St. Pete is home to more than 150 parks, offering a wide variety of possible activities. There are more than 100 picnic areas, 80 playgrounds, 44 miles of fitness trails, 30 basketball courts, 21 boat ramps, 11 softball fields, six dog parks, five beaches, three skate parks, two disc-golf courses, and one jai-alai court. We also have 76 tennis courts. 33 football/soccer fields, 31 baseball fields, nine volleyball courts, four historic sites, three nature preserves, and one splash pad. And, still, there’s more! Simply put, choose an activity (or choose to just relax) and there’s a city park that fits your needs.
No Exaggeration: This Park Has Everything But a Beach
Walter Fuller Park, at 7891 26th Ave. N, has numerous offerings, including abundant parking and restrooms. With a beautiful lake and a full-service pool, it has gorgeous water views and ample opportunities for swimming and sunbathing. Its recreation center, dog park, recreation trails, sport complex, and numerous shelters provide myriad spaces for moving, learning, or lounging. Add in some art and a bit of St. Pete history.
A Bit of St. Pete History
Walter Fuller Park is named for two men: H. Walter Fuller and his son Walter P. Fuller. The senior Fuller moved here in 1907, bought thousands of acres of undeveloped real estate and extended Central Avenue and the trolley car line to Boca Ciega Bay. His son followed in his father’s developer footsteps. At various times, he owned more than 3,200 acres in St. Petersburg. He developed the Jungle area, including the Jungle Prada restaurant and hotel, and the infamous Gangplank nightclub. Eventually, much of that land would be lost during one of St. Pete’s numerous busts. Today, Walter Fuller Park sits amidst those once wild Jungle acres.
Recreation Center & Sports Complex
The recreation center, situated on the east side of the 133-acre park, offers classes, elementary and teen programs and leagues, indoor basketball, volleyball and pickleball courts, and community rental rooms. It’s also home of the Green Thumb Festival, an annual Arbor Day event that features environmental and horticultural exhibits, plant vendors, a diagnostic clinic, recycling rally, free mulch, tree and plant sales and auction, tool sharpening booth, entertainment, children’s programs, and more. If outdoor sports are your thing, Walter Fuller Park has pickleball and tennis courts, four football/soccer fields (with lights at two of them), and five baseball fields.
Take a Walk. Enjoy the View
A nearly 2-mile-long sidewalk encompasses the park. One of the park’s best features, however, is the shorter paved nature trail surrounding the beautiful Jungle Lake. With lots of mature trees along the way, it offers lovely (and often shaded) views of the lake, landscaped grounds, and numerous sculptures. Three shelters facing the lake along the trail provide shady seats for even better views of the abundant birds and turtles enjoying the park both in and out of the water. This trail also provides easy access to three shaded picnic shelters, two playgrounds, the dog park, and restrooms.
For more information about Walter Fuller Park or any other of St. Pete’s many other parks, visit www.stpeteparksrec.org or call (727) 893-7441.
