Nature in the City at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve

Boyd Hill Nature Preserve occupies nearly 250 acres in St. Petersburg. It carries a long history as a zoo and nature trail before it became a nature preserve. Like ZooTampa in nearby Tampa, Boyd Hill Zoo dealt with violations and poor conditions for the animals before reclaiming it’s identity and dignity. It’s now considered one of the best places to hike in Tampa.

I have several photographer friends who live in St. Pete and often walk Boyd Hill Nature Preserve with camera in hand. The post their photos of alligators, birds, tortoises, and flowers. I was super excited to check out this park and take my own photos. When I put together the road trips from Tampa list (and realized how many parks and preserves we have!) I committed to seeing a new park every weekend. There’s no better way to explore Florida’s history and natural resources! Adding Boyd Hill to that list was a no-brainer.

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I pulled into the parking lot shortly before 9 AM on an overcast July day. The weekend before I had left my water in the car when I hiked Werner-Boyce Salt Springs State Park so I made sure to bring plenty of water, leaving the frozen bottle to thaw in the car and taking my filled swell bottle with me. (Spoiler: it wasn’t enough water!) Once again, I forgot my bug spray but didn’t need it at Boyd Hill.

The parking lot is bordered on one side by the Lake Maggiore Educational Center and on two other sides by a small, free part of the park. As soon as I exited the car and grabbed my gear, a sculpture near a small pond drew me. As it turns out, that wasn’t the only sculpture I would see.

History of Boyd Hill Nature Preserve

Boyd Hill Nature Preserve is located on the south shore of Lake Maggiore, a shallow lake in south St. Petersburg. Until the 1940s, water flowed freely between the lake and Tampa Bay to the east by way of Salt Creek. During extreme low tides, the lake – called Salt Lake at that time and consisting of brackish water – would sometimes empty almost completely. In the 1940s, a dam was built across Salt Creek to turn Lake Maggiore into a freshwater lake and increase the number of fish in it.

Boyd Hill Nature Trail and Zoo

In the 1950s, parks superintendent Boyd Hill had a grand vision for the south side of the lake – an oasis of exotic plants and a zoo. The zoo stood where the playground is now and was, by all accounts, a cramped and noisy place. Like many zoos of the time, the one at Boyd Hill kept animals in small, concrete cages with the public just on the other side of the bars. The animals, not surprisingly, exhibited signs of behavioral issues. The monkeys threw feces at visitors. Animals paced their enclosures. Domestic and exotic animals lived together.

In the rest of the park, along the nature trails, Boyd Hill introduced exotic plants to induce a tropical feel. They dug mosquito ditches, an early attempt at mosquito control which failed at various projects around the county. The idea was that mosquito ditches would fill with water and sweep the mosquitoes out into open water. Developers dug them at Weedon Island Preserve (now the kayak trails), at Werner-Boyce Salt Springs State Park (now mostly filled in), and a number of other places.

By the 1960s, more than 500 parrots called the zoo home. Peacocks roamed the grounds. Have you ever heard a peacock screech? The zoo outgrew its space as people donated their animals to it. Alongside wild animals, tame house pets called the zoo home – ducks, rabbits, guinea pigs. All cute gifts at first which grew into unwanted animals and ended up at the zoo as part of one exhibit or another. Vandalism also took a toll on the zoo. Vandals cut open the free-flight aviary, and the parrots escaped. Others bludgeoned to death flamingos. And others stole animals such as snakes and turtles.

In 1975, Game and Freshwater Fish Commission cited the zoo for a number of violations, including overcrowding and cage sizes that were too small. In an editorial the same year, the St. Petersburg Times wrote in an editorial, “Lately, though, more and more animal lovers have wandered among the crowded cages with an uneasy feeling that this is a far cry from what nature intended. There’s no doubt about it.” Most of the animals were sold to nearby animal facilities by 1977. Ironically, two of those facilities were shut down by the state for the same violations levied at Boyd Hill. In 1978, the zoo was bulldozed, putting an end to that era.

Back to Nature

Boyd Hill reopened in 1980 with an emphasis on nature. Though the city’s heart was in the right place, the execution left much to be desired. Exotic plants remained on the grounds, choking out native flora. They paved the main trails rather than using a friendlier material such as dirt. A playground was built where the zoo once stood, and the education center/library remained. It would take many years, though, before real change began to happen in Boyd Hill.

