Weedon Island Preserve, Protected coastal area in Pinellas County, Florida.

Weedon Island Preserve is a protected coastal area spanning several thousand acres in Pinellas County with mangrove swamps, salt marshes, and upland forest zones along Tampa Bay. The landscape transitions through different habitats that support a wide variety of fish, birds, and other wildlife.

Weedon Island Preserve was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on June 13, 1972, as a designated archaeological area with shell mounds left by peoples who lived on the land for thousands of years. Florida bought the island and its surrounding islands in 1974, opened them for public use in December 1980, and in 1993 leased the preserve to Pinellas County for management.

The Cultural and Natural History Center, opened in December 2002 with support from the Friends of Weedon Island and run by Pinellas County, holds an exhibit hall with interactive displays on the preserve's wildlife and its ancient and present-day history. Among the objects shown is a 40-foot dugout canoe found on the preserve, estimated at 1,100 years old and linked to the Manasota people.

Weedon Island Preserve offers 4.7 miles of nature trails: 2 miles of boardwalks and paved, ADA-accessible paths, plus 2.7 miles of natural loops. The 3,000-foot Tower Boardwalk leads to a 45-foot observation tower, with three more platforms along the trails. A 4-mile self-guided South Paddling Trail winds through mangrove tunnels, and fishing is possible from the pier at the end of Weedon Drive NE.

The preserve serves as a natural buffer zone that protects nearby communities from storm surge and flooding during severe weather. The mangrove swamps and marshes slow down water movement and reduce the force of storms before they reach inland areas.