Nice park. There is playground equipment for children to climb on which appears to be popular in…read morethe mornings. There is one tennis court which has been available on most occasions when I come. There is a fishing pier over the lake also seems popular with a few fishermen. The only drawback there are no large trees to make shade over the tennis court and playground. On hot sunny days it is very hot and hard to use. Other parks have canopies over the playground which would be nice to have. Second it would be nice if park personnel would blow off the sand and gravel off the tennis court. Overall nice park.

I visit Campbell Park today. I enjoyed the docks on the lake. I liked seeing the ducks on the…read morewater. They have a nice path to follow around the park.

This small quiet park along the St. John's sports tennis and basketball courts, soccer field, and…read more hideaway fishing pier boat launch. While there are some who seem to over-use the amenities, they're not always there and that's when we go. Should say there's also a small play area for play area sake, and bathroom facilities.

A park with water…read more Mariner's Cove Park is an almost fifty acre park that has just about some of everything. Basketball courts, tennis court, baseball and soccer fields, a play ground, hiking trials, picnic areas, clean bathrooms and even a fishing pier and small boat ramp. The park has access to Bethel Creek and from there you can head into Lake Monroe, The St. John's River and across half of Florida. Lots to do in the park but if you want to do absolutely nothing that is fine too. Plenty of peace and quiet and a great place to get aquainted with nature. Lots of huge aquatic birds and if you're lucky you might even see a gator or two. A cool park that never seems to be crowded but always is friendly and welcoming. A place that has just about anything you could want in a park and lets you discover something new everything you go.

Green Springs Park is 31 acres of natural land located on the north shore of Lake Monroe. The green…read morehued sulfur spring supplies fresh water to Lake Monroe from the Florida aquifer. It is one of the few green springs in Florida. Green Springs Park is a significant archaeological and historical site. Six thousand years ago Green Springs was once an important site for Native Americans such as the Mayaca. Later the Seminoles favored the supposed healing properties of the sulfur water. The Green Springs Midden, a huge shell midden once existed near where the spring run empties into Lake Monroe. Middens are a type of ancient garbage dump that can tell a lot about the people who once lived there. Primitive tools, pottery sherds, as well as remains of humans and animals were found here before the midden was destroyed for road building and fertilizer prior to 1885. Later Enterprise became the final destination on the St. Johns River for the area steamboats. The area near the spring was first settled in 1841 by Cornelius Taylor, a Seminole War veteran, former timber agent, and first cousin to General Zachary Taylor. He was nicknamed the Thunder of Enterprise for his hot temper. In 1842 Taylor constructed a hotel on the midden to attract steamboat passengers. He promoted his hotel as one of Florida's first health spas. The spring was marketed as having restorative powers for people with illnesses. By 1883, the spring was on property owned by wealthy New York wine importer Frederic DeBary, whose guests used the spring recreationally. Today the spring is supposed to be closed to swimmers but there were local kids jumping from the trees into the clear water when I visited. Pretty cool to think they are enjoying the same swimming hole used by the ancient people who once lived here. In the 1980's the spring and surrounding natural land was in danger of being turned into a condo development. After more than 20 years of effort to acquire and develop the site and $1 million investment in land acquisition and improvements, the park finally opened in September 27, 2008. Today the park has restrooms, a large picnic pavilion with tables, a playground, nature trails under the shade of oak, pine and cedar trees, interpretive signs, and scenic overlooks. This park is also where the Spring-to-Spring Trail and the East Central Regional Rail Trail connect. The East Central Regional Rail Trail begins at Green Springs and travels 5.7 miles to State Road 415 in Osteen.

What an amazing oasis this place is. There's so many hiking trails. I wouldn't even know where to…read morebegin. My visit was brief, but beautiful. I would have to take a whole day to even begin to remotely explore this springs Park. I was hoping to see the fluorescent green water, but it wasn't that way this time of year. Either due to the weather or the time of year, I'm not sure. But I will be back. I will see that water yet!

Really great place to spend a few hours. The trails are peaceful and it's a great spot to get…read moreoutside and relax. Definitely worth checking out if you're in the area!

Gemini Springs Park is located in DeBary, Florida, 25 miles north of Orlando…read more Since you can no longer swim here due to high concentrations of bacteria in the waters, visitor attendance can be quite low. And since there's alternative parks situated throughout Central Florida that are swimmable, not many people will make the effort to experience Gemini Springs. In fact, I'd categorize this place as a local town park more than anything. It's free to visit and hours are sunrise to sunset. There were no names or signs for the hiking trails, so at times it felt like I was wandering aimlessly. But, the trees decorated with Spanish Moss exuded southern charm and most corners I turned felt like strolling along a nature trail. There's a dual sided passageway that acts as the centerpiece to the park and is also a dam spillway which (I believe) separates the DeBary Creek waters and the Gemini Springs area. I did spot a gator which almost caught a fish right in front of my eyes. I also noticed a soft shell turtle who appeared to be laying her eggs in the sand and some birds doing fishing of their own. Gemini Springs has picnic pavilions, a playground, a dog park, a fishing pier, plenty of grass to play around, and even camping is permitted here. Lastly, I'd like to highlight a section of the park that turns colorfully vibrant when the sun is shining... - Follow the concrete walkway (which you can't miss). - Then...you'll approach a tucked away corner of the springs. This area can be a rewarding moment for admiring the great outdoors. If you just pause and absorb the surroundings, nature's beauty shines through. It's a refreshing reminder that just because a park isn't as accessible as it once was, doesn't mean it should go unnoticed. I believe Gemini Springs Park can be a worthwhile half day visit.

