Leisure Activities
In keeping with the year ‘round climate that area residents enjoy, each of the cities we cover offers an excellent recreation program with planned activities at many of its parks. Both Safety Harbor and Oldsmar have such outstanding Leisure Services programs in their many parks that “KaBOOM!” has recognized them among only 118 “Playful Cities” in the entire country. And what makes this even better is that the two cities have established a cooperative program through which residents of either city may enjoy all of the recreational services available in the other at the regular residents’ rate.
Dunedin also has an outstanding Leisure Services department and enjoys the 
additional advantage of being connected to Honeymoon Island and Caladesi Island State Parks. Its city parks offer diversified opportunities that recently were expanded with the addition of the new Josiah Cephas Weaver Park with a long fishing pier into St. Joseph Sound on the Intracoastal connecting into the Gulf of Mexico. The famed Clearwater Beach recently received recognition as America’s Best Beach in 2011 by coastal expert Dr. Stephen Leatherman, a distinction that Caladesi Island Beach enjoyed in 2008. Both beaches are consistently listed among the top ten in the country. For more information on Leisure Services, visit the individual city websites.
In addition to city recreational programs, residents of the area enjoy access to Pinellas County Parks, including the historic Philippe Park in Safety Harbor and the John B. Chestnut Park on beautiful Lake Tarpon. Several State Parks are also located within easy driving distance. Another nearby place to visit is Fort DeSoto State Park just north of St. Petersburg.
Bicycle Trails
The area offers numerous opportunities for bicycling enthusiasts to enjoy easy recreational rides filled with scenic beauty and native wildlife. Outstanding rides can be found on the Ream Wilson Trail and the Pinellas Trail. The Ream Wilson Trail officially resides in Clearwater, but it’s possible to start at Philippe Park in Safety Harbor, which adds about two more miles of lovely scenery to the 5.5 mile trail. The Pinellas Trail is a 34-mile-long paved trail open to bicyclists, joggers and walkers, and in-line skaters. Extending from Tarpon Springs to downtown St. Petersburg, the Pinellas Trail runs the gamut from laid-back and quiet to congested urban sidewalk. And the City of Oldsmar is currently in the process of developing a 10-mile trail to connect its ten city parks. The ride touches all of the city’s borders and will become a great way for area residents to visit Oldsmar parks.
Golf
East Lake Woodlands and Countryside country clubs both offer special tennis memberships to participate in busy tennis programs complete with professional instruction and tennis pro shops and a large number of courts in both locations. Safety Harbor Resort and Spa also has a large tennis facility as well, with seven Har-Tru courts for resort guests and for Spa members to enjoy.
The Park Districts in Safety Harbor, Oldsmar and Dunedin all have tennis court facilities available, along with instructional programs. Dunedin has courts in Highlander, Fisher and Virginia Parks, Safety Harbor’s courts are located in Bi-Centennial Park, and Oldsmar’s are in Marshall Street Park. Each of these cities offers special instructional programs and other tennis activities.
Tennis
East Lake Woodlands and Countryside country clubs both offer special tennis memberships to participate in busy tennis programs complete with professional instruction and tennis pro shops and a large number of courts in both locations. Safety Harbor Resort and Spa also has a large tennis facility as well, with seven Har-Tru courts for resort guests and for Spa members to enjoy.
The Park Districts in Safety Harbor, Oldsmar and Dunedin all have tennis court facilities available, along with instructional programs. Dunedin has courts in Highlander, Fisher and Virginia Parks, Safety Harbor’s courts are located in Bi-Centennial Park, and Oldsmar’s are in Marshall Street Park. Each of these cities offers special instructional programs and other tennis activities.
Other Recreational Facilities
Residents of Safety Harbor may join Safety Harbor Resort and Spa to enjoy all its facilities and services at a reduced rate. The spacious Aldila Spa facility at Safety Harbor Resort and Spa has 70,000 square feet of space and includes three swimming pools that have water from E Spiritu Santu Springs, “Where Healing Waters Flow®”
Excellent salt water and fresh water fishing opportunities are available in the area, and many people take advantage of the Marina Pier in Safety Harbor Marina Pier, the R.E. Olds Park Fishing Pier in Oldsmar and the pier in Weaver Park in Dunedin to fish when the tide is in. Area marinas have charter boats available for deep water fishing. Beaches on Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico are within easy driving distance for those who want to sun and swim.
Oldsmar is known throughout the state for its ice skating rink, Tampa Bay Skating Academy. This outstanding facility is used for hockey, figure skating competitions and simply for pleasure. Another small ice rink is located in the heart of nearby Countryside Mall. In addition, each Saturday during the summer months, the Tampa Bay Water Ski Show Team shows off its skills at Tower Lake in Oldsmar. Residents from throughout Tampa Bay participate on the team and may enjoy these free performances. And Oldsmar is home to Oldsmar BMX, one of the finest BMX facilities in the United States.
Spectator Sports
Area residents and visitors are able to watch the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League and Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Rays as well as the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League. All three are within less than an hour’s drive of the area. In addition, two minor league baseball teams are located in the immediate area. The Clearwater Phillies and the Dunedin Blue Jays are farm teams of the major league baseball teams from Philadelphia and Toronto. These teams appear in the local stadiums during spring training, but the minor league teams have full seasons with many special events for area residents to enjoy.
Tampa Bay Downs Racetrack is a popular attraction for residents and visitors alike. As the only American Thoroughbred horse racing facility on the west coast of Florida, Tampa Bay Downs is located in Oldsmar. The main track is a one mile (1.6 km) dirt oval. The turf course is seven furlongs and includes a quarter mile inner chute. Tampa Bay Downs provides Bay area sports fans with live racing action from December through May. The clubhouse also has a poker facility and is a site for Off-Track Betting throughout the year.
Volunteering & Community Service
Many of the services and activities available in our communities would not be possible without the efforts of the generous individuals who volunteer their help. Our many schools as well as Mease Hospital, houses of worship and service agencies along with a variety of city-sponsored programs benefit from volunteer assistance.
A list of some of the opportunities for Volunteering in Safety Harbor are listed on the City of Safety Harbor website. Similar listings can be found by contacting the cities of Oldsmar and Dunedin. Citizens may choose to work on Citizen Boards and Committees, exhibit art in one of the city-sponsored art or photography exhibits, serve as Recreation Volunteers in park district programs or as Library volunteers. High School students involved in Safety Harbor’s Bright Future program may also register at the city’s site. They must be at least 15 years old to participate and, after training, they help with Summer Camp Programs in the community.