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.

I've paddled the Emerald Cut a few times now. Initially I didn't like the idea of paying to launch…read moremy own paddleboard. However, it's only $10 now that I have my own life jacket (saving me additional cost of $5 to use one of theirs, as required). Well worth the low cost for some soul-enriching, communing with nature. I have never made a reservation. I normally arrive around 10:30, most recently on a Friday. Parked for free on Baptist Camp Rd. Just a bit of a walk from there with my inflated paddleboard, but I don't mind the extra exercise. You can unload your stuff closer, if preferable. There are port-a-potties available. You can count on there being a line in the check-in office. Various recreation supplies are available there for purchase. The process moves reasonably enough. A reservation will guarantee your entrance, however, and possibly aide quicker personal info collection. I always plan to do the Emerald Cut in roughly 3 hours round-trip, allowing myself several stops to enjoy the surroundings. You do run into (quite literally at times) novice paddlers along the way, which can be a bit tricky, yet not a real nuisance for me. In general, there's friendliness along the waterway. Slighty rowdy, party vibes in some spots, but also opportunities for solace and zen in various nooks. Encountering wildlife, fragrant elderberry, and other captivating flora along this stretch is always gratifying. It's a popular recreation destination for good reason.

This is one of the most beautiful places in Florida! Highly recommend visiting at least once. Being…read morelocal, I've visited a number of times. A few things knock the stars down: - The amount of rules/ regulations is a downside. There are more than any other river we've visited in Florida. It's nerve wracking to make sure you're following every new rule. - Launching and landing at the dock is stressful. It feels rushed and disorganized. - The bathroom situation is DIRE. They have a few porta potties but they're pretty gross. - I've found some of the staff intimidating/ borderline rude. There are a lot of newbies to kayaking/ paddleboarding so patience is a virtue at busy times! It's a hard paddle up stream and coming back it can be easy to lose control around the corners. There are a few spots to be cautious of other paddlers. With that said, it's really stunning. They keep the area very clean and there are a lot of spots to pull off to the side to enjoy the view. I've never done a guided tour, but I've heard they're really well done!

Lake Proctor Wilderness Area is a nice little patch of wilderness to escape to and temporarily hide…read morefrom the hustle and grind of modern-day life. I came here on an early Saturday morning and pretty much did not see another human being during my time here, but I did enjoy some much needed serenity and peace. I would definitely describe myself as a city type person, but there is something to be said in escaping the asphalt, concrete and steel world we created and finding refuge in the world as it was created. This was a much needed respite and I am grateful for ny time spent here. The world is a beautiful and awe-inspiring place and sometimes the greatest miracles of nature are often in the most simple settings. Overall, I will give this oasis of nature five stars as my rating.

First, the address in this page is incorrect. So if you plan to go google it. If you are coming…read morefrom Oviedo turn right on 46 not left. There was only one other car there when we arrived mid day. So it was nice that the park wasn't crowded. The trails are well marked and the Pineneedles added additional cushioning to the walk. We only did the orange and blue trail which in total was about 2 1/2 miles. There was a bit of road noise at the beginning or it was the wind going through all the trees couldn't decide. It's a pleasant walk with several views of ponds and lakes of the orange and blue trail. Sadly we didn't even hear one bird. Between the red trail and the orange and blue looks like they are excavating for a new road. It's a pleasant walk in the woods but nothing unique. Maybe will try the red trail sometime and see if we can find more captivating scenery. Any walk in the woods is better than none

Oviedo Aqua Center Over the river and through the STREET,…read moreViews of this place worthy of a SEAT. I was most impressed by the WALLS? Etching each inch down the HALLS... Deciding if this place is 4 US, Oviedo Aquatic Center is very BUS... Activating the lungs, helping 2 CLIMB, Quietly gouging patrons of nickels and DIMES. United with others, connected to Mrs. MARTINI, An event gal who helped Ez become a TORTELLINI... Check out the photo Ez took of the man in the MIRROR, Etching Each Inch means seeing CLEARER, Never pushing away, but drawing NEARER, The events in Oviedo are second to NONE, Etch Each Inch, corner lot when DONE. Resting in a sleep lab tonight, looking out at tomorrow's SUN I slept from 9-1:45 and now write this at 2:15. Heading back to bed.

Attended swim meet for my gkids. Meet was run very well even tho there were multiple team…read morecompeting. There's no shade so bring your shade. Nice pool area when you're going just to swim.

Sweetwater has a great VIBE, With a quaint feel for my…read moreTRIBE. Etching each inch of this PLACE, Every tree makes this a shaded SPACE. The net playground is a fam FAVE, Walking trail is MOSTLY PAVED... And the wooden decking is CLEAN, Taking you through the forested SCENE, Etching each inch through the WETLANDS, Right now it's closed for working HANDS... Putting back the broken TRACKS, A place where nature reigns & lil' DISTRACTS. Ready for tennis, come to this MARK... Kids playground makes this one of our top 5... OVIEDO PARK

Sweetwater Park is located on a sidestreet (East Magnolia) just off of Central, which is a main…read moreroad through Oviedo. It is basically Alafaya Trail and the name changes as you ride into Oviedo. Sweetwater Park is not a huge park, but it does have a few pavilions, a basketball court, a few tennis courts and a nice wooden walkway that leads you through a nice little oasis of trees and nature. It would have been nice had the wooden walkway just made a loop, however, this wooden walkway just led me to a sidestreet. Not a big deal, I just turned around and walked the way that I came. Despite its small size, Sweetwater Park is a pleasant place to spend a bit of time. I enjoyed my time walking around here on an early Saturday morning. A bit of a pro tip, this park is not far from a Kelly's Homemade Ice Cream location and it woukd be a great place to stop after working up a sweat shooting some hoops or getting in a few games of tennis. Hey, even if you walk that wooden walkway it might be a good enough reason to treat yourself to some Ice cream.

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.

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!

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

I had no idea this park was here! We came into the area to find a certain restaurant (which I will…read morealso review) and stubbled onto this GREAT little area for Oviedo. Oh my goodness the splash pad and playground were a hit with my 10 year old. They have an amphitheater and little swan boats you can rent out to go out on the little lake. They have a concession stand to get very reasonable treats both salty and sweet. I loved the permanent checkerboards on the benches that could be used as little tables or bring your own pieces for a game! There is a lot of space where you can chillax while your kids play and they have a lot of events that happen here. I am going to keep my eyes open and attend one sometime and check out the people vibes. There are restaurants and shopping everywhere. I am SO IMPRESSED! This place was just a LITTLE past where my usual activities take me so its a testimony to getting just a BIT outside of your area and find new places to treasure!