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Latest update: January 2024

Pinellas Trail... Top 10 Florida Bike Trail

The Original Pinellas Rail-trail... E-Z Google Map & Photos Galore

Here we report on the original Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail, a multi-use urban rail-trail, that we consider among the best biking in Florida. Spanning multiple towns, the trail hosts hundreds of thousands of monthly users, including bike riders, skateboarders, joggers and hikers, and linking parks, coastal areas, and residential neighborhoods. Originally running 36 miles from St. Petersburg to Tarpon Springs, the bike trail has been extended as part of the evolving Pinellas Trail Loop. The Pinellas Trail also is the westernmost segment of the 250-mile Florida Coast-to-Coast Trail. (Map link and photos below.)

Google Map link...
Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail

Location: Pinellas County, St. Petersburg to Tarpon Springs
Mileage: 36 miles (the original rail-trail)
Surface: Paved asphalt, 15'
Nearby points of interest: Tarpon Springs, Dunedin, Honeymoon Island State Park, Clearwater Beaches, Salvador Dali Museum, St. Petersburg, FL.

Bike Shops/Rentals:

ABC Bicycles (St. Petersburg; rentals, sales, service)
Action Wheelsport (St. Petersburg; sales, service)
Bike Boutique (Dunedin; rentals, sales, service)
Kafe Racer (Dunedin; rentals, sales, service, coffee shop)
Neptune Cyclery (Tarpon Springs; rentals, sales, service)

Support and Advocacy:

Friends of the Pinellas Trail

 Page Summary:

1. Biking the Pinellas Trail
2. South Section... St. Petersburg to Clearwater
   - St. Petersburg, Seminole, Largo, Bellaire, Clearwater
3. North Section... Dunedin to Tarpon Springs
   - Dunedin, Palm Harbor, Tarpon Springs
4. Continuing on the Pinellas Trail Loop
   - John Chestnut Park, Duke Energy Trail, North Bay Trail
5. More About the Pinellas Trail
6. More Information and Resources

Biking on the Pinellas Trail... Comments and Photos

Most of the original trail between St. Petersburg and Tarpon Springs is along the old railroad corridor. While portions are alongside roadways, much runs away from the road with relatively few road crossings. This section of the Pinellas Trail has become part of the culture in Pinellas County. Bike bridges and underpasses offer safe crossing major roads, and other road intersections are well marked with lights and signals. Emergency information is provided on decals at regular intervals along the way. To assist in trip planning, Pinellas County publishes an excellent trail guide with Map link and information (link below).

South Section... St. Petersburg to Clearwater

The trail passes through busy urban areas in St. Petersburg, Seminole, Largo, Belleair and Clearwater. There are trail bridges and underpasses to avoid traffic but also road crossings, so be careful.

Trail at St. Petersburg

Bay Shore Dr. (Demens Landing) to Tropicana Field - 1.5 miles

The south end of the trail begins at 1st Ave. S. and Bay Shore Dr. S.E. in old St Petersburg. We parked at Demens Landing Park and enjoyed the view of Tampa Bay, and also biked along the waterfront which connects to a scenic section of the North Bay Trail. Crossing Bayshore Drive from Demens Landing is the start of the Pinellas Trail. Through old St. Pete, the trail is separated from the avenue by barriers. Passing restaurants, shops, and businesses and crossing busy streets, it's 1.3 miles west to Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays major league baseball team and host to many other sporting events and exhibitions.

Tropicana Field to Trailhead Park - 2 miles

Past Tropicana Field, the trail enters the Warehouse Arts District (16th St. to 31st St.), passing under Interstate 275. This once-neglected commercial district is being redeveloped into an arts destination with artists studios and galleries, plus breweries, restaurants and shops. Mural art has also been added along the trail on the old warehouse walls. The trail continues through a mostly Industrial area, with several busy road crossings so take care (especially at 22nd St., where we found the diagonal crossing a bit confusing). The bridge over busy US 19 (34th St.) is a plus. Trailhead Park is located just past 37th St., with parking, benches and playground.

St. Petersburg to Seminole - 8.5 miles

From Trailhead Park, the trail continues through an industrial area, then becomes more commercial with several interesting bridges and an underpass. Notable features along the Gulfport section of the Trail include the bridge at the intersection of Park Street and Bay Pines Blvd. (one of the busiest in Pinellas County), and the Cross Bayou Bridge which spans Boca Ciega Bay. After crossing the bridge, the trail arrives in Seminole and passes a KOA campground (no parking). A short distance north Blossom Lake Park provides parking, restrooms, picnic facilities, playground, ball fields, fitness trail, and fishing lake.

