My recent visit to Sawgrass Lake Park left me with mixed feelings. On one hand, the natural beauty of the park is undeniable. The abundant wildlife and the serene surroundings are a testament to the park's potential. However, my experience was somewhat dampened by the fact that a significant portion of the trail has been closed for an extended period. This limitation made it difficult to explore the park fully and enjoy all it has to offer. The open sections of the park were still enjoyable, with the observation towers providing stunning views of the lake and the wildlife. The informative signs along the trail added an educational element to the visit, which I appreciated. I hope that the closed trail sections can be reopened soon to allow visitors to fully appreciate the park's beauty. Once that issue is resolved, Sawgrass Lake Park has the potential to be a top-notch destination for nature lovers and birdwatchers. Despite my mixed experience, I would still recommend a visit, especially if you're patient and willing to explore the open areas of the park.

Beautiful park with a nice boardwalk for most of the trail. We got to see a gator right next to the watchtower, as well as one swimming across the lake. There were a lot of turtles, too, both hard- and soft-shell.

Definitely worth it. I spent about 1.5 hrs here and did all 3 trails. Most of it is the boardwalk...hammock trail is dirt. Good to have a screenshot of the trail map prior to going... I saw..fish, turtles, alligators, birds, butterflies. Keep your eyes peeled, there is a lot here. Parking is free. No issues (on a Monday) here...hidden gem.

This is my happy place. The trails are not too long so it’s perfect for a good 45 minute walk if you go through the entire trail. So many adorable animals. I’ve seen armadillos and bunnies.

Very beautiful park. Mostly boardwalk and very well kept. Saw alligators, multiple different turtles, birds, and the outlook was beautiful. They also had a tower overlook which was nice. The picnic tables near the boardwalks have a few games to play with friends which is nice, and a little information building w a/c, bathrooms, and water. Overall a very nice park.

This place is awesome! We hiked around the entire park. They put a lot of work into this place to build all the board walks that go through the swamp and over the water. They close the board walks at 7:30 and the park at 8PM. And we saw some pretty cool stuff, from alligators to baby birds in their nests! This place is definitely worth checking out. Free parking! This is a gem for the area! A must check out for a shorter hike. I give this place two thumbs up!

Much of the trails are under the shade of trees. Restrooms available, trails are well-kept. We saw several baby gators and many beautiful birds, some fish and 2 types of turtles!

We were on a family trip to Orlando but the boys wanted to see alligators. We found this great place doing some research. It didn't disappoint! We walked through all 3 trails and stopped at the overlook tower. We thought we were going home with only seeing a baby alligator. On our way out, near where we started ( over the first bridge ) we saw a nice big alligator. If I had to guess I'd say 6 or 7 feet. I unfortunately cannot upload my videos . Everyone was very excited. We saw what ee came to see! We never felt in danger at any time. I suggest if you don't want to walk the whole trail, stay by the entrance on the bridge , they swim right under it. During our little hike we also saw alligator gar (and other fish) many birds, turtles, butterflies and other little critters . Overall was a nice experience that didn't take up alot of time!

Your need for nature is met here. A sliver of wild within the hustle and bustle. Just enough even, to find yourself wondering the seemingly endless trails with the sounds of frogs, locusts and lizards scuttling along the leaves and branches. It's nice to have seclusion. Walk the winding path, take in deep breaths and smile my friend

Such a fun time for me, my boys, and our homeschool group! Beautiful boardwalk and nature trail with an overlook. Great hills to roll down and a Game Center set up on the picnic tables with chess, connect 4, and Lincoln logs

Great place to spend an hour or two walking and wildlife viewing. There is a mile boardwalk that winds along the lake. Easy to spot wildlife. Entry is free and there are clean restrooms. Some picnic tables. The park is 15 minutes from downtown St Petersburg.

Always delightful and pleasant walk. Lots of birds and flowering plants. Sad to see lubbers are there as they are invasive defoliaters. The interpretive center is getting rundown. Boardwalks in good shape.

Very cool park, feels out of the way and quiet. I like that they don't allow dogs. Didn't see any gators but plenty of birds and other wildlife. People unfortunately are pretty trashy and do leave their garbage lying around, though. I guess they need a couple trash cans on the boardwalk itself

*update* - Ranger arrived immediately and expressed genuine concern. He confirmed, "We don't tag the gators. It's definitely NOT supposed to be there." The Pinellas park officials are very responsive and friendly when contacting. I reached out because several of us saw something around this Big Guy's neck. We couldn't tell if it's a tag, meant to be there, or if he got himself into some garbage. Looks like it could possibly be a pallet/box tie or zip tie that could choke him as he grows. If it's not meant to be there, it'd be really neat to see the rescue operation of Park Rangers getting that thing off the gator. *IF that's the same Big Guy gator that hangs out at the Tower (Sawgrass), that definitely was not around his neck in my previous photos and video of just a couple or few weeks ago.

A very nice park to walk through. It also has an observation tower which allows for an overhead, 360-view. The boardwalk is well-maintained and allows for an easy walk through the nature. I didn't see any wildlife except for a few birds, but the trees were still nice to look at.

