Our Favorite Places for Seniors to Go on Nature Walks Near Clearwater
Spending time outdoors provides a number of health benefits. Fortunately, in and around Clearwater, there are multiple parks and trails that are easily accessible to seniors. If you’re looking for a way to spend more time in nature, here’s our list of the best places for walking and hiking.
The Best Area Trails for Seniors
Boca Ciega Millennium Park: Their recreation trail is a half-mile, out-and-back cement trail through partial shade beside a small pond. Also, a synthetic-wood boardwalk extends for almost a mile from their parking lot. Look for wildlife, including flycatchers, fiddler crabs and egrets.
Caladesi Island Trail: On the Island Trail, discover how virgin pines and mangrove swamps define the wild side of Caladesi Island, a slender barrier island north of Clearwater Beach.
Eagle Lake Park: Now an urban forest in the heart of Pinellas County, Eagle Lake Park is the legacy of the Taylor family, early citrus growers who helped to found Largo. This 2.5-mile loop trail is a popular for fishing, running and walking.
Florida Botanical Gardens: With nearly 180 acres in the heart of Largo, the Florida Botanical Gardens is a beautiful place to take a peaceful walk.
James E Grey Preserve: Hugging the shores of the winding Pithlachascotee River, James E. Grey Preserve follows its natural shorelines with an extensive accessible boardwalk.
John R. Bonner Nature Park: A hidden gem surrounded by neighborhoods, John R. Bonner Nature Park offers excellent birding opportunities along short loop trails and a scenic boardwalk.
John Chesnut Sr. Park: Weaving through floodplain forests and cypress swamps, the boardwalks and trails of John Chesnut Sr. Park add a place to pause for wildlife along a wild stretch of shoreline on Lake Tarpon.
Lake Seminole Park: A designated wildlife sanctuary, Lake Seminole Park offers a two-mile paved and concrete multi-use trail. Enjoy the shade of the accessible gazebo, and keep an eye out for gators, raccoons and bald eagles.
Largo Central Park Nature Preserve: Offering paved trails and boardwalks through both sunny and wooded areas, there are abundant opportunities to see wildlife, including roseate spoonbills, alligators, turtles and wood ducks, and don’t miss the small butterfly garden.
Moccasin Lake Nature Park: Enjoy a shady walk through a sliver of native habitats preserved in the heart of busy Clearwater.
Osprey and Pelican Trails: On a barrier island just north of Clearwater Beach, the Osprey Trail at Honeymoon Island State Park offers a close-up look at a rookery of ospreys.
Pinellas Trail: This 54-mile rail trail passes through Clearwater, Largo and Seminole on its way from Tarpon Springs to St. Pete.
Ream Wilson Clearwater Trail: This 10.5-mile out-and-back trail near Clearwater is a popular destination for birding, hiking and road biking.
Walsingham Park: An accessible, three-mile paved trail wanders around Walsingham Reservoir and through a wooded area. Be aware, some parts of the trail are uneven due to exposed roots.
Looking to Enjoy Nature? Take a Hike (or a Leisurely Stroll) at Regency Oaks.
At Regency Oaks, our community of nature lovers and hikers enjoy being minutes away from nature trails and parks, and local Safety Harbor attractions and beaches. Closer to home, they also enjoy our walking paths on more than 40 forested acres with hundreds of majestic live oaks.
To explore our beautiful campus for yourself, use our Community Assistant chat feature or contact us here.
