Great spot to walk around! Taking 1 star off as I wish there were better signs directing the trail…read more Overall, great spot for a small walk through nature!

Cute park in a somewhat residential area. Parking is…read moretricky, so I parked parallel to the road. ~Green space with ponds and birds ~Exercise stations ~Playground area ~Trail area ~Free

We had a great time walking the preserve. There is a parking lot with a handicapped porta potty on…read moresite that was clean. My sister and I planned to walk a few miles so we brought a backpack cooler with drinks and lunch. We walked a total of 6.5 miles. Most the of the trails did have some shade. There were numerous benches to sit throughout the preserve. We did end up coming to a dead end and had to crawl under the Bob wire fence but was totally worth it as the trail was trees lined and absolutely beautiful. We did see some cattle that moved out of our way. Lots of birds and some baby gators. It was a very nice hike and was worth it. We seen two other people on horses on the trails but besides that very peaceful.

I'm so glad that Walton Ranch Preserve is opened to the public…read more Great walking place and what is even more exciting it is a wonderful biking area. You can bike for miles on well kept dirt roads,best time to go is the dry season,after rain the Preserve could flood. I loved biking through the Cattle fields.Beautiful and timeless experience. Lots of cows few babys too.So beautiful and peaceful. Walton Ranch Preserve is not well known even by the locals,it only went public a few years ago. So this place is never too busy.Planty of free parking. Only has a porter potty,no real restrooms. Bring planty of water and plan your trip ahead. Not all the trails are well marked,so best if you make a map before heading out for your first hiking trip. As far as biking the best way to go is north from the parking lot kinda towards the Myakka State Forest although it is a long way from there. I think the farthest we went was about 8 miles. Beautiful,beautiful unspoiled Florida. For that 8 miles it was flat,hard packed dirt road,easy to ride even with a bicycle without any gears. No motorized vehicles. Safe with the kids. Minimal traffic. My only wish would be that I could take my dog on a leash here. Other than that it is fairytale like!

This is a great big park near the Englewood History Museum. A playground is between them. A…read morehistorical marker discusses the former airport that was on the site and Tamiami Trail (road to Miami) history. I think group camping events use this area? Dogs are allowed only in the trail section. Some native plantings would be a great addition to the very very large grassy areas. But green space is always good. Park it!!!

We were driving back to our vacation rental and came across this park. We stopped so the kids could…read moreplay for a while! It was a nice playground with somewhat clean restrooms.

Nice big preserve with some good trails, bird, butterfly, and wildflower spotting. Saw quite a bit…read moreof yellow milkwort in later May 2025. Bathrooms. Primitive camping. Mountain biking trail. Bathrooms. Good signage and trail markings.

This is a neat trail with some fun native plant spotting and butterfly viewing opportunists. It is…read morenear to and runs along a blackwater creek (tannins). I will note that the biting insects, giant horseflies the size a Volkswagen Beetles, and 3-foot mosquitoes are pretty vicious here, perhaps because of the creek and possibly horses in the area. If you aren't a runner this area will get you started real quick. If you can get a guided walk from Big Waters or the Sarasota County Parks department you will see more sights and learn more otherwise have at it with a plant guide or app. Take lots of pics. The Curry Preserve East entry is a very small driveway (blink and you'll miss it) just north of the park and a grassy parking areas for the East entrance. There is also a West entrance and the parks i being expanded in 2026 which is pretty neat. Quite a bit of Caesar weed especially along the borders. But some cool wildflowers and vines. Fire has been excluded from the area so it is a bit overgrown and jungley. Plenty to see and fun to walk as long as you're prepared to be hunted by voracious blood sucking Florida beasts with the appetites of lions. Soeaking of food Word of Mouth is pretty nearby for breakfast or a late lunch. Enjoy.

The Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park is peaceful and tranquil place with lots of hiking…read more trails.The trails are muddy and wet most of the year however definitely worth a great outdoors experience. There were not slot of people our there so if you want hiking with out a lot of people this is the place. There are some dry trails all year that go around lakes with boardwalks , picnic areas and a nature center. Also on Tuesday and Friday they have native plants for sale. Amazing beautiful place.

We visited this nature preserve 2/11/22 while waiting for our plane to leave from the Punta Gorda…read moreAirport and saw turtles, armadillo and fish. No alligator sightings or feral hogs but others out there had recently seen both. This was a very nice hike on a beautiful day before we head home to 12 degree weather.

Nice park with a splash pad a d playground. Also a chalkboard wall, sp br8ng your chalk and…read moreartistry. Also ball fields. The spalsh pad is a little slick.. Bathrooms. Picnic area. Nice park. Just past a cell tower. The splash pad fountains go on at different heights and turn on and off. Quite fun for the tykes.

Updated finish of the splash pad. Few benches in shaded area.picnic table.. Looks well maintained…read moreand water was running

Located just one block east of the 41 in Osprey, Bay Street Dog Park provides a one-acre off-leash…read morepark. This is an ideal playground for dogs and their owners. Divided into two separate, fenced-in areas for large and small dogs, it ensures that every dog can play freely and safely. The park is setup with dog exercise equipment, water fountains and shaded seating. My favorite time to visit is just before dinner when there are usually plenty of dogs looking to get some socialized playtime. Enjoy!

Our first time here and love it. Lots of shade and parking. Very cute activities for large and…read moresmall dogs. I heard about this park a couple of years ago and very happy that I finally made it effort.