The playground is nice overall. It has two sides: for kids 5…read more& up. And 2-5. It can be fun seeing the train go by. But also a bit too loud/close for some kids. Restrooms were smelly when we went. Wondering if it's always the same. Parking is great and so it's the shade of trees

Downtown City Park was created as a town square with the businesses of…read more Auburndale downtown built around it. The charming downtown area contains many restaurants and shops in historic buildings. Today the park still serves as a gathering place for the community. In 2007, Downtown City Park was redesigned to enhance its recreation and beauty for residents and visitors to the city of Auburndale. In the eastern corner of the park is a number of umbrella shaded picnic tables and an engaging playground that is fenced in for safety. The playground area has an artificial turf, cushioning surface to protect little knees and bottoms. The playground has a multilevel tower with climbing structures and two slides. There is also a play train which is a nod to Auburndale's history as a railroad town. Civil engineer Louis Randolph Mclain, who was working for the railroad on the extension of the system between Lake Alfred and Saddle Creek, is credited with founding Auburndale. The historic 1927 Seaboard Air Line Rail Depot is in the northern part of the park. The park also has restrooms and a historic bandstand with a stage for community events like the annual CityFest music festival and other events throughout the year. In the western part of the park is the Rotary Butterfly Garden with butterfly attracting native Florida plants. This well maintained and family friendly park offers a great place to spend time with family. Whether coming for exercise, play, or a special event, this wonderful spot capture the spirit of historic Auburndale.

I've lived in Davenport for 5 years and had no clue this gem of a park was there. This place is…read moreabsolutely pristine. There are a variety of facilities and it was extremely well maintained. I attended an event at the center in front of the playground. Although it was burning hot, those fans cooled us down. I was so glad the planners rented the space. Between the basketball, baseball, playground, racket ball, soccer, and tennis facilities, my children will not be bored this summer.

Attended my nephews graduation party today at the park. It was absolutely adorable. They rented the…read morelittle indoor clubhouse for shaded food and fun. The playground felt new and brought me back to my childhood with all the play attractions. The park itself is huge with tennis, basketball, racket ball, and baseball fields. Everything was modern and well kept. There was plenty of parking and rest areas. Truly enjoyed our visit!

Kiwanis Park is a great local park in Winter Haven, Florida. It's in a neighborhood area across the…read morestreet from a lake and a great walking trail. We were staying at an airbnb nearby so we walked there one morning. There are swings, slides, climbing structures, and it is also accessible for kids with disabilities. There's a little shade from the shade structures but there are not many trees. A small pavilion is another option for some shade and rest. The water fountains could use some work. Kiwanis Park is a nice way for kids to burn off some energy with a great view of a lake!

This park is loaded with challenging equipment and two age appropriate areas of play. There is a…read morebathroom, picnic tables, pavilion and a dock. The play equipment is well maintained. The dock is safe and goes out a good distance into the water. No swimming is allowed. While we were playing a collection of homeless people started to migrate to the pavilion. The pavilion loaded up with their belongings as they set up camp. I'm not sure if this is normal but since we are not from the neighborhood we will not be returning.

South Lake Howard Nature Park is the perfect place to enjoy a walk. The 17.6 acre area was…read moreoriginally developed to treat stormwater. Stormwater parks help the environment by capturing and retaining stormwater runoff which prevents flooding in the surrounding areas. It cleanses and stores stormwater to recharge the aquifer. The pond plants removes pollutants from the water leaving it clean. Left untreated stormwater leads to algal blooms, muck deposits, fish kills, and other environmental problems. These ponds also attract a variety of wildlife including Florida's beautiful wading birds, alligators and turtles while providing a recreation area for the public. The South Lake Howard Nature Park opened in 2001 and contains stormwater ponds and infrastructure to help clean and filter the stormwater water from the sucrose's and neighborhoods before it enters Lake Howard. At the entrance to the park is a parking lot, picnic pavilions with tables, and restrooms. The first part of the trail into the park is a 1,000 foot boardwalk that takes you over the water. Further into the park are three paved loops measuring a quarter mile, half mile, and mile. At one point you have to cross over 21st West. The paved pathways make it easy for people of all exercise abilities to enjoy the park. As wonderful as the park is, there is even more to come. The city purchased an adjoining property which was the former home of WSIR Radio. They plan on adding more trails, boardwalks, kayak launch, play area, disc golf, an outdoor classroom and other amenities. Keep an eye out for the exciting new developments at South Lake Howard Nature Park.

Went on a walk at Secret Lake Park, and what a beautiful walk it was. It had just finished raining,…read moreso on this walk, I caught a glimpse of a rainbow as well. It was truly a lovely moment. As someone who enjoys walking outdoors near bodies of water, I truly enjoyed this walk. There was a good amount of seating throughout the park. There were various other recreational courts that you can use alongside, public restrooms, outdoor grills, large fields to gather in for picnics, workouts, etc. There is also a good amount of public parking. Secret Lake Park is lovely, and it is also peaceful. You can fish or just enjoy overlooking the lakes in a moment of solitude. Speaking of lakes, Secret Lake Park is made up of a series of lakes at varying sizes that you can walk near/around. They also have some historical boards in the park that you can read about the history of the lakes.

Secret Lake Park is one of our favorite parks in Casselberry. My twins always have fun. The…read moreplaygrounds are spacious and fun. They have separate play areas for older and younger kids. The walking trail around the lake is perfect for walks and watching the sunset. Perfect place for a picnic with family.

