Florida’s Pinellas Trail, a long and popular bike/walk trail stretching from St. Petersburg to Tarpon Springs and beyond, is one of the state’s best cycling opportunities. If you live in Florida or are planning a visit there, this is a trail worth riding.
First opened in 1990 with only a five-mile trail segment, today Florida’s Pinellas Trail stretches approximately 60 miles. More than 250,000 cyclists, skaters, and pedestrians use the trail every month, according to Pinellas County data. It is the only trail in Florida to earn a place in the prestigious national Rail-Trail Hall of Fame and has twice been named Best Trail of Florida by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
What Makes the Pinellas Trail Special
The Pinellas Trail is an urban trail. Even so, other than a short stretch that passes through downtown St. Petersburg (on well-marked bike lanes with excellent signage and signals at intersections), the trail does an admirable job of keeping cyclists and motorists separated at most major intersections. This is thanks in large part to a system that includes 10 overpasses and three underpasses, keeping riders and walkers safe.
The scenery is varied, from colorful murals to shady sections covered with Spanish moss-ladened oak trees. This is coastal Florida, so you’re never far from water. The trail’s southernmost starting point is at Demen’s Landing Park on beautiful Tampa Bay with views of the newly rebuilt St. Pete Pier. As you head north on the trail toward Largo, you ride over the expansive Boca Ciega Bay on a long bridge built for the trail. Once the Pinellas Trail reaches Clearwater, it runs close to the intracoastal waterway, not far from the famed Pinellas County white sand beaches, all the way to Palm Harbor.
Beach Access and Other Diversions
One of the challenges of trying to complete the entire Pinellas Trail is the many diversions that tempt you along the way. Using the Pinellas Trail as the main north/south artery, Pinellas County has built an impressive cycling network that gives you access to many of the county’s recreational and cultural assets. Most of these side routes are on bike lanes, not dedicated trails, but thanks to cycling’s popularity there, motorists in Pinellas County are accustomed to sharing roads with bikes and generally show respect.
Perhaps the biggest temptation of all when cycling the trail, especially in the warm months, is to take one of several detours to the Gulf Coast beaches. You can get to beach towns like Reddington Shores, Indian Rocks Beach, and Belleair Shore easily from Florida’s Pinellas Trail. The two most popular routes to the beach from the trail are to Clearwater Beach (frequently named one of the top beaches in the country) and Honeymoon Island State Park. Both beaches offer easy access by well-designed causeways that include bike lanes and protected paths. In fact, if you don’t want to go as far as the beach, the causeways themselves are popular attractions, with plenty of places to pull over for casual dining and relaxing by the water.
Map courtesy of Pinellas County: https://www.pinellascounty.org/trailgd/PDF/explore_pinellas_map.pdf
On the southern end of the trail in St. Petersburg, a popular side-route diversion for cyclists is to go south off the trail to the eclectic waterfront village of Gulfport, a small town known for its charming local restaurants and shops. Another longer route south off the trail passes by pretty Eckerd College over the Pinellas Bayway, through Tierra Verde, eventually ending at Fort De Soto Park, popular with RVers and campers. It’s beach has also been nationally recognized as one of America’s best. Going west instead of south on the Pinellas Bayway will take you to St. Pete Beach.
Dunedin to Tarpon Springs
If you only have the time or stamina to ride one portion of the Pinellas Trail, then the northern section from south of Dunedin to Tarpon Springs is where you want to go.
Dunedin, in particular, is often considered the crown jewel of the entire trail. No other town has done a better job of capitalizing on the trail and adopting the bike culture. You will find plenty of restaurants, shops and watering holes along the trail in downtown Dunedin. In fact, Dunedin is one of only 11 cities in Florida to be designated an official Trail Town by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Greenways and Trails.
The section of the Pinellas Trail between Dunedin and Tarpon Springs is also one of the most scenic, with more tree cover and undeveloped areas. Another nice side trip in this section is to visit pretty Wall Springs Park in Palm Harbor. This 210-acre park has an interesting history, having once served as a private health spa resort. Today, it includes paved nature paths suitable for bikes. One path leads to a 35-foot observation deck with views of the Gulf of Mexico.
Tarpon Springs is the northernmost stop on the Pinellas Trail. It has a unique history as a sponge-harvesting town with a Greek heritage. The trail passes through downtown Tarpon Springs, also with plenty of dining choices, and comes close to Tarpon Springs’ famous Sponge Docks district. It’s a must-see attraction if in the area.
After leaving Tarpon Springs, the Pinellas Trail heads east to East Lake Road. From there, you can either turn south and ride to John Chesnut Park on Lake Tarpon or continue east to Pasco County.
Pinellas Trail: Not Done Yet
After 30 years of growth and much success, you might think the operators of the Pinellas Trail would be out of new ideas, but that is not the case. Two new segments are planned, including a 6.8-mile section in northwest Pinellas County designed to connect exiisting trail gaps and provide better access to suburban neighborhoods and to connecting trails going to neighboring Hillsboro and Pasco counties. Referred to as the North Loop Project, this expansion is currently under construction and is expected to be complete by Fall 2022. A second new section, referred to as the South Gap Project, will complete connections on the western portion of the trail, primarily in Largo and Pinellas Park. This project is still in the planning phase.
When work on these remaining gaps are finished, the Pinellas Trail Loop will provide 75 miles of uninterrupted cycling on mostly flat paved trails. What’s more, the Pinellas Trail will become part of an even grander plan, the, Florida Coast to Coast Trail, a 250-mile network of trails running from Titusville on the East Coast to St. Petersburg.
Visit the Pinellas Trail Soon
The next time you come to Florida, be sure the Pinellas Trail is on your itinerary. The Tampa Bay Area, which includes Pinellas County, offers plenty of attractions to make a memorable vacation destination for people of all ages, including families. This includes award-winning beaches, museums and aquariums, theme parks, and professional sports. Dinsey World and Miami can wait. Trust me, if you’re a cyclist, you’ll enjoy the Pinellas Trail and all of its nearby diversions even more.
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See Related Story About the Pinellas Trail Courtesy Campaign
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Great article Dave! PS the Pinellas is Already part of the Coast to Coast Trail. You can see that here: https://fdotwww.blob.core.windows.net/sitefinity/docs/default-source/planning/systems/suntrail/maps/suntrail_c2c_at-a-glance_map_2021-10.pdf?sfvrsn=8be5b2ca_2
Thank you, Maggie.