Boyd Hill Nature Preserve

Beautiful nature preserve. We needed a new venue for our nature hikes so came here on a Sunday. I can’t believe it took me so long to check this place out. It’s $ 3 for adults and $ 1.50 for children up to age 16. Totally worth the small fee!
We stopped by the aviary first since it was right by the entrance. There were a couple of gentlemen that worked there who told us a little bit about some of the birds. We got to see one of the great horned owls up close which was cool.
We did the main trail and also veered off to the boardwalk, Sand Scrub Trail, and the Center Loop. There are 13 trails/​loops that you can explore, I think about 5 miles total if you do all of them? We were there easily for almost 3 hours. Lots of water stations along the way and benches to sit and take a rest. Plenty of gorgeous scenery.
Once we made it back to the main building, we took a look inside at all of the informative displays. We did sign up for one of their upcoming night hikes already so I’m excited for that. They hold lots of classes and activities here, I’ll have to check out more of them. Overall, very impressed with Boyd Hill and I’m sure we will be back plenty of times!

Water views. Great gift shop with fun and interesting offerings and some fun and educational exhibits. Birds of prey and beautiful owls are exhibited. Hiking trails through various habitats. This is a very nice park. They host night hikes and eduacional events. $ 3 per person and $ 1.50 for tykes.

If you haven’t been here, change that immediately. I have lived for three years, and I can’t believe my cheap ass is what has stopped me from coming here. It’s only $ 3 to get in, and a membership makes it even cheaper per visit. And this is a membership worth having because this is hands-​down THE BEST nature preserve in Saint Pete area, and I would wager in Pinellas County.
This nature preserve is insane! There are so many different ecosystems and paths that every step seems like a journey into an entirely different world. We saw so many different kinds of vegetation, birds, and other animals. We even saw a gator and a couple tortoises.
Along with the amazing nature scenes, there includes: a bird aviary for wounded birds of prey, classes (like photography), events (like canoeing), and a nature center.
I spent four hours in here without realizing how much time has passed; I could’ve been here all day, but I was thwarted by rain.

Very cool park. They have many trails for you to follow, and cages as well as open animals. This is a great place for a field trip or for people who have kids or people who want a great scenery to jog through. Lots of turtles and birds all along the route.

As a follow-​up to the ¼/​15 comment by John I’d like to remind everyone that Boyd Hill Birds of Prey Center is not a zoo, but a federal and state licensed educational center. All of the birds there are permanently injured and have been designated as «non-​releasable» by veterinarians following their treatment and rehab at licensed rehab centers after receiving injuries in the wild. The only exception is a hybrid falcon that was retired from the sport of falconry after losing an eye to disease. Most of the birds have permanent wing injures, some with partial amputations and others are missing an eye. Those injuries prevent these birds from being capable of extended flight, capturing prey or defending themselves in the wild. Under federal and state law it is required that «non-​releasable’ birds of prey be euthanized, unless they can be placed with an educational center like Boyd Hill. While it is easy to imagine that these birds miss the adventure of free flight, in reality wild birds of prey fly in order to find food and to escape danger; otherwise they will be found sitting still on a perch in a tree. Once injured birds of prey in an educational center learn that their handlers are not a threat to them and that they have a reliable source of food they are generally content and stress free. It is a fact that birds of prey live two to three times longer in captivity than in the wild; in the case of permanently injured non-​releasable birds, their life span would be extremely short if released. It is sad that the birds have been injured in the wild, but it is wonderful that they were able to be saved from euthanasia to be part of a program that could benefit Florida’s native wildlife in the future.

This is a very nice preserve in south St. Pete. Nice trails, very clean, nice staff. Not a ton of exotic nature out in the wild, with the exception of an alligator and her babies off the boardwalk, but they have a mini zoo, which is pretty cool.
From what I saw, the mini zoo consists of mostly birds. Hawks, owls, vultures and a bald eagle (who was absent on our visit). The only thing I didn’t like about this is that the cages are too small for these birds. They’re used to huge open areas to fly and to confine them to such small spaces is kind of sad.
Other than that, it’s a great, very scenic place and I’m sure I’ll be back.

So much to see! Boyd Hill has a Bird of Prey section in which they take care of injured birds that can not be released back into the wild, in which they use for educational programs and to get the word out about Boyd! American Eagle, 3 different kinds of Owl, Vultures, Falcons, Hawks, swing by and see the rest! They have vontenteers that come out every day to clean avaires and help train the birds. The best time to catch the birds out is feeding time! But if you go you’ll probably bump into someone along the trails to educate you about these awesome birds!
Boyd inside offers a cool little area for kids to learn more about the land and animals with a nice little set up! They also have other critters inside by the back!
Along the trails you’ll see many wild birds, wild gopher tortoises, and possibly alligators near the pond!
They have Tram tours which a guided ride whisks you along trails!

A true St. Petersburg gem. One of maybe two places in all of St. Pete where you actually feel miles and miles from civilization. This park is amazing through and through.