Seminole to Clearwater - 9 miles

Seminole City Park is another convenient stop with parking, restrooms, picnic areas, playground and an interesting local history museum run by volunteers as a labor of love. Continuing to Largo is mostly (but not exclusively) on the rail corridor away from the road. The next trailhead is located at Taylor Park with parking, restrooms, picnicking, playgrounds, playing fields, and a boat ramp onto Taylor Lake. Through Largo and Bellaire, the trail continues both alongside and away from the road to Clearwater.

Trail at Clearwater (to Dunedin) - 3.5 miles

In Clearwater, the trail is urban, but well separated from the businesses along the way, with a lot of greenery. Entering from Bellaire, it runs roadside about 1/4 mile along S. Fort Jefferson Ave., then turns off again. From here, it passes office buildings and with multiple road crossings. At Druid Road, it runs roadside for a block before turning along the railroad track. Then at Turner St., a trail connector leads west to Clearwater Beach via the Memorial Causeway Trail, and east along the Druid Road Trail to the Duke Energy Trail (on the eastern leg of the Pinellas Trail Loop). From here, the trail runs roadside along S. East Avenue (about 3 blocks east of downtown) and Blanche Littlejohn Trail before turning off-road again. Leaving Clearwater, the last 2 miles toward Dunedin is a pleasant ride - the trails moves away from the road, through residential areas, and crosses a channel at Old Clearwater Bay.

North Section... Dunedin to Tarpon Springs

The trail passes through Dunedin, Palm Harbor, and Tarpon Springs. The trail used to end at Tarpon Springs, but now it extends to the Tri-County Trail as part of the Coast-to-Coast Trail. At East Lake Road. it continues as the eastern leg of the Pinellas Trail Loop.

Trail at Dunedin - 4 miles

The Historic Train Station (1924, now the Dunedin History Museum) remains a focal point, with the trail running down the middle of the street. Dunedin is an example of how a trail can contribute to the economy of communities along its route, with restaurants, shops, and overnight accommodations opening up. We found Weaver Park to be a pleasant stop - restrooms, picnicking, fitness course, fishing pier (one of the longest of its type we've seen).

Dunedin to Tarpon Springs - 5.5 miles

The Pinellas Trail continues through Palm Harbor, alternating alongside the road and away. If you're driving and see what looks like a parking area between "No parking on trail" signs, note that it means "No parking between signs" as this is actually an access to the golf course - a ranger was handing out violation warnings. Past this diversion, at Oasis Park is an arboretum with covered benches, fix-it station, and a section of Old Road 37 (the main road from Clearwater to Tarpon Springs in the 1920's).

Just beyond this point at Curlew Road, a spur connects to Honeymoon Island State Park - 4 miles of beach, popular for shelling, and a ferry to Caladesi Island make this Florida's most popular State Park. We enjoyed this article on Honeymoon Island and its funky history at FloridaRambler.com .

Trail at Tarpon Springs - 3 miles

Tarpon Springs is another old downtown revitalized by the Pinellas Trail passing through the center. Here the trail runs down the middle of the street, past the old Train Depot (1909, now a historic museum) and past shops and restaurants. For recreational bikers, we believe the Trail between old Dunedin to just past old downtown Tarpon Springs is one of the most pleasant sections to ride.

Tarpon Springs Tourism

It's a short ride to the historic Tarpon Springs sponge docks, turn on Live Oak Rd. Centered on Dodecanese Blvd., this is a "pre-Disney" tourist spot, still popular with plenty of tourist shops, and some very good Greek restaurants reflecting the large Greek-American population - the largest percentage of any U.S. city.

Continuing on the Pinellas Trail Loop

The original Pinellas Trail has been extended as part of the Pinellas Trail Loop, now connecting to the Duke Energy Trail at John Chestnut Sr. Park. Past Tarpon Springs, the trail turns to the east, running along Keystone Road to East Lake Road, then south through Clearwater and returning to St. Petersburg. The eastern loop is composed of the Duke Energy Trail and North Bay Trail, with several gaps to be filled.

Visit our Pinellas Trail Loop page for more details and photos

More About the Pinellas Trail

For most of the originally planned rail-trail, the well-marked Pinellas Trail runs on an old CRX railroad corridor from St. Petersburg to Tarpon Springs, linking communities along its length and credited with the resurgence of downtown Dunedin and Tarpon Springs. Now celebrating 30+ years, the Pinellas Trail is a Florida jewel which has been named a member of the Rail-Trail Hall of Fame. This designation is based on merits such as scenic value, high use, trail and trailside amenities, historical significance, excellence in management and maintenance of facility, and geographic distribution. The Pinellas Trail truly meets all criteria!

More Information and Resources

Nearby Biking:

See more trails on the Pinellas Trail Loop
Tri-County Trail (connector on the Coast-to-Coast Trail)
West FL Region - More trails plus Regional Overview map

Nearby Paddling:

Fort DeSoto Park
Weedon Island

Related Resources:

Pinellas County - Guide to the Pinellas Trail