I entered at the Jones East Trailhead, which has plenty of parking and also has restrooms at the…read moreentrance to the trailhead. Walking the trailhead was relatively simple and relaxing. I did encounter a few other people (they were either walking like myself or on a bicycle). The path itself is somewhat narrow, but it was enough for us to pass each other with no real inconvenience. Little Big Econ State Forest is a pretty cool place to check out. Walking the path, it was easy to forget that you were just outside of a major United States city in the twenty-first century. I seek out these spots where I can walk through the trees and forget the troubles of living in a modern city in today's modern world. Little Big Econ State Forest is a cool place to seek out if you are looking for a respite from the hustle and bustle of the modern world.

This state forest is about a 25 minute drive from downtown Orlando. We highly recommend it. They…read moreoffer maps at the start of the trail. So lush and peaceful. The stream along side most of the trail is beautiful. There are many benches along the path that offer a nice view of the scenery with shade. We took our pups and hiked for about 2 miles. The hikes range from 3 - 10 miles. I saw they do offer camping as well. Make sure to pack some water. It was nice to see many tamiles and couples enjoying the outdoors. We loved the variety of scenery and that it has lots of natural shade throughout the hike.

Barr Street Trailhead is honestly not that far off I'll be hustle and bustle of the Orlando,…read moreFlorida area. However, once you get upon these paths, it is easy to forget that civilization even exists. There is a decent amount of parking, however, I can see this filling up real fast. Even when I showed up here at about 7:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning, people were here and when I was leaving, it definitely got much busier. The paths themselves are pretty incredible periods they're well laid out and definitely give you the sense of getting back to nature periods as I said earlier comma it is easy to forget that you are right outside of civilization and it is easy to feel at one with nature out here. The trails are clearly indicated with strips of paint on the trees. They also have signs throughout the area on where you can call if you have an emergency. I would definitely recommend to come and check this place out. I will give it five stars.

This trail entrance in Oviedo opens up to a trail full of scenery and wildlife. We went in the…read moremorning to avoid the higher heat in the afternoon. With all of the rain, we were surprised it wasn't muddy and you could walk most of the trail without issues. The description says it's a loop but the maps and markings aren't real clear on what the loop is. We wasted some time trying to figure out where to go, and the lizard wasn't very helpful. Once we decided, we were able to hike and look at the beautiful scenery. There were lots of places to view the river and anything that may be swimming in it. When we got to the bridge, we were disappointed you could not cross it and continue the loop. It may have been possible to jump over the part of the flooded area, but the opposite side of the bridge looked like it wasn't worth it. So instead of a loop, we just had to turn around and walk back. The walk was chaotic in the sense that you have to pay attention to the ground as there are lots of roots you can trip over. Add the low hanging branches that need pushed out of the way, and you have the makings of a potential injury. Stay alert and pay attention to where you are with the marked rescue areas. We may return when you can do the entire hike as a loop. It was a good 5.5 mile walk to the bridge and back, so keep that in mind if you're planning on going. That's about the length of the Las Vegas strip, but with a completely different scenery!

The Geneva Wilderness Area offers a nice Trail to take a morning hike. A Hidden Gem on this Trail…read moreis this tiny outdoor Chapel in the middle of nowhere next to a body of water. I honestly cannot see this being used very often, but it certainly wasn't nice find during my morning walk. With it being late May in Florida, the bugs kept me company swarming about my head as I walked parrots hey, this is real nature. Nothing can be done about it. The trail is well laid out with continuous markers on the trees and on posts. I would call this definitely a beginner's type trail and you will not find a lot of challenges walking it. Another nice touch is the fishing pier along the trail. I did find it interesting that they had a few signs posted about releasing non-native fish into these waters, specifically tilapia. I didn't know that this was a problem here in Florida, so I could understand how that could destroy a lake. I also liked the rocket-box bat house by the fishing pier. All in all, I will give this trail five stars. With plenty if parking and a nice walk, it was a great way to start a Saturday.

