I love Payne Park…read more I do NOT like too many of the people that use it. Recently, the number of unsupervised kids that are riding their bikes, scooters, and electric do dads are inconsiderate with their use of the sidewalks, their total lack of attention to their surroundings and other people. These kids need more adult supervision and parents need to take more time teaching them manners. I also am taking exception to the growing number of pet owners that think THEIR dogs don't need to be properly trained, leashed, or picked up after. The 5 O'Clock group of owners that let their dogs off theie leads and let them just take over a section of the park is non-sense. Read the signs. That is not acceptable. On several occasions, while just walking I have been run up on by dogs showing their teeth. I stop, sayd nice doggy and then move on. But some day, if I do get bit by one of these unruly monsters, their entiled owners will owe me money they haven't even made yet. I would like to see more of a park police presence for a while to get the kids and dog owners back to being decent people. And to the people that are feeding the ducks and squirrels, STOP. Read the signs. You aren't doing the wildlife any favors by feeding them and you aren't doing the other people that use the park any favors either. Payne Park is beautiful; a great place to enjoy the out of doors and the wonderful weather in Sarasota. Kids and Pet owners don't have the right to ruin the experience for everyone else. Oh, and teenagers, we know you are smoking pot there. Move away from the popular walking areas. Your weed smell like skunk butt.

4 stars because the bathrooms are closed currently due to a leak . But other than that this is a…read moresuper cute place to go to and bring your toddler. This park has a variety of activities / slides , tjings to climb oh and there's a skate park on the other side. Plus the trails are nice walking here.

Always a fun place to take the kids to get out all of their energy. Games of hide and seek, Nerf…read morewars, and "did you see Cheeto?" are always fun. If you don't know, Cheeto is the raccoon who likes to steal snacks from the park rangers. 02.02.25

Bright as the day is, but a new addition to a new addition to Bradenton! My heart breaks slightly…read morefor the older houses and undeveloped land that used to be here, but progress shines brightly on Bradenton, and this park is a wonderful example of that! There's doggy poo bags, and I'm not sure why, but across the street is another unlabeled park with a smaller playground in the shade and it's absolutely strange. They have astroturf and fake mounds, I cannot fathom why. It's only lacking a hole and some golfers... Either way, untapped park that I've never noticed before!

This beach was very clean with a lot to offer: a big parking lot, showers, bathrooms, changing…read morestations, grills, picnic tables, chair rentals, and a bar with drinks. The beach itself was also very clean and well-kept. I highly recommend stopping here if you want a relaxing beach day. I came around noon, and there was still plenty of parking.

A really nice white sand beach. The beach is very clean and well maintained. The water was clean…read moreand warm. While there there was a police/security presence which passed by on a regular basis ensuring beach goers were able to enjoy the beach without anyone creating any issues. In the section we were at, we did not notice any lifeguards, but basically everyone was very careful.

Wow, this is not the beach, the Riverwalk is something to be seen. There's tons of seating along…read morethe riverwalk. Everything from metal benches facing the water to these really cool cement lounge chairs that are actually comfortable to sit in as well. Along the river walk there are really cool our installations as well as a playground for families. My two favorite things to see while walking on the river walk where the dolphins swimming in the water. Yes actual dolphins in the water that you could see so cool. The other thing which might not be exciting to some people, but I thought it was cool was being able to see a train that goes across the river and the bridge that lifts some of the tracks up so that boats can go by. From the hotel we stayed at we could have walked about 15 minutes to the downtown area where there's some restaurants and shops to go to.

A 2 mile long Riverwalk along the Manatee River. We walked past a skate park, over train tracks,…read moresplash water park, playgrounds, an amphitheater & some art installations. This is an expansion of Rossi Park between the Green and DeSoto bridges. There were clean shady seating & lots of signage about the Riverwalk. There were cameras & we felt very safe.

Very nice spot for an early morning excursion to see if we could find manatees! It was hot hot hot…read more but the hike to the observation tower was short and full of fun things to see!! We found a pond full of birds, two lizards on a bench, fish jumping out of the water and the tower itself is very tall and quite a sight! We had the best time and it is a very nice trail. We saw walkers, runners and bikers so good for all sorts of activities! Plenty of parking, quiet and serene. Get out there early or late in the evenings to avoid the heat bring plenty of water, wear sunscreen and stay on the path and you'll have a great time!

Several easy hiking trails make this a handy place to take a stroll. The terrain isn't very scenic…read morebut there is an observation tower that affords good views of the surrounding area. Unisex restrooms available at the parking lot. Free parking and admission.

