One of the huge attractions of St. Petersburg is the abundance of water for sport and for play.  Within 30 minutes of us, people can get to the Gulf, the Bay, Hillsborough River, or any number of lakes.  And once they get to those bodies of water, there are any number of activities that they can engage in to enjoy the waterways.

One of my favorite water activities is getting out in our canoe.  Living in Northeast St. Petersburg, there are plenty of places that I can go to canoe, but one of my favorite areas is the Weedon Island preserve, at the north and east end of the city,  just this side of the Gandy Bridge on the edge of Tampa Bay.  There’s a nice launch area, and parking just a few feet away, so it’s ideally suited to canoes and kayaks.  And, although you can just head out and paddle wherever you want, there are actually two canoe trails laid out, marked with numbered signs. They lead you through some areas of open water plus a lot of little canals that crisscross through the mangroves. It’s a beautiful place to go, and it truly feels as though you’re far away from city life, out in the wilderness. You can print out a map of the canoe trail, just for moral support, at this link. But there’s no need to – the trail is clearly marked from start to finish.

If you don’t own a canoe, there is a local outfitter that has a roadside rental concession just a short distance before the launch point. If you drive toward the launch point on Weedon Island, you’ll find the outfitter and you can rent a canoe or a kayak.

To get to Weedon Island, you can either turn east off of 4th Street North onto 83rd Avenue, continue on as it turns into Patica Rd NE, then turn onto Weedon Drive NE – you’ll see a sign pointing the way. Or you can turn south onto San Martin Drive off of Gandy Blvd (just east of Derby Lane Dog Track) and then turn onto Weedon Drive NE when you see the sign. It’s a fun adventure, it doesn’t cost much, it’s good for your soul, and it’s right here in St. Petersburg!