Deserts, fires, and…read morenature centers The Geneva Wilderness Area is a wonderful place of almost 200 acres. Miles of well marked trails cut across the area and allows for some easy yet interesting hiking. Of course no hills or rocks, most of the trails are in soft sand and goes through what is known as Florida's desert. Very dry and rather barren but interesting terrain. They actually start fires here to burn away the underbrush and debris and the marks of the fires are visible on many of the trees. Doesn't harm the healthy trees and keeps uncontrolled fires from starting. There is also a very cool nature center at the wilderness area that has lots of interesting exhibits and a great woman that knows everything there is to know about the area. A very cool place for a easy hike, you get to see lots of interesting trees, plants and critters. A pleasant place to spend some time with nature.

If you are very local then this is worth while visit. However... if you have to drive more that 35…read moreminutes you may want to find another place to hike. The trails here are very short and if there has been any rain they are located in a flood plane so there is a good chance they will be flooded. I went in the winter so bugs were not an issue, but in the warmer months i would expect them to be rampant. Although there are some very nice views from the observation tower and the "scenic overlook" the overall hiking and trails were nothing special when compared to other central Florida trails I have been to. There are also no restrooms, so make sure you go before you get there. The parking is some what limited but I doubt it would ever fill up.

Eagles trains and…read moreshells The Lake Harney Wilderness Area is about 300 acres of hiking trails and swamp flood plain that leads down to the St. John's River. The path is very easy, wide and flat but has great views of palms, oaks and other hardwoods. The main trail follows the old path of the historic Florida East Coast Railroad and ends with a observation platform overlooking the St. John' s River. Great views are in every direction. This was also where the old trestle went over the river and if you look carefully you can see the metal remains. The area also has numbers of shell middens left over from the local Native American tribes. The land is a protected eagle habitat and we saw several eagles flying around or sitting in tress. A very cool and historic hike for someone that likes an easy hike with great views and some very cool history.

This particular trail is definitely a bit remote and the drive makes you feel like you are heading…read moreto the middle of nowhere. The parking lot is very small and a sign advises that parking on the street is not allowed and if the parking lot is full, you should just leave and come back at another time. Fortunately for me, the parking lot was empty and I parked my car and enjoyed a pleasant walk through the woods. The path itself is both on dirt and on a wooden boardwalk. It was quiet with the exception of nature's sounds (such as the occasional cry of a bird). I enjoyed the seclusion and the feeling that I was far away from civilization when in reality, I was just outside of the city of Orlando, Florida. This is an amazing little path and the true definition of a hidden gem. I would recommend a visit here and if you find the parking lot full, I would recommend that you follow the advice on the sign and come back another day.

Great hike. Hidden gem was great die a family hike. Shade…read morewill be super nice in the summer heat. We will be back.

A great park and boat ramp in the Geneva area. They do have restroom facilities and they're usually…read moremaintained well. There is a pavilion if you wish to use it and a covered bench near the water. Parking is somewhat of a miss here as there's only a few spaces clearly marked although you can get creative with where you park between trees and such. There are a few low-lying areas so beware if it is a wetter day than usual.

Boating camping and…read moremanatees Henry Mullet park is a 151 acre park located right on the St John's River and the 600 acre Mullet Lake. With all that water around it's a great place to fish or launch a boat but they also have a small campground surrounded by beautiful and mature trees. For shorter trips they have a nice pavilion for picnics and some clean bathrooms with hot and cold running water. Quite a luxury. There is room for a nice walk but it's not really a park for hiking. The attraction here is all the water with great fishing and lots of huge aquatic birds. There is no fee to get in and like many Floridian parks it's open 24 hours a day. The park includes a large flood plain and it can get really muddy in the wet season and occasionally the water gets high enough to close the boat ramp and campground. A small price to pay for being so close to all this water.

This is a Seminole County owned, three acre park that makes clever use of that often wasted space…read moreat the base of a bridge. In this case that space is around George C. Means Memorial Bridge that crosses the St. John's River. The park was named in honor of Cameron Wright, a former member of the of the Sanford City Commission where he served for many years. He was also instrumental in the development of the park. The park was previously named Westside Park before the name was changed by the city. Cameron Wright Park has a covered picnic pavilion with tables, fishing dock, and boat launch onto the St. John's River which connects to both Lake Jessup and Lake Monroe. This is a boaters and fisherman's paradise. Just watch out for the alligators.

