Free or Almost Free,Kids Activity Ideas,Nature and Parks

Largo Central Nature Preserve

By St Petersburg Realtor, Mike BraswellPublished On: May 21st, 2021

Largo Central Nature Preserve

Published on 05/21/21: This past weekend, we were excited to roam the Largo Central Nature Preserve with friends who knew the area. Expectations for seeing animals were still tempered though, as we’ve adventured quite a bit locally with only sporadic wild animal sightings. Could it be that Colt gives them a 5-minute lead time before we arrive? Time to evacuate far away from the [now] 6 year old man child*, karate kicking and spinning his way through the trail. Yes, however things were different at Largo Nature Preserve!

Animal Sightings

The stars aligned and we saw quite a few wild animals! The trails led us to within 10-15 feet of ie a large gator, turtles, friendly raccoon, rabbit, fish, ducks and ducklings. There’s a cool boardwalk following the edge of a lake, providing an opportunity to see a number of the animals mentioned above.

LNP is 31 acres and mostly surrounded by water. “The park is home to hundreds of wildlife species for viewing. Over 130 species of birds, otters, red fox, American alligator, marsh rabbits, wild turkey, and bats all feed or live within the park.” There’s also a 5-mile kayak/canoe route which begins at the park and ends at Park Blvd. Need to check that out sometime, after a family discussion around the hefty gator. I’m not so sure my argument that they’re “more afraid of us than we are of them” applies to gators?

Few of the park’s features per Largo.com:
-Over 40 interpretive displays
-2 story observation tower
-Boardwalks
-3/4 mile asphalt, walk, bike, skate trail
-Native wildflower plantings, mixed hardwood swamp
-YMCA butterfly garden

Hidden RC Airfield!

Our friends also knew of a cool airfield for RC airplanes! This adjacent area is used by the Largo Flying Club. Aviation enthusiasts who share their love of flying together. My dad (poppy) is a retired Navy/Delta pilot so we love airplanes in our house! Finding the airfield made the day even better.
*Man child: brain in existence for 5-6 yrs, yet body as large as an 8-9 yr old. Thus the “take it easy, dude!” you might hear if you see us out and about.

Google Reviews: 872 reviews with a 4.7/5 average

Address: 150 Highland Ave N, Largo, FL

Phone: 727-893-7441

Website: Largo Central Nature Preserve

You’ll receive up to $10K at closing when you use my LovingStPete Team to buy or sell a property! I’m a St Petersburg Realtor, with over 25K people following my LovingStPete Guide on social media! My past includes developing a vacation rental advertising business that I ran for more than a decade, then sold to HomeAway/VRBO. I’d love to help you buy or sell a property, simply contact me.

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Written by : St Petersburg Realtor, Mike Braswell

Mike Braswell is a Tampa Bay Realtor, serving St Petersburg, Clearwater, all nearby beaches and more. Mike started LovingStPete in October of 2020 after a difficult year took its toll on local businesses. After being cooped up for portions of 2020 (lockdown) Mike and his son decided to get out and explore, helping spread the good word about the local area he loves so much. Often even doing gift card giveaways to support local. LovingStPete is now followed by over 48 thousand people on social media! The majority of posts are informative on fun parks, activities, day trips, great restaurants, and in general provide a comprehensive tour of the area!

Soon after receiving his bachelors in Management Information Systems, Mike developed and then operated a vacation rental advertising business for 10+ years as CEO/Owner. The business was eventually acquired by VRBO. Mike has earned the trust of many large clients over the years. Such as NFL, Wynn Resorts, Blue Cross Blue Shield, VISA, Genuine Parts Company (NAPA Auto Parts), AT&T, and other Fortune 500 companies.

When not spending time with his beautiful wife and energetic son, Mike enjoys boating and is also an avid tennis player. An interesting fact about Mike is that he grew up on an avocado farm with over 15 varieties, some of which you can find in our local Publix/Winn Dixie as his dad still farms the same farm at 87 years old!

Free or Almost Free,Kids Activity Ideas,Nature and Parks