We were looking for something different for my 2.5 year old son to do and came across this play…read moregym.... And it's amazing! There were children younger and older than him, all thoroughly enjoying themselves. The check in staff were very friendly. We bought a small package for while we're in town and thought the price was fair. They have lots of different areas: toddler/infants (play kitchens, small toys, blocks, etc), art (including smocks), calming room (if it's too much stimulation) and LOTS of gross motor skill activities (exercise equipment, trampoline, rock climbing wall, zip line, swings, etc). The whole gym as foam floors and there are foam pits under larger things (zip line, jungle gym, rock wall, etc). Everything seemed clean, bathrooms were clean too! There's also a large party room... what a great place for a party. They are inclusive for all kids including neuro & physical diversities.

I am always looking for new, fun places to take my 2 1/2-year-old daughter. I am so happy to have…read morefound this play place! I am a certified school teacher, and have taught special ed in the past. I have worked with OTs for many of my students as well. It is so amazing to have all these sensory tools at your disposal at this playground. There are multiple types of swings, for toddlers and big kids alike. There is a rock climbing wall, and extremely safe, spring-less trampoline with yoga balls in it for play. There is also a zip line into a padded pit, and monkey bars with pads underneath, and tons of other activities. There is a toddler/baby area blocked off by a half wall, so they will not be overwhelmed by the activity in the main room. There are dramatic play toys there such as a kitchen, grocery store and baby dolls. My daughter surprisingly loved the car ramp! There are tons of other age appropriate toys there as well. The entire place is padded with the foam type of pads you would put underneath home workout gyms. There is a dimly lit calm down room, with a beautiful blue bubble wall, and jellyfish tent and headphones. My younger daughter is a little quieter and more cautious. She loved being there all by herself and had plenty of time to get acclimated to her surroundings. She was able to run freely around and feel confident. I would definitely recommend checking out the website to see everything that this place has to offer. You can tell that a lot of thought was put into the creation of this indoor playspace, from a very educated perspective!

I've been to Coquina Beach b4,& it's a beautiful spot to spend the day in Florida. There's a huge…read morepark area w/ plenty of space to relax, have a BBQ, & enjoy some time outdoors. Of course, there's also a big beach w/ plenty of room to swim, soak up the sun, or just enjoy the water. The water is always so warm & clear. Unfortunately, the day I went this time, the weather had other plans. We were dealing w/ thunderstorms & rain, so we had to pack up all our BBQ stuff & leave. It was a bummer b/c we were ready to enjoy a nice beach day & BBQ all day, but safety comes 1st. Even though the weather cut our day short, I still enjoy coming to Coquina Beach. I'd come back again hopefully next time w/ plenty of sunshine so we can actually enjoy the whole day!

Yes I recommend it cuz it's Gorgeous waters but a couple of things…read more - no dogs allowed - no alcohol allowed - the little chairs with umbrellas that are out you have to rent from the shop/ cafe right there -free parking -there are bathrooms and showers -parking isn't far from your car -water is super clear and sand is great! This is. A part of Anna Maria island I believe. The little shop sells alcohol and food but you can't take it on the beach. There are lifeguards and guards that drive around. I saw some people bbq by the parking lot so not sure if that's up for grabs or not

Doing some research on Long Boat Key, and this park came up. It was perfect for what I was looking…read morefor. It is a dog friendly park, has inter-coastal water views and is perfect if you are looking for a place to walk and take in nature. Since it has been quite windy this week, even with the nicer weather, the wind is too intense for me at the beach. Plus it's not dog friendly. They have a boardwalk and gravel trails so it's easiest to wear gym shoes. There's a number of trails but some entries were closed. The trail that we took took you on the board walk where there were an abundance of benches along the way as well as garbages and poop bags for your fur baby. It was so clean and organized. There are also signs that say to Pavillion and parking lot. So don't think you will get lost bc that will always take you back. There are picnic tables, bathrooms and a playground a a nice adult swing to swing on as well as the kiddy swings. It was super peaceful, and away from the hustle and bustle of the beaches. Definitely check it out for that ideal quiet chill spot with nature and your family and fur babies!

A few years ago, while on my morning walk from White Sand of Longboat, along Gulf of Mexico Drive,…read moreI took a short detour into this park. At the time, I thought it was a small pocket park and that I had seen the whole thing. It was nice, but unimpressive. Well, during our annual week in Longboat Key, we decided to explore the park a little more. Boy, was I wrong with my first impression! The park's 34 acres wrap around homes, utilities, the firehouse, many municipal buildings and a few retail establishments, with paths weaving through dense mangroves to Sarasota Bay. You can drive in to a parking area, adjacent to a pond, Pavilion and playground. Behind the pavilion is a large, well groomed grassy field. There are cleared dirt and gravel paths and in the wetland, mangrove areas, boardwalks weaving through the trees, over ponds and streams. The scenic overlooks on the bay were comfortable. Benches were in many places along the trails. And to my delight, there were birds everywhere. We spent a delightful couple of hours there and will be back.