I recently discovered this park and really enjoyed it. The entrance is in a residential neighborhood, so please be considerate of the people who live there. The park is being revamped. There are picnic areas, playgrounds, walking trails, and cool tables with games. I have visited twice for birdwatching and have seen several species. There is a lot of road noise from the highway, but it is very enjoyable, nonetheless.

Great boardwalk and paved paths for a hike full of birds, turtles, and an alligator (far from path). Currently the main large loop is closed for construction but the small loop was still an enjoyable walk.

A gem hidden in a St.Petersburg subdivision that features rolling fields, a science center, an extensive boardwalk through the woods and along the estuary like canals leading to a lake, that can be observed from a tower. The Park Service maintains the beauty of the natural flora, and provides areas one can rest and observe their surroundings. Water Hyacinth, evening primrose, all manner of ferns and oaks line the boardwalk. Over the years I have seen alligators, hawks, and eagles and otters.

Beautiful place for a walk. We almost always see alligators, turtles, gopher tortoises, armadillos, moore hens, and all kinds of butterflies. Watch out for copius spiderwebs on the boardwalk railing! Has public restrooms and drinking fountains. Retro creepy stuffed animals are a plus, as well as the educational plaques.

We had a wonderful stroll on all of the trails and boardwalks after a picnic of sushi at one of the shelters near the Hammock Trail. Sightings of several species of turtles, only one alligator today, armadillo, egret, blue heron, Moorhens, Cormorant, Anhingas drying their wings in the sun, quite a large Orb Weaver spider, a grazing Gopher tortoise near his clearly marked protected burrow... missed out on seeing the diamond back rattlesnake by a few minutes. Clean bathroom facilities, picnic tables and benches throughout the park. Handicap accessible boardwalks. Enough space for to enjoy a peaceful experience. Highly suggest for adventurers of all ages.

Super cool location with lots of wildlife. Nice spot to eat lunch and then take a quick stroll. Trail is short but scenic and alligator filled. The tower is great and everything seems well maintained.

VERY trashy park! Trash, down trees, broken pieces of the boardwalk, and cones NOT NICE TO LOOK AT A handful of baby gators was nice even though they where laying on trash JUST SAD

THIS PLACE IS SO RELAXING AND AWESOME! FEED THE BIRDS ALSO THE TURTLES. ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF TURTLES IN ONE AREA. PUBLIC RESTROOMS INDOORS AS WELL. EXOTIC WILD LIFE SUCH AS EAGLES AND THE CUTEST OWLS!! STAFF IS AMAZING AND THEIR RELATED SIBLINGS AND THEIR PARENTS VOLUNTEER THERE AND THE OWLS MAKE A LOVELY SOUND WHEN THEY LEAVE THE BUILDING LIKE THEIR SAD. I WANT TO VISIT WITHOUT MY KIDS SO I CAN JUST MEDITATE AND RELAX. THE KIDS LOVE IT AND ITS A OBSTACLE COURSE THERE AS WELL 5 STARS

Incredibly fun and scenic! blue water and crystal clear, they do a real good job keeping the place clean, i went in November and i seen so many fish, birds and Manatees.

This is a nice park with easy walking and hiking trails. Beautiful lake and opportunity to spot alligators. There is a nice look out tower. We saw the cutest baby alligator! But didn’t see any adult alligators. Lovely for a stroll anytime.

Take yourself away from the hustle and bustle of big city life with a walk at Sawgrass Lake Park. You can take 2 trails with different terrain, see wildlife, have a picnic, enjoy the butterfly garden, and even play some games at the picnic tables. Look high and low, you never know what you will see.

Amazing place to go on a easy hike. You will see some wildlife too. We walked for about a mile and half and it was awesome. Must checkout if you are passing by and have some time on hand!!

Gorgeous and peaceful views, quiet, clean boardwalk path, well maintained, lovely trees, saw some wild life, birds and turtle, nice walk around about 1.5 miles of boardwalk.

Interesting little park literally in the middle of some neighborhoods and interstate 275. We took the boardwalk trail right from the visitor center. Center has restrooms. Did not get to see any gators, but from the reviews, they are in the park. Saw various birds and turtles and overall nice and relaxing. The trail was about a half-mile round-trip. There is plenty of free parking.

A beautiful place for locals and tourists! If you want some quiet time, bird watching etc.; I recommend going there on an early morning/afternoon weekday. The weekends are usually crowded with people/groups. It tends to get pretty loud and depending what you’re there to see, that may scare the “nature” away. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see a gator right away! You need to take the time out to look high and low! Take more than ten minutes, stay in one spot and hopefully you will see something.

It's a great walking path, I've walked it almost every day lately after my heart surgery. Other than the boardwalk it's all untamed nature as it should be there's alligators and babies near the overlook towers birds of all kinds, even the occasional harmless spider. It's handicap accessible all the way around just a nice place to get some literal fresh air and away from the city.

Great place to do so I'm walking. Also really great place to take pictures of wildlife. Park is well maintained. Clean public restrooms. Several places to grill and tables available. No reservations first come first use.

First time here. Unfortunately, all trails were closed. We were told by the construction crew that trails will not be open for two weeks. If you do come, my suggestion is to bring water and binoculars. Just by doing the short walk we saw lots of birds and turtles.