A place to go…read moresomeplace else Cameron Wight Park is a small area located almost under the bridge on Rt 46. It's easy to zoom right by it if you aren't looking in the right spot. Certainly not a large area and definitely not a park for hiking, this is a place to get to the water. It has a few picnic tables but I doubt it anyone comes here for a picnic. This is a place to launch a boat to go fishing, paddling or just to go somewhere that isn't here. From the park you can launch right into the St Johns River and if you go south you can get into gator infested Lake Jessup, north into Lake Monroe and east into Lake Thornhill. Or you can just get lost in the multitude of small streams and canals. The launch area is very well maintained and can take power boats as well as canoes and yaks. Unfortunately like most of the water in this part of Florida this part of the St John's can have harmful bacteria and amoeba that will do very nasty things to your body if it gets inside of you so swimming is definitely discouraged. Beside large gators seem to enjoy hanging out in this part of the river. The small park has a large parking area that makes parking boat trailers convenient but like most boat launch areas burglaries are common so locking your vehicle is mandatory. Certainly not a park to hang out in or hike but a great place that gives access to a lot of water in all directions.

This review is for the "Black Hammock Trailhead" in Winter Springs (Just west of the 417 at 434…read more Hopefully, the crew at Yelp! rename this back to that. Google Maps has it correct as of April 2022. Anyway, this Trailhead is a great way to enter the Cross Seminole Trail. You can ride the trail south to Oviedo (Stop at the Townhouse or Kelly's Ice Cream) and continue to the Cady Way trail in Orange County. Or you can go North for about 5.5 miles further into Winter Springs (just past Gee Creek bridge). This trailhead has restrooms with actual running water so you can wash and flush (not in that order). There's also a covered area at the beginning of the trail with an air pump, some tools to fix your bike and some water fountains (high for people and low for dogs). As the trail continues to expand, this is a great starting point for your bike ride or walk on paved trails. It can get crowded in spots but not as bad as the West Orange Trail.

A very nice park in Oviedo. Parking can sometimes be difficult, especially during the evening and…read moreweekends, but it is free. Better free parking can be found in the strip malls. The park is very beautiful with lots of fountains, including a large one on the lake. There are various restaurants, apartment complex, and shopping areas around the park. You can also rent a swan boat and buy food for the fishes. The kids can play in the playground while enjoying ice cream at Bruster's. The great restaurants within walking distance includes Tabla, Jinya, TJs, and Marlow's. It's just a wonderful park for a nice walk, eating out, playing, or shopping. Overall: A

What a cool area! They really built this up with lots of restaurants, shops, activities, a dog…read morepark, apartments and an event center. And there seemed to be plenty of free parking, with street parking, a few areas scattered around the lake, and a parking lot just north of the Event Center. Now that I know this is here, I plan on coming back to check out more events, the Food Factory food hall, and a return trip to the Crazy Cork wine bar. Very cool and you wouldn't guess it was here when you drive by on Mitchell Hammock (which I've done many many times).

This playground has a lot of great features. It is fenced in. It has nice artificial turf…read more(excellent for crawling babies). It has a fair amount of shade and a lot of picnic tables. It has two regular swings and two baby swings. It has a "little kid" and a "big kid" playground. It has bathrooms on site. The cons are that it can be difficult to keep an eye on all your children if one wants to be on the big playground and one on the little. Worse than that is that the big kid playground is a little TOO big. It has a lot of openings a child could fall out of that are quite high. Thankfully the third story doesn't have an opening, but I have seen older kids climb up the outside of the large enclosed slides all the way to the top. It was extremely scary! There are warnings for bees but I am yet to see any.

This is an updated review from me. I used to bring my nieces and nephews to Friendship Park, now…read moreI'm bringing my own kids. The park has toddler swings as well as regular swings, making it great for children of all ages. Since my last review, everything has been repainted and cleaned, and the improvements are noticeable. There are restrooms on-site and plenty of shaded areas. The entire playground is fenced in. It does get pretty busy during the day time on the weekends, as many birthdays occur here. Also, the church across the street uses the parking area on Sundays so parking can be limited during that time.