If you're looking for an up close and personal experience with nature, this might just be the place…read moreyou've been looking for. Depending on when you visit you may experience total isolation from the outside world, I have to be honest it can be a little intimidating if you aren't a brave soul this is nothing like visiting a zoo. As beautiful as this place is being aware of your surroundings is of the utmost importance, the wildlife here has little fear of man and I'm not sure they understand that man is at the top of the food chain. The trails are well maintained but if you are the adventurous type and choose to get a little closer look it's likely you could be considered an intruder and some inhabitants may resort to the laws of self-preservation and become a little aggressive. I don't think exhibiting risky behavior exposes you to imminent danger of being attacked but walking up on a alligator or snake could be taken as a threatening act to some of those that call this home. Although alligators can be viewed and may seem harmless from a distance I don't recommend getting too close they are hunters and you may be considered prey and remember you are in their environment so who do you think the advantage goes to. There are plenty of great vantage points to get that perfect photo without risking your welfare so stay on the trails and follow the recommendations on the posted signs and you'll have a great day and remember keeping quite and still may present a very rewarding experience, nature is defined as "the material world, especially as surrounding humankind and existing independently of human activities" we all act differently when we are alone at our homes with no visitors around, the same applies here...

Fantastic slice of nature. If familiar, it's a cross between Paynes Prairie and Orlando Wetlands…read morepark. There are two parking areas We parked in the Myaka trail area. Started in a woodsy area surrounded by swamp. It led to an open area around the lake. Which is where we ran into three otters playing on the trail. We were attempting to head to the Audobon overlook but didn't want to disturb them. Well groomed path. Recommended for a cloudy or cooler day as there is little cover. There is another trail, the live oak trail, which we will explore on another trip. Worth the drive from Orlando

Hidden gem! We loved swimming and my boys enjoyed climbing the palm tree…read more We did a short trail and saw plants and bugs! We had a picnic at a table but moved to the sun because the boys were cold.

One of my favorite springs. All the wildlife, the 72 degree year round water. Feels so good on a…read morehot summer. Only bad thing is that they charge $15 a person. Used to be $5 a person. During the busy season you have to make reservations

My first time at a spring and it did not disappoint! We came on a Thursday morning. Parking was…read moreeasy and there is a bathroom with showers right next to the parking lot. It's a short walk from the parking lot to the picnic tables and springs. The weather was perfect and the water was crystal clear.

Alexander Springs is one of my favorite springs to snorkel in the summer. The spring head is…read moregorgeous and the water is crystal clear. It is also nice for kayaking! There is a cool little area where you can 'park' your kayak and stand in the water, throw a frisbee, etc. On land, there is a sandy area you can lay out or various picnic tables perfect for lunch and snacks after swimming. I like that there is a reservation system so you can be sure you will be allowed in and don't have to arrive super early to get in line.

Yesterday, my friend, Lydia and I drove to Kelly Springs State Park for fun in the sun and a day of…read morerelaxation. The park is about 40 minutes from where she lives off of colonial. You get to bring your own food and drinks. They also have a concession area where you can just your own food and drinks. At the state park, they have a concession booth and a restroom as well. The park is open from 8 AM to 6 PM and I have a recommend staying at the full day. It was so nice and relaxing plus parking was only three dollars. 10/10

Pretty neat place and I thought it will be way bigger , but the swim area or use of a floating…read moretube area is not huge , You neve to arrived super early as they only allowed 250 cars and then you can't enter after full capacity The sheriff will give you a ticket while u on the car line . They do have restrooms and concession areas where u can buy food , but there's a circle k near by . You can't bring in alcohol, and the price to get in is $5 per car . Just wish that it could be deeper , as it averages 4 ft all areas

Such a beautiful place to spend a day with endless activities! You can walk the boardwalk, swim,…read moresnorkel, scuba, tube, kayak, or paddleboard down the spring. Fishing is permitted from the fishing dock on the St. Johns River. There is also camping, cabins for rent, hiking, and manatee viewing. You can even rent an all-terrain tracked wheelchair for accesible hiking! You can find a gift shop and a concession stand inside the park. Follow the Blue Spring State Park Facebook page to stay up to date on fun activities and events like Manatee Bingo, Meditate & Move with the Manatees, guided moonlight hikes, and the Junior Ranger Program. My favorite event of the year is Firefly Nights from around mid March to mid April. You get to walk the boardwalk after the park closes to see thousands of Florida fireflies! It is absolutely magical, and a little surreal. Weekdays are less crowded, but honestly if you can only go on a weekend it's worth braving the crowd. It's a separately-ticketed event, and it does sell out some nights so make sure to get your tickets in advance!

