I sweared i wrote an update review about my last visit. O_o im going crazy. Lol just wanted to add…read morea heads up. The last hurricane that beat our nuts off changed the landscape of the park a bit. Theres alot of trees and branches blocking the rivers but no problem. I did noticed that the asphalt is cracked and chunks are missing in some areas. I don't recommend a skateboard or roller blades without gear. It will be fine in some sections and then you'll see the damage show up in some sections. Totally safe for runners and bicycles. I went with my temporary wheel chair n i had a couple sections that i chose to walk it by. If you have like a pro chair with air wheels? You'll be ok. The wooded areas a bit slippery, although theres shade everywhere? This is the wrong season to ho there at the moment. It is freaking hot and humid even in the shade. Please bring a cooler with you. Local shops sell backpack coolers or even a small sling one is enough. There are fountains and bathroom every few miles though so no fear if you are fit or don't have disabilities. Bring a freaking camera theres tons of fish in the river that can be seen from the crystal clear water and you'll even see tortoises just walking around the property. Its totally ok to look at them. The only time i have intervened is when they walk into the parking lot or road and i just pray they don't pee on me. It is illegal to even do that but i rather risk a ticket over a dead turtle. Please me careful driving to either side of the parking lot cuz they even cross the main road and i have stop traffic to move em. I like dashing in this area cuz i can either stop here for nap on cooler days or if im lucky? Stop at ricks meat down the road. Its a local butcher, they also make these massive sandwiches at great price and they tend to have a bbq truck outside too. The parking? Is hella small n its always packed. Parking is self serve, they upgraded from the "hope" system to a booth. As in "i hope people are paying for parking" now its 100% you have to pay n put the ticket on the dashboard or else the tortoises will take your car away. Lol The lid park looked well kept, the first come first serve shelters look good too. They big enough to throw a party. They have their own water faucets and grill. The water access has like a tub, i am presuming its so your dog drinks water from it. I recommend you use a bowl though. Never know who uses those for other things. I also noticed theres more sitting areas. Theres a couple hidden spots that look safe to look closer i would be a bit cautious cuz i was stepping over a dirt bridge n then when i looked at it at another angle i was shocked that it was just roots. O_o like theres a ton of areas that got torn up by the last hurricane that hit us. Gators? Never seen them but its Florida i don't recommend going in the water unless using boat ramp. Boat ramp, when i was there, the water level was way too low and i didn't feel safe to go down the steep ramp. I was too exhausted for my walk i didn't trust i had the energy to climb out. Usually u can see the water from the top all i saw was grass. Sound, near the over pass is loud from cars but cool area for kickass pictures. The rest of the park is windy with nice river sound. Especially in the wooden loop. Its the closest it gets to the river. It is very beautiful how you can see bass and trout just swimming by. Space is tight it has a parking area for chairs and bikes. Plenty of places to sit and two shelters to nap. If you are an audiophile / AMSR sensitive like me? This is the area to just sit n record n let the beautiful sounds take you away. I think i recorded like a solid hour of just stereo ambience. I think i covered everything. Thanks for reading and please stay hydrated!

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.

We stopped by on a calm Saturday morning with my two daughters and it felt like we had the entire…read morepark to ourselves. Both the small and large dog areas were completely empty, which made it really peaceful and easy to take everything in. A few people were walking their dogs along the trails that loop around the park, but inside the fenced areas it was quiet and relaxed. One thing I really appreciated was that there's free water available for both humans and fur buddies, which is a thoughtful touch especially in Florida heat. The park itself was impressively clean and well maintained. I didn't see any dog poop at all, and there were plenty of waste bags available throughout the area. There's also a sign noting that cleanup happens every Wednesday, which honestly explains why everything looked so tidy and cared for. Between the clean grounds, open space, and peaceful atmosphere, it felt like one of those parks that's quietly doing things right without a lot of fuss. Definitely a spot I'd be happy to come back to.

I love that the walkway goes thru the park and it's fun passing the dog park to say hi to the dogs…read moreplaying.

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.

This park is beautiful! It is one of the most fun parks that I have been to since moving here…read more The trails are all so lovely and picturesque! The views, lakes, springs, trees, and vines are all just so beautiful. You can spend a whole day walking all of these beautiful trails! If you are a photographer looking for a great photo shoot, then this would be the place!

