Pinellas Trail — 47 Miles of Gulf-Coast Rail-Trail Riding

You start at the sponge docks. Tarpon Springs, north end of Pinellas County, the smell of fried calamari and saltwater drifting off the boats. Mile Marker 0 of the Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail is half a block from the waterfront. From here it’s 47 paved miles south to downtown St. Petersburg.

The Withlacoochee runs through forest. The Pinellas runs through towns. That’s the whole difference. If Withlacoochee is the introvert’s rail-trail, Pinellas is the extrovert’s — six cities, a dozen breweries, a sponge dock at the north end and a waterfront pier at the south, and on any given Saturday a few thousand people somewhere on the asphalt with you.

What it is

A 47-mile linear paved rail-trail on the former Atlantic Coast Line Railroad right-of-way, completed in phases from 1990 to 1995, named for Pinellas County commissioner Fred Marquis. Pinellas County manages it. Entry is free.

The corridor is fifteen feet of asphalt the whole way — wider than most rail-trails — and runs roughly north-south through six cities: Tarpon Springs (MM 0), Dunedin (MM 8), Clearwater (MM 16), Largo (MM 26), Seminole (MM 32), and into St. Petersburg (MM 40-47). It parallels the Gulf coast a few miles inland, never quite touching the water but never far from it either.

Connector trails branch off: the Pinellas Bayway, Bayshore Boulevard, and the Friendship Trail across the old Skyway Bridge approach. A ferry from Dunedin gets you onto Honeymoon Island State Park if you want to combine the ride with a beach day.

What you do

You pick a section, or you commit to the whole thing.

End-to-end takes 5 to 8 hours at a 12-15 mph pace, plus another 2-3 hours if you actually stop for the towns — and you should. Dunedin’s downtown stretch (MM 8) is the most popular for a reason: craft breweries on both sides of the trail, cafes with bike racks at the door, a half-mile of shaded brick-paved main street that feels nothing like the strip-mall Florida around it.

Most people don’t ride the full 47. They pick a 15-to-25 mile out-and-back from one of the trailhead parking lots — Tarpon Springs to Dunedin (16 miles round-trip), Dunedin to Clearwater (16), Largo to St. Pete (28). E-bikes have changed the math here; a comfort e-bike from Trek Bicycle Dunedin or Bicycle Outfitters in St. Pete ($40-45/day) makes a one-way 47 genuinely doable for anyone who can sit on a saddle for five hours.

Folding bikes are the local hack: ride one-way, fold it up, ride-share back. Saves the shuttle logistics.

Food and water are never more than a few miles away through the town sections. The rural-ish gaps — between Tarpon Springs and Dunedin, and between Seminole and St. Pete — are short enough you won’t run dry.

Conditions, honestly

Flat. Genuinely flat. Mostly shaded through the town sections, more open through the suburban stretches in Largo and Seminole. The pavement is in good shape, recently resurfaced in patches after Hurricane Idalia (August 2023) closed several sections for about four weeks.

Crowds are real. Saturday and Sunday between 9 AM and 3 PM, the Dunedin and Clearwater sections get genuinely busy — kids, dogs, training groups, e-bike tourists. Weekday mornings and any time after 4 PM are quiet. If you want to ride hard, go early.

Thirty-plus road crossings — most signalled, a few still risky. The US-19 underpass closes during named-storm events; check the county trail page after any tropical system before you commit to a long ride. The locals know which crossings to slow at; out-of-towners learn fast.

Wildlife is there if you look: gopher tortoise on the verges, osprey overhead, occasional manatee in the Dunedin canals where the trail crosses water. November through April is the window — no thunderstorms, low humidity, no mosquitoes. May to October is rideable at 7 AM and miserable by noon.

What it’s not

This isn’t Withlacoochee. There’s no continuous forest canopy, no central-Florida wilderness feel. You’re in suburban Florida for most of the 47 miles, with strip malls visible from the trail in stretches.

It’s also not a coastal beach trail. The Gulf is a few miles west of the corridor — close, but you won’t see it from the saddle except at a couple of bridge crossings.

If you came expecting either of those, recalibrate.

What it IS

It’s the most-used paved trail in Florida, and central Florida’s best urban rail-trail. The combination of six walkable downtowns strung along 47 miles of car-free pavement is genuinely rare. You can build a weekend around it — sponge boats Friday night, ride 16 miles to Dunedin for craft beer Saturday, ride 16 more to Clearwater for lunch, ferry to Honeymoon Island Sunday morning.

Bring a non-cyclist friend. Park in Dunedin. Ride 4 miles north to Crystal Beach, 4 miles back, lunch at one of the downtown cafes. They’ll be planning the next trip before dinner.

Practical card

• Where: Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail. North trailhead: Tarpon Springs sponge docks area (28.1450, -82.7569). South: downtown St. Petersburg waterfront.
• Distance: 47 miles end-to-end. 15-30 mile day rides are typical.
• Time: 5-8 hours one-way at 12-15 mph; add 2-3 hours for town stops.
• Surface: 100% paved asphalt, 15 ft wide.
• Cost: Free.
• Best season: November-April.
• Rentals: Trek Bicycle Dunedin, Bicycle Outfitters (St. Pete), Suncoast Cyclery. $25-45/day, e-bikes available, one-way drop-offs by arrangement.
• Map: pinellascounty.org/parks/pinellastrail (free PDF).
• Combine with: Honeymoon Island SP ferry (Dunedin), Fort De Soto (St. Pete area), Tarpon Springs sponge boat tours.