Walsingham Park — Attraction in Seminole

A great park for company picnics, birthdays, extensive hiking and biking trails, and freshwater fishing. Sports a large dog area on the west side and a boat ramp on the north end. No combustion motors, electric motors ok. Lots of widely spaced covered picnic shelters that can be reserved. Lake has large mouth bass.

This lake is part of the McKay Creek basin that runs from Seminole High school to Largo Hospital then out to McKay Creek Penisula across from Largo Hospital 2 on Indian Rocks Rd. Walsinham Road is a Dike from 125th street to 118th street. The spillway is accessible from a walkway going right over it to the west of the walsingham entrance feeding into Heritage Village canal.

Politics and History: This area was called "The Res" and was county land that was unofficially used for everything from model planes to horse back riding, fishing to submarine races, and everything in between. In the early 1980's that all changed. A lot of politics went into this park. The original entrance was to be off Vonn Road and 110th Ave. Then it was decided instead to move Botanical Gardens, then located at the south end of the property, to its new home to the north. The park was ultimately built with entrances on the north (Walsingham Rd.) and south (102nd Ave.) ends. You can still see remnants of the original gardens around the ponds between the bridge and 102nd Avenue. Delays in construction of the bridge permanently abandoned the 110th ave entrance, but not before 2 churches were built there. A few with political clout wanted the entire park to be a horse park, but after compromises the southwest portion of the park and another section of county property to the south of 102nd was set aside exclusively for the Walsingham Equestrian Society. The County actually owns all the land from Seminole High to Ridgecrest Park, and from there ownership switches to the City of Largo all the way to Largo Medical Center. Someone had some amazing foresight to buy what was once seen as unfarmable swamps. In the 1960's the two largest lakes were borrow pits. (Soil was removed as fill dirt for public works. The piles of soil remaining between 110th Ave and the little league fields are from park construction, not from the lakes excavation.) During this time the park attracted a huge group of off-road dirt bike enthusiasts. When plans were first announced to close the undeveloped park to off-road motor bikes for a dedicated equestrian park, an organized effort was made to set aside part or all of the park for bikers. A compromise park was offered across the county at 28th street and 110th Avenue. Sadly Pinellas County reversed course and closed the park after only a couple of years with no improvements for parking or anything. Also some people would go to the res for target practice. With politicians living nearby this inspired a ban on discharging any weapons in Pinellas. The trail that winds behind the athletic fields was the original road into the west side Res created by the power company to maintain a section of lines there. And finally a rumor that has persisted since the 1970's. It is said there is still an old crane in the largest lake near the little league field. It was inundated during a tropical storm. It was abandoned rather than drain the...

Walsingham Park isn’t just a park—it’s an enchanted realm where nature and tranquility collide in a symphony of pure bliss. The moment you step onto its sacred trails, the outside world melts away, replaced by a wonderland of towering oaks, whispering pines, and shimmering lakes that seem to hold the secrets of the universe.

The air? Crisp, clean, and infused with the earthy perfume of adventure. The trails? Endless pathways of possibility, winding through a dreamscape where every turn reveals a new masterpiece of nature. Majestic herons glide effortlessly over the water, turtles bask like tiny sun-worshippers, and squirrels—those mischievous little forest jesters—dart through the trees like woodland acrobats.

And the lake—oh, the lake! A mirror of serenity where fishermen cast their lines as if summoning ancient aquatic deities, while kayakers drift across its glassy surface, caught between reality and a Bob Ross painting. Sunsets here don’t just happen—they erupt in golden flames, reflecting off the water in a celestial display that could make even the most hardened city dweller shed a tear.

Whether you’re here to hike, bike, picnic, or simply exist in the divine embrace of Mother Nature, Walsingham Park isn’t just a destination—it’s a sanctuary for the soul. Five stars? No. Five...

Very nice trail. The asphalt sections are mostly in Good to Very Good condition (some root bumps here and there). The concrete sections are Excellent. The trail has around 1000 feet of in-park, on-road riding. Cars seem to be very courteous and obey the park's 15 mph speed limit. Some blind-curve road crossings on the trail; please observe the stop and warning signs on the trail, as they are there for good reason! The trail section along Walsingham Road, outside the park is in Fair condition - expect a rough ride.

Hiking is great - areas of sun and shade keep the experience comfortable. Bring water!

Biking is also great. Be observant at all times and keep to the right, as road bikes and ebikes sometimes go much faster than the 10 mph trail speed limit - surprises pop up around curvy portions of the trail!

Finally, trail direction signs are non-existent and it's easy to mistake a spur trail leading to a highway for the loop trail. I always use a GPS trail map to stay on the right path. One huge plus is that the park loop is easily accessible from the Pinellas Trail. The main entrance is ¼ mile West of the Trail along the wide sidewalk of Walsingham Road. This makes the park an excellent place for a bathroom, water or shade break.

Or perhaps a good spot...