Weedon Island Preserve

So beautiful and way above my expectations.the boardwalks are so nice and i appreciate them for making such a long mangrove walk. can't wait to come back!

My husband and I love to find new trails to walk. I came across this place in my search and I’m so glad I did! We will definitely be back. Parking is free. When you first pull into Weedon preserve. You will drive about a mile or two before you come up on the first option for parking. You will see a gravel like area for a few cars to park at which will also have signage stating walking trail. These are the natural trails. They’re called north and south Boy Scout trails. These are beautiful natural trails. You will walk through trees on either side of you in nice cleared trail. You will walk over little ground bridges that add something fun to these trails.We walked both north and south trail and it was about 2 miles of trails. We do think that during rainy season these trails could be flooded in some areas. The bugs will also be pretty bad on these trails during the rainy seasons and hot Florida weather. We are here in March and it was absolutely beautiful this morning when we went. Once you exit these trails you will come across signage stating the direction of the other trails . We continued to follow those signs to the board walk trails. You will come up to an area that starts the boardwalk trails/paved walking trail. The boardwalk trails are beautiful! They sit a few feet above ground. They wind you in and out of beautiful trees and at times have areas to walk out to water views. Because this preserve has a lot to explore, most of the time we were on the trails alone. Occasionally walking by people, but most of the time we were enjoying the peaceful outdoor outdoors alone. We went around 9am. Eventually, we reached signs stating the direction to the information center. Once inside we were greeted by employees who give us information on the property and what all was inside this information center. This is a three-story building that has so much history. They even have a 1400 year-old canoe on display that they dug up on property. There is also a really cool walk-through exhibit that we did not expect to come across. Inside this building are the only bathrooms on property, a little gift shop with trinkets and a water fountain and water bottle fill station. They do not sell any water or drinks on property so make sure you bring your own. Once we left the information center, we saw signs directing us to the Lookout tower. This trail was a short amount of boardwalk that eventually led to a three story tower. You could climb to the top to get views of the surrounding area. My husband and I ended up exploring this whole property. The north and south Boy Scout trails were about 2 miles and rest of the boardwalk trails and information center were about 3 miles so in all we walked a little over 5 miles. You can walk as little or as much as you want on this property. Parking and everything is free so it’s such a great way to spend the day. They had a few areas with picnic tables if you choose to bring lunch and just enjoy the Florida outdoors. Don’t forget your water and bug spray! We also Saw in other reviews that parking was difficult, but we did go in the morning at 9 AM, parked by the natural trails so we didn’t have this same issue. We were the only car parked in those few parking spots when we arrived. No pets allowed at Weedon preserve.

I love it here! It's peaceful, clean, they have bathrooms and multiple trails. Only downside is you can't bring your furry friend for a walk here BUT that maybe a good thing for some people. There's a really cool observation tower and I love how they put little information about the park and it's residents.

I had a great time visiting this park. The entrance is free, which is a huge plus, and the overall experience was just great. It was a beautiful day, and I really enjoyed walking around and taking in the sights. The restrooms were clean, which is always a relief when you're out and about. The only hiccup was finding parking; it was a bit tough to secure a spot since we arrived around noon. But overall, I highly recommend checking this place out!

Awesome hidden gem! Could spend hours here just listening to the fish jump, exploring or simply just tucked in a corner reading a book!

We visited Weedon on our vacation since as a family, we enjoy hiking. It was a relatively easy hike with mostly dirt paths on the Boyscout trail which was more challenging even on a straightaway. The other trails had a boardwalk with several look out points and towers that one could climb. On our visit to FL, we chose to hike on a sunny weekday and it was relatively quiet. Lots of parking was available and there is an information centre where our young child was able to use the restroom. We hiked in January so there were no mosquitos however interestingly enough we saw lizards which my son loved. The weather was ideal as it was a warm 13C as opposed to our normal -10C. We chose to opt with windbreakers and layering options that we eventually took off. Highly suggest recommending sunscreen, snacks, hydration and taking breaks as needed. The two trails we traversed with our young son was quite easy as opposed to what we normally hike which is more of a hill and challenging terrain. Great for beginners and those looking for a leisurely stroll.

Wonderful boardwalk hike through the estuary with scenic views of Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg in the distance. On weekends the center has wonderful educational exhibits and displays! The kayaking is beyond description! Paddling through the mangrove tunnels was divine!

The preserve has no entry fee. Well-maintained and free kayak/ paddleboard launch at the end of the road. Remember bug spray! The mosquitoes in the mangroves devoured me. The mangrove trails were unique, although the water was quite murky and stinky. Lots of water birds to view. On Saturday before 10am there was plenty of parking... when we got back around 1:45pm the lot was almost full. Cool spot!