John Chesnut Sr. Park
2200 East Lake Road
Palm Harbor, FL 34685

park diagram/amenities/restroom info gmap

Laurel wilt at Chesnut Park

 

 

Audio tour of park

This park is home to various wildlife including raccoons, alligators, various waterfowl, hawks, vultures, tortoises/turtles, and more. This provides many pleasant hours for nature enthusiasts and families.

 

Lake Tarpon, immediately adjacent, is five miles long and one mile wide, generally 8-12 feet deep. Lake Tarpon can accommodate boats with combustion engines. Additionally, the canoe trail is a landlocked waterway connected to an interior lake, but can only accommodate non-combustion engines.

 

For those who prefer sports, the park has a softball field—bring your own equipment. There are three nature trails, each approximately 3,000 feet in length. The North Trail begins at Shelter #10, running through a cypress swamp to the canoe trail—it does not loop back. The Peggy Park Trail features a self-guided nature trail. The elevated boardwalk runs along the boat ramp, leading to an elevated lookout tower for a scenic overview of Lake Tarpon. Swimming is prohibited inside the park.

Amenities:

• 13 picnic shelters with grills
• boat ramp (fee charged)

  Restroom Update As an additional cost-saving measure, some restrooms in county parks are closed weekdays. However, facilities near most popular user areas remain open during all hours of park operation. All restrooms in county parks will be open on weekends. See park diagram for details

• two playgrounds
• horseshoe pits
• softball field
• water fountains
• restrooms
• dog park
• Lake Tarpon, Pinellas County: open to fishing.
  • Trotlines may be used from sunset until 9 a.m. Sunday through Thursday.
  • No bag limit for channel catfish.

History/Orientation:

John Chesnut Sr. Park was built in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It covers approximately 255 acres and is conveniently located near communities of Palm Harbor and Tarpon Springs, serving north Pinellas County.

Who was John Chesnut Sr.?

This park was named in honor of John Chesnut, Sr., Pinellas County Commissioner from 1937 until 1953. Organizer of the Pinellas County Park Board, Mr. Chesnut worked tirelessly to make access to county parks easy for residents. In addition to parks, Mr. Chesnut worked to build the Belleair Beach Causeway and the first Sunshine Skyway Bridge. He also worked to make possible the Gulf Beaches water system. His son, John Chesnut Jr., also served on the Board of County Commissioners from 1976 until 1992.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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