Was here last week. Totally forgot to catalog my first Catfish! It's crazy how many years i cone…read morehere n never catch one. Always come home with like bluegills n a random tilapia. You can see the catfish all over the lake just swimming by your bait n just testing you lol there's a crap ton of them near the pier but you gotta be careful cuz there's tons of alligators there to. I pulled out a nice size Catfish n then lost my second one to a damn alligator! Im happy the line broke cuz if i had lost my Shakespeare rod to i would've been more pissed! I got lucky n the couple nearby gave their bluegills. Went home happy with 1 catfish n 4 bluegills. Shared tips n bait store locations with a family camping there to. I wish the park entrance dude sold worms. It would be extra money for the park. I kept the catfish for a couple days in my aquarium, but he wouldn't take to it. I fillet his ass with the other fish. Doing fish tacos later. I used night crawlers from bass pro n sprayed them with-garlic sent to amplify the smell. I will try my homemade punch bait next tome. I found something tasty for them. Oh yeah, i caught some ghost shrimps in a cup but let them go. They look like glass at first then they moved around nicely. They are at grass edge, i do not recommend you get close to the edge!! Use a fishing rod n tie a water bottle or cup at the end with bait in it. I use catfish punch. Please don't let your pets get near the edge either. Gattor follow u when you are near water. Keep track of your kids!

The brief review I wrote down when I got back to my car was that this trail is Short, Loud, and the…read moreParking is weird. I date to say this trail is more than a mile long but I could be wrong. It's paved the whole way and has a pond running most of the length of it. There are plenty of places to sit if you get tired or watch the birds. Now is it peaceful? Hmm...as many others have mentioned, it's close to a very busy road and all the roads that intersect are also very busy. Even with headphones on, it's still pretty loud. You also have to cross one of the busy streets near the parking area and you really have to be cautious because there is no stoplight and only one of the three directions has a stop sign so two of the streets don't have to yield and may not see you crossing. The parking is also odd. There is a small paved area that stops at the dead-end down by TD Bank and you can park on the shoulders and grass on both sides of the street leading to the dead end. If you don't like parking in the grass you should probably get here during non-peak times as the parking fills up quickly. Honestly, I'd rather walk off-trail in the grass like on a hiking trail as it's not as harsh on my feet but if you're just looking for a short trail to do some running or walk in the evening, then this might be the spot for you.

This is a nice place for a walk. My family and I enjoy coming here. On our visits, parking has been…read moreavailable.

This is a multi use park. It has a playground, soccer/football/baseball field and basketball court…read more Parking is modest. The park is ran by the Hillsborough County and is open from dawn to dusk. Only service animals are allowed but I've seen people come here with their dogs. There are water fountains and plenty of metal trash bins. I'm sure there are bathrooms but I never stay long enough to find one. There is a covered area with picnic tables but the playground and the playground has swings and slides. It's designed for children age 5-12. The playground is in an ideal area under large moss covered trees. I do recommend this park and will upload more pictures on our next visit!

Took the boys here for an impromptu summer outing and they really enjoyed themselves. There is a…read morefull playground that is covered by shady trees and a splash pad that is basically fully covered. The splash pad is open from 10am to 5pm daily and it is big with a lot of obstacles for the kids to play with and cool off. The park is well maintained and there are baseball fields that were empty when we were here. There are plenty of benches for parents to sit in the shade as the kids play.

What a cute little park in Brandon. It's gated, clean and free to use…read more The playground has multiple sections: the swings, the splash pad, the 2-5year old play area and the 5years and older area. My daughter, who is almost 4years old was able to utilize the older kids area without any challenges. There are some pavilions with benches and tables to avoid the direct sun. Perfect for groups. There is also a bathroom on site but it's much to be desired. The playground is adjacent to a ballpark, not sure the protocol to use it. I would definitely return though to the playground if I'm in the area.

This was such a cool park. We saw so much from a snake, multiple species of birds and even a family…read moreof wild hogs. The trail is nice and spacious and good for a nice walk. We had no idea it was so close to our neighborhood and will certainly be back. It was fun taking my nephew out and having him explore this park. Would 100% recommend it.

Nice hiking trail especially under the benches of the old oak trees covered in Spanish moss. Fairly…read morequiet except for the area by the houses and in the background there is some faint traffic noise. Be careful as there may be parts of the trail which have standing water from creeks which run through the preserve. The trails are wide mostly packed grass with some sandy parts as well.