The moneys been put in the box at the booth, it's five bucks and The Honor System is used - thena…read moreseries of slow winding snake turns up the next half mile past the canoe launch and into the parking lot & picnic area where there's also a little playground set up for screaming kids. Last week we explored to the East, logic dictates we head West because there's more land, more trails and a brisk twenty minutes in, past the equestrian area and I had wished I brought my compass . So I looked to the sun, it was my nearing 9:45AM so I made a quick little sundial and determined my bearings, keeping the rays at my right shoulder, a tall pine in the distance for extra measure. So quickly the terrain can change from soft and slow white sand to fast packed non-silty soil to brown and boggy muddy to green and lush all within a stones throw in any direction. Know this friends - you'll be given no help from signage - only arrows , there are numbers from 15 to 3 - yet, not telling ya anything at all - no maps at the gate, nobody in the booth at the gate - nobody official looking around, so be aware of that if you want to see beyond the next turn. Getting turned around is easier than going straight towards the trails end. I assumed that the 15 I saw, then the 7 I saw then the 3&4 means I'd be on a cylindrical circumnavigation - looping back to the pavement that takes you in and separated the two very different sides of the park. We came up on Dude Lake and here in this primitive shallow shored lake - along with birds, turtles are sounds unique to my ears, movements in the brush that have the dogs diving into and thrashing within - only to pop out from the other side dumbfounded and disappointed. There are things that are unseen underneath - human penetration is virtually impossible without damaging the plants, vines and thick green entanglements. I believe these are small creatures, whatever they are but emit the most beautiful sounds, whatever they are.

Nice area to go camping. The rangers explained where to go and bathroom has easy access to find.read more

We didn't realize this beautiful area was right here all along. We drive through the gate which…read moretook us to another area for parking and a walk through gate. There are several different habitats and a nice trail to hike along. There is some noise from nearby roads. The old oak trees with Spanish moss draped limbs next to the clear water flowing creek was our favorite part!

Great place for wildlife photography. Otters, Lots of birds, eagles, owls and a lot more. Birders…read moreand hikers are friendly.

Went here recently, nice little mini beach. Sat for awhile, watched the boats, overhead planes, and…read morepeople. Got my groove on. $2 entrance fee not bad. Plenty of parking. They also have some trails to walk nearby , and a park. Opens up to the bay eith a great view from the beach and lets you get your "chill" on! Very relaxing

Beautiful place. There are little picnic areas. A nice little beach and trails. You can sit there…read moreall day and look out on the bay.

This is such a beautiful and well kept trail. I love taking my pups here for a nice walk with such…read morelovely surroundings! Everyone seems to do a wonderful job of cleaning up after their dogs too so it is a community effort and I love it!

Nice wide trails that two people can walk side by side. Dog friendly so bring your canine, but…read moredon't forget a leash. Not much shade and very sandy so make sure to bring some water. My favorite part is the pine tree area near the pond. The pine tree needles lay on the ground and when the wind blows the sound is melodic blowing through the pine trees. There is one picnic table to sit on for a picnic, but try and ignore the graffiti. There is an area that's preserved and protected for Burrowing owls. I wish I could have seen one or two, but no luck this time. There is traffic noise and watch for what looks like a homeless individual who had ridden a bike in.

Great park with paved pathways & a raised boardwalk. Map at location and different map online made…read morenavigating difficult as far as where the raised boardwalk side was. Would've been nice for a sign at entrance to paths. Scens and views were great. Need sign explaining the orange water. No sounds of birds in our 90 minutes there. No gators, no turtles. Guy on cart driving around but not saying hello or checking in. Never found bathrooms. Parking is a reasonable $2. Some beautiful play equipment and an exercise court of assistive equipment for working out. Boardwalk beginning to sound rickety! Hope they check it regularly. Would be nice if a few plants/trees were labeled/classified. Eg. are the purple berries edible?? Love this park.

Beautiful new playground. Great "get out of the house for free" place for the kids. Lots of shaded…read morebenches for parents to sit. Nature trails for a walk. Even has a workout area for parents.

This preserve was a nice surprise. I never knew that a fresh spring lake was in this area and…read moreavailable for a dip. The water looked crystal clear and I'm sure it's the most refreshing during these hot summer months. Gorgeous beach area to kick back and enjoy the fresh air and water. There were a few trails available along a creek and the kids really enjoyed the scenic walks, views and definitely was interested in visiting again to take a dip in the spring. $2 for entry and they take credit cards if someone is available to take payment. If you plan in advance you can purchase tickets on their online website. Camping, fishing, canoeing, kayaking , hiking , swimming , playground and sight seeing. This is place is a hidden gem

This place is closed for good. We just drove there since we move To Tampa and wanted to explore…read moremore but sadly the place looks abandoned and it's closed.

Found myself out this way recently and went for a walk. Nice little hike through the preserve…read more Didn't have a problem with the parking. Not a bad stop. Others complained about the parking and I'm not sure why if you scan the code and do what you're supposed to it works so if there was a problem in the past it's been fixed.

Parking scan code does not work and they will send you a $45 parking ticket. I would not go to this…read morebeach until they get this resolved.

Cool place to take your kids. We went after eating at a local restaurant. Clean bathrooms and…read morefriendly staff. Maria actually offered us some info on youth basketball. It was filled with people. Young and older playing basketball. Kids playing in the playground.

This recreational center has grown immensely in the last 10years since I first moved down to south…read morecounty. They have a outdoor track, and now added a baseball field & soccer fields. This recreation center has been the only place where kids could come and have a playground or any sort of organized activities. They have the only remaining Tiny Tot program for 3/4 kids since Apollo Beach discontinued it some years ago. The playground has been expanded and combined to a single mulched area now fenced to keep out the stray dogs of the past and the modern new indoor gym for basketball leagues also. Many programs offered range from preschool to senior level. They offer basketball leagues for seniors, teens, youth, and yoga available as well as weight room and after school camps.

There are many trails, most of them have a good shade. I went to hike, some hiking trails are…read moreshared with biking trails so you have to pay attention. I wish the trails were marked better to make it easier to new comers. We didn't get lost but it was not clear where a hiking trail ends to become a hiking+biking one. Watch out.

This Park was nice! I went for the hiking trails, and it was…read moreeasy to find because the staff was very helpful and the park has a lot of signs. They have a place to rent Ikes, and the biking trials look amazing.