Just off the Spring to Spring Trail in Deltona which extends from Green Spring Park to De Leon…read moreSprings State Park, lies Thornby Park, a 38 acre natural area where the 1916 Thornby homestead once stood. Historically this area on Deltona's southern shore of Lake Monroe has been home to both native tribes and early Volusia County pioneers. During the Second Seminole War, the US Army built Fort Kingsbury named after a soldier who died of a fever in nearby Ft. Mellon. It was a defense stockade built here in response to the Seminoles burning Palaka in 1835 which was a major port on the St. John's River and a critical entrance point into Central Florida. The last residents on this land were Dr. James H. Glass and his wife Anna Wells Glass who built a two-story house. It was one of the finest residences in the area and it stood until teen-aged vandals burned on September 15, 2003. In the 1990's the land was at the center of a preservation battle between residents and developers. The community successfully advocated for the city to purchase the land, leading to the land being acquired by Volusia Forever and the city of Deltona. A public park was established in 2011 but unfortunately it was too late to preserve the Glass House like nearby DeBary Hall. While the Glass House is long gone, Thornby Park does have a large play area for all abilities and which is ADA compliant. It is called the Inspiration Playground and it was completed in 2012 with swings, monkey bars, and slides. In this area there are also restrooms, benches, picnic tables, and a gazebo donated by the Friends of Thornby in honor of Dr. Glass. Near the playground you will find the entrance to the boardwalk that takes you to the Thornby Trail, a half mile, loop nature trail. This area is a haven for wildlife and it contains several interpretive signs along with an outdoor classroom. Halfway through the trail is the remains of a piece of old narrow gauge railroad trestle that was used by mules to haul citrus to the docks of Lake Monroe. I had enjoyable stroll along Thornby Trail taking in the nature and history of this peaceful preserve. Thornby Park is a testament to the tenacity of the activists who fought long and hard to keep this pristine area from being turned into another development.

Well there is not much to do at this park in terms of walking trails, there is a cool remnant of a…read morerailroad trestle that probably was mule driven and used to haul citrus and other produce to the docks on Lake Monroe. Now, this park does have a pretty cool kids playground, so if you have young children, this is a great place to head towards. On the path, you can definitely feel it's age. You know that this area has seen time since the dawn of time and the railroad trestle alone proves that this area was an integral part of early Florida life. I do not see myself returning here, but I am happy that I stumbled across this small park. Again, if you have small children, I would definitely recommend coming here to the children's play area. On that aspect, I would give here five stars. While the walking path is by no means impressive, I am glad that I saw the railroad trestle and that I took the time to see this part of unspoiled Florida.

Softball and hoops by…read morethe water Dupont Lakes Park is a cool park right on Dupont Lake. It has two regulation softball fields complete with lights that are very well maintained and well used. The fields are named after two of the early advocates of parks and recreation in the area. The park also has a cool basketball court overlooking the lake. Pretty cool to play some ball while having a lovely lake in the background. The courts are a bit beat up but still in decent shape. The park also has bathrooms, fishing areas by the lake and a few benches scattered about. A lovely little park with great facilities with great views of a nice lake.

Huge fan of this park. There are several playgrounds in the front and back entrances…read more There's lots of space for the kids to run around, play soccer, race etc. The playgrounds are covered which is nice. The park is well lit at night.

A great playground to take the kids to. The grass at the field was absolutely flawless even in the…read moremiddle of February.

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!

Fun little park just on the beaten path of Woodland Blvd, great place to catch some fresh air and a…read morelittle live entertainment when available. Fun time listening to Anique Jolee! https://instagram.com/aniquejolee?igshid=NzZlODBkYWE4Ng%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

A small park with a…read morebig picture Pioneer Park is indeed a small park, just occupies a corner of a couple of streets. It does have a nice fountain, some cool benches and tables and a interesting sculpture of an alligator. A very pleasant place for a little rest while walking around the center of Deland. However what really catches the eye in Pioneer Park is the gigantic mural that takes up the entire side of a building. The mural probably covers more area the the entire rest of the park. The picture is called Pioneers Parceland and I believe it was dedicated in 1996. Huge, stunning and brightly colored, it has amazing detail and shows the early settlers arriving in the area. We just sat there for a long time taking in the beauty and different parts of the mural. It's so large that you actually have to back away at times to take it all in. The mural at Pioneer Park is a extremely mesmerizing work of art that photographs cannot begin to justice to. It has to be seen in person to truly be appreciated. it shows what a progressive town can do with a small and seemingly useless piece of space.

Lake Colby Park is beautiful! If you've never been, you need to go. The energy around here is…read moreamazing. It's just quiet and peaceful. It's definitely a place that you come when you want some respite.

We checked this spot out for fishing with the kids (beware of gators and snakes) and it was…read morepeaceful and secluded. We got to see a variety of bugs and tons of beautiful deer! There's a little walking path hidden off to the side when you're exiting to circle so don't miss it! Cute little walking paved path we did with the kids and got to see deer, turtles and so many butterflies. If you go out here take a lunch as they have many picnic tables to sit at.