A Walk Through Boyd Hill Nature Preserve

It’s hot already when I arrive at Boyd Hill. Geared up, I walk around the outer part of the park before making my way through to the trails. The nature center is closed due to COVID-19, but a volunteer by the temporary entrance gives instructions to a man who entered before me. To the left is the aviary where 19 birds of prey live. These birds are too injured to return to the wild so they live out their lives here. To the right are the trails. A fork leads one to the lakeside trails or up to the pinelands and sand scrub.

“Take the right fork for the trail closer to the lake where you have a better chance of seeing alligators. Or take the left fork to see the uplands and a chance to see the gopher tortoises.” Almost everyone heads right, including me.

Almost every trail in the park loops off from the Main Trail so it’s easy to walk as much or as little as you want to. I intended to do only about 2.5 miles. I ended up walking about 4 miles. In all, the park has about 6 miles of trails. There are also handy 5K markers for those who use the park for jogging or want to do train that specific distance.

Swamp Boardwalks

The first fork I came to on the Main Trail is the Swamp Woodlands Boardwalk. This raised walkway passes beneath bald cypress and red maple trees. Below the canopy, giant ferns and other swamp plants thrive in the wet soil. The swamp is one of five distinct habitats in Boyd Hill. It is vital as a filter for runoff before it reaches the lake and acts like a sponge during periods of heavy rainfall.

On this boardwalk I saw a small creek, lots of uprooted roots, and some vines among the many plants. There are also a lot of banana spiders hanging out in their webs strung between tree branches. They aren’t on the boardwalk but are awfully close. And very well-fed! Banana spiders are not toxic to humans, preferring little flies and mosquitoes.

From the wetlands, I passed by one of the amphitheaters where ranger talks are held during normal times. I had seen the stone arch from the playground and wondered about it. Boyd Hill’s original nature trails apparently had several of these stone arches and other stone work.

Old Bridge Trail

I ventured off the Main Trail when I got to the Old Bridge Trail, in part because there were so many people on the Main Trail and in part because the old bridge looked interesting. Oh, and in part because of the pretty purple flowers, some kind of morning glory.

In the early days of Boyd Hill’s exotic oasis, the old bridge would have provided a crossing over a small creek or perhaps one of the mosquito ditches. Water doesn’t appear to run here anymore. I can see this being a beautiful spot for a photo shoot though.

Sand Scrub Trail

From the Old Bridge Trail, I followed another grassy trail and a field of yellow flowers. From the map, it looks like I ended up on the Main Trail again and then on the Sand Scrub Trail. The sand scrub is one of the most endangered habitats in Florida. It’s home to many endangered plants and animals including the Florida scrub jay. The scrub habitat contains lots of sandy soil, short saw palmettos in the underbrush and sand oaks and pines in the canopy. In the sand scrub, the soil doesn’t retain moisture so it’s common to find arid-loving plants like the eastern prickly pear cactus and Adam’s needle.

The other habitat found in this part of the park – the uplands trails – is the pine flatwoods. I see this habitat in nearly every park I visit, and while I generally enjoy the wide open views, this habitat gets really hot as the sun beats down on you. Pine flatwoods are fire-dependent so you’ll often see scorch marks on trees or on the ground where a fire has burned through. These plants need the fire to germinate and are suited to frequent fires with adaptations such as deep root systems and waxy leaves.

Lake Maggiore Island

This little island in Lake Maggiore gives visitors a chance to look out on the lake and see some of the wildlife present within it. A bench, information signs, and artwork make Lake Maggiore Island a favorite stopping place for many people. There are also canoes here and a canoe launch, used in one of the nature programs at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve.

From the bridge leading to the island, you can see Tropicana Field where the Tampa Bay Rays play baseball as well as the St. Pete skyline. Some of the plants found here show how quickly and ruthlessly exotic plants can take over. The heliconia found near the bridge is native to South America. The water hyacinth, though pretty, is not native to Florida and is illegal to own without a permit because of its invasive nature. Water hyacinth can double in coverage in as little as two weeks. They must be managed because:

• Water-hyacinth mats lower dissolved oxygen concentrations, damaging fish populations.
• One acre of water-hyacinth can deposit as much as 500 tons of rotting plant material on the bottom of a waterway each year.
• Water-hyacinth mats can increase flooding in rivers and canals by forming dams.
• Water-hyacinth mats provide ideal breeding environments for mosquitoes.
• Water-hyacinth populations decrease biodiversity in Florida.

The staff and volunteers at Boyd Hill work tirelessly to eradicate non-native and invasive plants in the park in their efforts to return the park to a natural state.

Live Oak Trail

From the island, I hooked up with the Main Trail again then diverted onto the Live Oak Trail. Oak canopies are some of my favorite things to see in nature and this trail didn’t disappoint. Any time I hike on oak hammocks like this, I imagine it’s the kind of place our native tribes would have chosen for a home 1000+ years ago.