Came here yesterday after it rained and I was actually surprised how well the grass/turf dried…read more This definitely worth a stop with kids if you're in the area. They also have a tennis court next door that was pretty busy. This park has so many different options for the kids to play whether it's slides, climbing rocks, playing with water or musical instruments and more. There's so much to do. Bonus is that they have bathrooms, a water fountain & it's gated!!

Arrived 3:45 on 12/30/25…read more STRENGTHS: - lots of attached tennis courts - there are many different little play areas on the playground. Some areas are great for little kids and some areas are good for bigger kids. - they are cool, tunnels, and artificial turf everywhere which is great for kids to stay clean and not have to deal with Florida ants. - the playground equipment is high-quality and there's a large variety for kids to exercise different body movements. This is the kind of park you can take your kids to every day. CHALLENGES: - parking is small. Not a lot of spots. Only 1 handicap spot - this park was packed, but the park is big enough for that to happen.

We love the outdoors, we appreciate nature and learning about wildlife. It was a very hot day and I…read morehad a foot injury the day before and still walked the trail. The level of difficulty was just fine for us and the kids, even with my limping. We loved the informative Boy Scouts markers showing the animals that were in the wilderness. Sadly but lucky for us. The sign mentioned bobcats, otters, deer, wild hogs, coyotes, rabbits, opossum, skunk, raccoons, and armadillo. Also there was a bridge made by a Boy Scout as his eagle project. It was done so well. We didn't actually see the animals but we did see very tall birds and the prettiest color of dragon flys. We saw, red, orange, and a tiger patterned wig one. We also saw plenty locusts grasshoppers, and anole lizards. Unfortunately the information center was closed due to covid but the lady working did come out and talk to us. She was supper friendly. Sadly our trip was cut short because of the rain. However if you like the outdoors and love free activities, put this place on your list.

Decided to have an untraditional trip to the Orlando-Kissimmee area. I love nature and when I heard…read moreof the preserve, I had to check it out. My husband and I decided to do the longer of the two hikes (well marked trails, 6-8 miles). Just be warned that although these trails are well blazed and clearly marked there is NOTHING around for miles. In fact we only saw one another person the whole time we were there! Bring plenty of water to stay hydrated. I have to be honest though and say I would not bring children as they will tire easily and most likely be bored. It was so wonderful to be surrounded by beautiful nature. My favorite part is that you cannot hear any cars or city noises. Be warned that you will have to walk through some marshy areas. Disney does its best to provide wooded walking areas but they do not cover everything and both my feet were fully submerged. When you return to the parking lot, the bathrooms are very clean and cool. It was very interesting to learn that the preserve was built as a result of the U.S. Clean Water Act - a law that requires wetlands damaged by human activity to be "mitigated" (replaced elsewhere). The Preserve is a mitigation project established in 1992 with the purchase of 8,500 acres! Although I am upset that so much damage was done, I am over joyed that Disney has taken the proper steps towards making reparations. One should definitely check this preserve out.

This historic 9000-acre park opened in 1931. It's considered an old growth forest and full of bald…read morecypress trees. There are a wide variety of endemic wildlife and plants. The main feature of this wonderful park was the boardwalk that goes through the swamp forest. Some really old trees that are possibly 1000 years old, is located in this park. There are nine trails, a campground, a playground, and a picnic area. There's a 3-mile loop trail for biking and driving. Also, a museum and concession built by the Civilian Conservation Corps; they constructed many buildings, bridges, and blazed trails in Florida State Parks. We were staying nearby and decided to explore this park. I enjoyed the historic land and old trees. The boardwalk was pleasant to stroll on; I saw quite a few memorial plaques. Generations of people walking on the same paths decades ago. It's a peaceful place and I'm glad they didn't turn it into farmland back in the 1930s.

This park is wonderful, plenty of trails, a cute store and just peaceful nature where you can see…read moreall kinds of birds, sometimes deer or gators and it's just a great place to visit.

Lake Shipp is part of the chain of lakes in Winter Haven. The 276 acre freshwater lake is an almost…read morecompletely round shape. Lake Shipp Park is located in the west side of the lake. This part of Central Florida has many lovely parks and I discovered Lake Shipp Park while returning from a visit to the South Lake Howard Nature Park. Lake Shipp Park was built in the 1960's on 4.41 acres. Attracted by the beautiful view of the lake which I think is the best feature of the park, I stopped to check it out. Lake Shipp park is popular with anglers who can fish from the elevated boardwalk that leads to a fishing pier. Pumpkinseed, Chanel catfish, bull head, bluegill, redear sunfish, largemouth bass, and redbreast sunfish have all been recorded in Lake Shipp. There is plenty of room for fly casting. The park is also popular with boaters and jet and water skiers. A concrete boat ramp was deepened in 2011. Other park amenities include a playground, restroom, bench swings, picnic tables, and a covered pavilion that can be rented. On the day I visited it was being used for a birthday party. Lake Shipp Park is adjacent to the Sertoma Park baseball fields for further fun.

Small park with beautiful scenery but not very well maintained. Bathrooms were yuck! Playground…read morelooks sad and not shaded with lots of metal so kids couldn't play- way too hot. At least trash cans had been emptied.

This is a great public park with plenty of open space and a comfortable layout. Everything feels…read morewell maintained, making it a nice place to relax, exercise, or spend time with family. The park has two public restrooms, which is very convenient, especially for families with young children. The playground is spacious and offers a good variety of equipment for kids to enjoy. Overall, it's a simple but well-designed park that provides everything you need for a pleasant outdoor visit. I really enjoyed it and would definitely come back.

Just kind of meh. A nice place to live near, but not a destination place by any means, and we went…read moreout of our way to go here. The high point was either the rose garden, or the driveway flanked by live oaks. The paved path network was smaller than I deduced from the pictures online.