn't get to see the entire thing, there were quite a few trails, but where we did walk was really nice. There's a nice little spot with a pier to fish off of, bathrooms at the very beginning of the trail, along with a little playground. Dogs are welcome, but make sure to go early or when it's not too hot (and make sure you feel the sand, yourself, before having your furbabe walk on it) because the sand you walk on through the trails does get really hot, so the one day we actually had to go home and come back another day, early in the morning, bc it was too hot for the pup's feet.

This park is a community trust park. It is observation decks furthest out pilons needing replacement and shut down. This doesn't take away from calm magic of the tidal basin of anclote river. Find turtles, birds (including parrots), and wilater wildlife. The trail isn't too long and approachable doing all loops in about 45-60 minutes. The parking lot can hold ~25 cars. Bathroom available in parking area and water fountain. Don't count on trail based restrooms, park employees don't seem to open them. Was a great place to stretch out legs and get outdoors. Appreciate the community investment and conservation of the region.

This is my #1 go-to park for hiking. It has rough, natural trails to hike along with water views. The park trails lead to other paved hiking trails. The Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail and the newer Elfer’s Spur trail that connects to Coastal Anclote Trail in Pasco county effectively connecting it to 3 other parks and lots more nature!

A Diamond of a park tucked away from the town, don’t let the entrance deceive you, or the pictures, the playground and park is actually huge! There’s two playgrounds to play on for the little ones and my twins really loved it! Not very busy at all when it comes to the playgrounds, so that was a plus. I recommend bringing bug spray though because those noseeums are ruthless! There is a public restroom, swings, and a trail with docks and observation towers which we didn’t explore this time but definitely will next time! Dog friendly too, definitely recommend this park for families. So much beauty in the nature here. Another hidden gem forsure away from all the hustle and bustle that other parks have! Apparently there is a little library to donate books, we carry around books and brand new journals to donate but I didn’t see it at the front but maybe it’s deeper down the trail. Either way, we had a blast here. There’s plenty of parking too, forsure check it out if you’re in the area and want a nice but quick relaxing stroll! EDIT: we explored the trails today and they were so beautiful and fun! The kiddos loved it and I was surprised by how much they ran the trail, I almost couldn’t keep up with them haha! There’s multiple trails and some loop back around to the entrance but other ones lead to the boat ramp/kayak launch, some have fishing piers, beautiful views of the rivers. Some of the terrain was rough like seashells on the ground but most of it was smooth, saw some snakes but harmless and cute! Definitely will come back here again for the trails.

For my purposes, this trail was enjoyable. I was looking for a dog-friendly nature preserve. I was impressed by how much the sound of Highway 19 and Alt 19 was softened. You could hear it if you sought it out, but mostly this was a great escape within town. I saw a few folks on the trail, but it was secluded for the most part. Things to consider: • The majority of the trail is made of crushed sea shells. They are mostly eroded down but there are sharp pieces throughout. I still found the walk to be easy and my dog was not affected by it. • There is a major power-line running through the preserve. It’s pushing big power and you can hear it before you see it (why I dropped a star) Other Pros: + bathrooms throughout (I did not try) + trail signs throughout + benches throughout + at least two piers to fish off of + spot to launch kayaks + playground for kids + little free library