Map of bike paths / walking paths in Tampa & St. Petersburg, FL

Recreational trails for walking, running and cycling in Tampa, Florida

Tampa is located on Tampa Bay on the Gulf Coast side of Florida. The city is situated on Old Tampa Bay and Hillsborough Bay and is home to Tampa International Airport and MacDill Air Force Base. Other communities in the Tampa Metro area include: Brandon, Clearwater, Largo, East Lake, St. Petersburg and Palm Harbor.

This region of Florida has a number of recreational trails for bike riding, running and walking. The trails can be used to take in some exercise, enjoy the sights, walking the dog or commuting to work or to school.

Tampa Riverwalk

The Tampa Riverwalk is a 2.5-mile long system of paved pathways along the Hillsborough River and adjacent to the Downtown Tampa area. The riverwalk extends from Waterworks Park to south Meridian Avenue and goes past parks and other attractions along the waterfront. The riverwalk also allows connections to Selmon Greenway and the Bayshore Trail.

Read more about the Tampa Riverwalk

Bayshore Greenway

The Bayshore Greenway is a 4.5 mile long paved pathway that follows the shoreline of Tampa Bay. The route offers beautiful views of Downtown Tampa, the bridges, the marinas and the pleasure craft sailing the waters of Tampa Bay. The trail travels through the park area between Bayshore Boulevard and the shoreline of the bay from W. Borein Street to W. Hawthorne Street. The trail provides an opportunity for a bike ride or a stroll for the residents of the neighborhoods to the south of Downtown Tampa as well as a nice place for some sight-seeing for visitors.

At the north end of the Bayshore Greenway, trail users can connect to the Tampa Riverwalk and the Selmon Greenway.

At the south end of the Bayshore Greenway, trail users can travel another half mile along Bayshore Boulevard and Interbay Boulevard to reach Ballast Point Park. The park has a long pier with fantastic views looking back at the downtown skyline across the waters of Tampa Bay.

Duke Energy Trail (Progress Energy Trail)

Upon completion the Duke Energy Trail will be a 22.5-mile long paved pathway that will be part of the Pinellas Trail Loop. When completed, the Duke Energy Trail will connect to the East Lake/Tarpon Springs section of the Pinellas Trail and will later connect to the planned Weedon Island Trail. Currently, the Duke Energy Trail connects to the Ream Wilson East-West Trail. Much of the Duke Energy Trail is located in the easement for the power lines and goes past commercial centers and residential neighborhoods in Clearwater on the west side of Old Tampa Bay.

Currently the Duke Energy Trail has several miles of the paved pathway completed. The completed northern section is 1.5-miles long. The completed southern section is just over 3 miles long. The connector between these two sections is planned to be completed in 2020.

The north end of the completed northern section is located at Enterprise Road E east of Highway 19. The south end of this section is located along Sunset Point Drive, just west of Highway 19.

The north end of the completed southern section is located along Old Coachman Road to the north of Sharkey Road, near Spectrum Field. The trail connects to the Ream Wilson East-West Trail at this location. This section takes a sharp bend at Belleair Road and includes a section of pathway that follows along side Highway 19 over the Largo Inlet.

Pinellas Trail

The Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail is a linear park that contains a paved recreational trail that has a route of over 44.6 miles and spans between East Lake and St. Petersburg. The trail was constructed along an abandoned railroad right-of-way and travels past residential communties and commercial districts. The trail goes past numerous local parks, marinas, coves, lakes and other points of interest.

The Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail goes past the following communities: Tarpon Springs, Palm Harbor, Dunedin, Clearwater, Largo, Seminole, Bay Pines, South Pasedena, Gulfport and St. Petersburg. The trail connects to other recreational trails that head out to Clearwater Beach and down to Eckerd College. In St. Petersburg, the Pinellas Trail connects to the North Bay Trail that adds another 6 miles to the route.

The Pinellas Trail is one portion of the Coast to Coast Connector system of trails that will stretch from St. Petersburg to the Atlantic shoreline to the east of Titusville.  A 5 mile long section of the Coast to Coast Connector intersects the Pinellas Trail at E. Lake Road N.

Read more about the Pinellas Trail

Upper Tampa Bay Trail

The Upper Tampa Bay Trail consists of two separate sections of paved pathways located to the north of Old Tampa Bay on the northwest side of the Tampa Metro Area in Central Florida. The southern section is 6.3 miles long and the northern section is 4.4 miles long with a 2.5 mile long gap along Gunn Highway.

The route of the Upper Tampa Bay Trail includes the greenspace alongside Channel A and Rocky Creek, residential neighborhoods, a number of schools and local parks, a pedestrian overpass for crossing Gunn Highway, the commercial area around Westfiled Citrus Park and long stretches of natural areas away from streets with no cross traffic.

The north end of the Upper Tampa Bay Trail meets up with the 42-mile long Suncoast Trail that follows alongside the Suncoast Parkway to the north as far as Homosassa.

Read more about the Upper Tampa Bay Trail

Fort De Soto Park Trail

Fort De Soto Park is located on a chain of five islands that are situated to the south of St. Petersburg at the mouth of Tampa Bay where is connects to the Gulf of Mexico. Fort De Soto Park is managed by Pinellas County.

The islands of Fort De Soto Park are connected with roads and trails. The park has an 8-mile long paved pathway system for bike riding and walking that wraps around much of the park. There are also miles of beaches and hiking paths.

Flatwoods Park Trail

Flatwoods Park is a 5400-acre park located just northeast of Tampa. The park has thick woodlands and has 7 miles of paved pathways for cycling and walking. There are also unpaved nature trails within the park.The trails are located well away from traffic and congestion and provide a good opportunity to observe local wildlife.

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Resources

Following are links to official off-site resources to find out more details about the recreational trails located in Tampa, Florida.