Towards the end of the Live Oak Trail, I found a manmade pond and weir in a dried creek. The sign near the weir explained:

A weir (also known as a lowhead dam) is a small overflow-type dam commonly used to raise the level of a river or stream. Weirs have traditionaly been used to create mill ponds in such places. Water flows over the top of the weir, although some weirs have sluice gates which release water at a level below the top of the weir. The crest of an overflow spillway on a large dam is often called a weir. The one here was built in the early days of the preserve when the effort was to create a different environment than the natural “Real Florida.” Its function was to keep the water in the man made pond at a certain level.

One of the sights that really surprised me was the field of Biden’s alba. Also called Spanish needles, these are most often pulled by homeowners, often with a bit of cursing and weed-calling, because their long, thin seed pods tend to stick to pants, socks, shoes, and dog coats. They are a nightmare to get off of clothing and pets; however, Biden’s is also a native Florida wildflower and a pollinator favorite among our native bees and butterflies. I let them grow in patches in my yard and have learned to find the beauty in them. So when I saw them growing in a giant field beneath oak trees, I was mesmerized. I had no idea they would grow like this!

Lakeside Trail

The Live Oak Trail ended at the Lakeside Trail. Rather than returning to the Main Trail a few yards away, I decided to continue by the lake. The Lakeside Trail doesn’t show much of Lake Maggiore. Most of the shoreline is overgrown, and oak trees line the trail. It was a very pretty walk which drops you off on the Center Loop at the far end of the preserve.

Along some of it I saw what I believe is elderberry but I know there’s a toxic look-alike so I didn’t risk trying any of the delicious-looking berries I found along the trail. As much as I needed something to eat and a much bigger water bottle, eating something toxic simply wasn’t on my to-do list for the day.

Finishing my Walk at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve

The Center Trail and eastern portion of the Main Trail pass through the hot uplands of the park. By this point, I was ready to be back in my car with AC and lots of water. I expected water along the way to refill my bottle, not realizing those water spots noted on the map are temporary water stations. There was no water along any of the trails. It was also pretty hot in the sun on the walk back. Next time, I’ll walk out on the uplands trails and come back to the entrance along the shadier lake side trails.

On the way back to the entrance, I passed the soccer fields that occupy a portion of the park.

I made a stop at Wax Myrtle Pond and rested for awhile on one of the benches there. The path there is partially paved and leads to a bluff overlooking the pond. It was a quiet and pretty spot to stop.

If you visit Boyd Hill Nature Preserve, be sure to let the kids play on the playground…

And go meet the birds which live in the preserve’s aviary. I took many more photos. You can see them on Flickr or on Facebook.

Plan Your Visit to Boyd Hill Nature Preserve

There isn’t a lot to plan yet here’s some information you need to know before you go.

How do I get to Boyd Hill?

The preserve is located in south St. Petersburg. It’s easy to get to from I-275.

• Main entrance: 1101 Country Club Way S, St. Petersburg
• Check the website for the most up-to-date information

How much does it cost to enter?

Admission is $3 for adults and $1.50 for children. Kids under 3 are free. Parking is free.

Are dogs allowed at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve?

No, dogs are not allowed at this park.

Are the trails ADA compliant?

Yes, many of the trails at Boyd Hill are ADA compliant.

Are bicycles allowed on the trails?

Yes, non-motorized bikes are allowed on the trails at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve.

What should I bring with me?

• Water. Do NOT forget your water
• Bug spray
• Camera/phone to take photos
• Sunscreen
• A snack

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Hiking Resources:

Hiking Boots: My go-to hiking boot is Merrell’s Waterproof Hiking Boot. It’s extremely comfortable, lightweight, and water-resistant – perfect for Florida!

Hiking Day Pack: This daypack from Waterfly has been the best addition to my outdoor gear this year. I often take my camera and phone as well as the water we have to have in Florida’s heat. This pack is lightweight and has tons of pockets for storing everything I need to take with me.

Swell Water Bottle: I most often take my Swell bottles with me because they keep water cold, a must for me when hiking in Florida’s heat.

Collapsible Water Bottle: This is a great water bottle to keep in a hiking pack and fill at home or keep in the car in case you forget your Swell bottle at home.

Walking Poles: Though Florida’s mostly flat, there are places and times when walking poles are useful. I love these for their durability and because they’re collapsible so are easy to carry and store.

Hotels: We use Booking.com for lodging when we’re ready to compare and book hotels.