I came to Boyd Hill Nature Park looking for a few trails to occasionally walk/​run. I quickly found out that this place is so much more than that.
To access the trails you have to enter through the Lake Maggiore Environmental Education Center. After paying the small admission fee you can wander about the Center or go out into the Park. The Center is basically a mini-​museum of the local area’s ecosystem. There are displays, living things to see (like turtles!), a gift shop… lots of cool stuff. The thing that stuck with me was the story of an 11 ½ foot alligator. It’s a sad story of how it died because of pollution. They have its skeleton on display. You can see my pics for a visual but I highly recommend visiting to see it for yourself, and if nothing else, to support this great place.
When you leave the Center and enter the Park, you can go to the trails or visit the aviary. I hit up the aviary first. There are a few different species of birds of prey. They’re here because they are injured in some form or another. They have a Bald Eagle, Turkey Vultures, Owls, Hawks. It’s really cool.
After the aviary, it was off to the trails. The trails are marked at most of the trailheads, but even with the map… and the signs, the trails can seem like a bit of a web. I had some issues with getting lost at some of the unmarked cuts. It wasn’t an, Oh my goodness… I may have to gig a frog for food and drink my own urine to survive type of lost, it was more of a discombobulation. I like being in the wild outdoors but Ferdinand Magellan… I am not. I think it might also help if they had blazes on the longer trails.
Even with my lack of an interior mental compass. We had a great time and enjoyed the whole experience. I can’t wait to come back.

This park is huge and really lets you escape life into nature.
I used to live within walking distance of Boyd Hill Park and they were having a free entrance day. I took advantage of it and went to see what this park was all about. I could not believe how large it was! For being in the middle of a relatively large city, it stretched for miles! I don’t think I even made it all the way around, but took a short cut to cut the trail in half. There were all kinds of offshoots and boardwalks that led to you look at the water, which is large and beautiful as well.
There really is a ton of different vegetation and wildlife to see. This is a great place to educate children about nature.
Before you walk into the park there is a building you walk through. When I was there they were having an art exhibit. They change it up a lot, so it never get boring. They are always having different events, because I see the huge board they have when you enter the neighborhood change almost weekly. When I have children, I will definitely be bringing them here!

We are so lucky to have Boyd Hill Nature Park in St. Pete. From their summer camp programs to their awesome year round programs, they always have something fabulous going on. The Alligator Walk is fantastic! I really want to do one of their bike rides. My kids have loved Boogie Camp, The Young Naturalist Camp, and are now returning to Pioneer Camp year after year. The playgrounds at the park are great. We also enjoy going to Art Arbor Fest at Boyd Hill every year. The historic Pioneer village is really cool. Good job Boyd Hill!

As a kid, I begged my mom to take me to Boyd Hill. The visit meant seeing gators, turtles, giant birds of prey, swinging on monkey bars and reading library books next to the window overlooking the butterfly garden. The library has now been converted into an interactive education center but the rest of the park remains exactly as I remembered, preserved to entertain and educate. In a recent trip, I walked over a wood bridge into Lake Maggiore for an up-​close look of a sunning alligator. Baby alligators with mom were hiding in the water nearby. Spotting a gator every trip is not a guarantee, but I’ve seen more gators here than anywhere else in Tampa Bay.
The trails are beautiful, displaying really pretty wild flowers and all different kinds of Florida environments including scrub, pine forest, and swamp. As the seasons change, so does the scenery. There is a monthly «air-​potato round up» which guides tours around the many miles of trails to pick up the seeds of the evasive species (Boyd Hill is very dedicated to preserving Florida native plant and animal species). My favorite thing to see are the giant scrap metal armadillo sculptures by Paul Eppling.
The park also holds great events including the Art Arbor Festival in the Fall, kids summer camps, astronomy night, a live birds of prey exhibit and next door in the Pioneer Settlement a Christmas Jamboree and Halloween Carnival with hayrides. Right in the middle of the city, Boyd Hill offers a great retreat into the wonders of nature.

i found boyd hill looking for a decent place to run a few off-​road miles that didn’t require a 30+ minute car ride. what a jewel. located right in the middle of south st pete, when you are out a boyd hill you can barely feel the city around you, except when taking in one of the excellent views of the st pete skyline from across the lake.
boyd hill has around 4 miles of walking trails that offer great views of wildlife and plants as well as an aviary and a pretty well-​stocked interpretive center.
for runners it’s a great opportunity to get off the street for a change. granted with only a few miles of trails, you have to run around a bunch, but hey, it’s better than nothing.
if you are just looking for a place to walk on a nice morning, look at some birds and enjoy being out of doors, this park is perfect.
also don’t miss the fun statues made out of old auto parts scattered throughout the park. seriously.

Boyd Hill Nature Preserve is a hidden gem in St. Petersburg, a 245 acre site nestled along the shores of Lake Maggiore. One can hike the three miles of trails and boardwalks or, if not up for hiking, take the guided tour on a tram that leaves every day at one p.m.
There are five distinctive eco systems, Hardwood Hammocks, Sand Pine Scrubs (this area is what Florida looked like 12,000 years ago), Pine Flat woods, Willow Marsh and Lake Shore.
The preserve is part of the Great Florida Birding Trail and one can see numerous species as they migrate. nest, etc.
I enjoyed the birds of prey aviary which had hawks, owls, a turkey vulture and a five year-​old bald eagle. They have all sustained injuries which will not allow them to be set free. I forget how huge and powerful these creatures are.
There’s a gator tour, wildflower tours, night tours and the education center is a blast with numerous exhibits of the local flora/​fauna.
There’s overnight camping and picnic tables as well.
For $ 3 one can get their money’s worth/​There’s also a volunteer program where one can help out a few hours a month and get in FREE!
A must see for nature lovers!
Boyd Hill is closed Mondays as well as Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years.