The Baseline: For a park/monument the site must be informative, have great attraction, and have a…read morepark rangers that are knowledgeable of one of the park we are visiting. Park: This was one of the cleanest and best organized state parks I have ever visited. The parking was easy and the access to the main attraction was easy to get to. The walkway trail along the spring was well taken care of and safe. There is no graffiti or vandalized buildings in the park. Thank you State of Florida and California you should take notes. Attraction: The Springs are the main attraction with options to swim, tube, snorkel, and scuba dive in the spring in the summer. When we visited that was all restricted because the manatees were here to nest in the winter. This was awesome and it was great to see these amazing creatures in their winter respite. This is a must if you are visiting the Orlando area in the winter. Cost: Six dollars to come into the park with up to 8 people in the vehicle. Great price for an unforgettable experience.

This playground is incredible! A community funded project, this playground is not to be missed - it…read morehas designs and features I haven't seen anywhere else! We love stopping to play here if we are in the Deland area. Freedom Playground has plenty of parking, bathrooms, pavilions with picnic tables, and playground equipment that can be used by a wide range of ages and body abilities. I love that the park has one main entrance gate to keep kids contained and also has the little kid area separate from the big kid area. There are accessibility features like wheelchair accessible ramps for the playground equipment and a ground level merry-go-round. There's plenty of slides, climbing and obstacles, a zip line, pirate ships, pretend play houses, and all the features you would want in a playground. I love the nods to Florida with multiple gators throughout! Freedom Park is a Florida gem!

From what I've read online, DeLand faced the exact same issue that so many municipalities around…read morethe country have faced and continue to face regarding what to do with their playgrounds. At one point in time it was a thing to build these large destination playgrounds made out of wood. While a nice idea on paper, eventually the upkeep proves to be problematic and expensive. Eventually the municipality is faced with the hard choice of costly renovations that will need to be redone in the not too distant future, demolishing the structure or trying to replace it with something more modern/contemporary. Either way it equals a lot of money that usually is nowhere to be found. Thankfully a few years ago DeLand along with residents, area companies, school children and a newly formed non-profit committee figured out how to replace the original wooden structure. Amazingly over 300K in private donations were raised along with DeLand kicking in the rest and what you have today is an amazing structure/facility. In my own area there have a been a few success stories with places like this: www.savekidscastle.org/ But there have also been a few mismanaged disasters with places like this: articles.mcall.com/2004-11-19/news/3571642_1_playground-jungle-gym-time-capsule What works here: * Lots of parking * Solidly clean bathrooms * Lots of shaded areas * Super safe recycled rubber ground which means no tracking mulch into the car * A very needed water fountain * Lots of different structures/play areas/misters that offer a ton of diversity What doesn't work: * At least when we were here the zipline was in sad shape. It needs to be raised up or just gotten rid of it because it was way too low to be enjoyable. I don't want to lay on the hyperbole but honestly aside one other park (Kids Castle in Doylestown, PA) this place is the nicest that I've ever seen and even though my kids are arguably a bit on the too old side to be enjoying a place like this, they still did. Great job DeLand! What an awesome place for the community!

Loved this Mount Dora gem. We came here at the end of March…read more It's more of a board walk than a park, but there is a small green area with gazebos, picnic tables and bbqs before entering the board walk. Besides the nature walk through the board walk where we saw LOTS of wildlife (woodpeckers, baby alligators, turtles, ospreys and more) and beautiful cypress trees, you can also rent kayaks. This place is dog friendly. There are even baggies for people to pick up after their pets. I recommend wearing closed shoes if you want to walk the full trail. The board walk ends in a dirt path which loops around, but is not ideal terrain for sandals. However, walking to the end of the boardwalk and back again is just as fun (that's what we did ;) ) The park hours are sunrise to sunset but the board walk opens at 7:30am. Honestly this is a must see.

This park has a well-maintained boardwalk and nature Trail that takes you out over the water and…read morewetlands. we saw plenty of birds and certainly places where the gators would hang out. Bring your bug spray and your sunscreen for the parts of the trail that don't have overhang trees. And definitely don't try to go swimmingall

We always come and visit this beautiful park when we are in Ormond beach. It is hands down the best…read morepark we have ever been to. So much fun, so many different places to play. I wish I had a park like this when I was a kid.

Awesome Playground! Cool Spot!…read more This is a great place with lots going in for kids to play with! So many different things to play with and it's all in a cool wooden theme! Really great place to be grateful for! I really liked the swing under a big tree in the far back corner! It needs some line to reduce the squeaking but it was a happy spot!

I love everything Mew Smyrna Beach has to offer. Well maintained , great surfing ... beautiful…read moreplace to spend the day

Such a fun park! We made the mistake of walking a little too far instead of stopping at the initial…read moredog beach area but that ended up giving us a really nice spaced out area for our whole family! Beautiful calm water and very pet friendly