Love bird key park. It's on the smaller size but that's what makes it so nice! There's a walkable…read morearea into the water, wide sidewalk, greenery, water fountains, parking lot, and a shaded large picnic table. So perfect for anyone looking to park and walk the bridge or to enjoy the scenery without being overcrowded.

Every time we visit Sarasota, we love to turn off the Ringling Bridge and park at Bird Key Park and…read morewalk around looking at the water, the birds, the trees, and the Ringling Bridge. There is a nice paved walkway to the bridge. The tourists and locals love to walk down there and just hang out under the bridge. The views are great!! There are benches along the way to rest. The park is well taken care of and very popular with ealkets and runners and fishermen.. The parking is along the waterfront with a lot of parking spaces. You can walk your dogs as long as you clean up after them. We usually go there in the morning and again in the evening. Beautiful photo ops also.

Watched July 3rd, 2026 fireworks here at Nathan Benderson Park. We parked by Foxtail Coffee for…read morefree, and walked over. They also had fees to park in parking lots starting at $30, but you still had to walk. The walk wasn't bad at all and luckily the rain finished and it wasn't as hot. We stayed at the part of the park before the bridge. It was a nice set up with a walking trail, grass, a few picnic tables, inside restrooms and a playground. Two or three food trucks. The other side of the park had more stuff along with the VIP area. Liked this side of the park since we could comfortably place our chairs down in the grass and be close enough to the bathrooms. The music was streamed from the other side. I didn't like it because it was orchestra and classical music the whole time. The fireworks were ok and you saw it on the distance not too far. But the music made it sleepy for me. This is just my reminder for next year. At least we had good parking, weather, seats, & clean restrooms. Line for them wasn't too bad.

its a lovely place to walk, although it needs better, more clear signage for its mile markers. It…read moreis 3.4 miles around the lake. But you dont know where the starting and ending points are. Shame there isnt more shade around the park. In hot days there is no escape from the sun.

Love this park even more. Decided to come here at night, and it was a good choice. There are lights…read moreat night so you can walk which was perfect so we can walk our pup. We also went by the lounge chairs closer to the bay. It was so comfy at night to sit here. We fell asleep since it was so relaxing. The park is so cute with whimsical birds as part of the playground. A huge grassy area for walking was nice and comfy too. We brought a snack to eat at the tables and our pup had his dinner too. This was def a great choice! Parking was street parking and it was free.

This is still a developing park set on 53 acres along Sarasota's beautiful waterfront. There is a…read morepromenade, Ibis playground, mango bayou, sunset deck & cultural venues scheduled. Free kayak tours & outdoor movies under the stars are presented here. There are: Bicycle Trails, Canoe Launch, Equipment/Facility Rental, Hiking Trails, Picnic Facilities, a restaurant In the park, clean stocked restrooms and wildlife / bird watching. The conservatory is free, pet & family, friendly and accessible for the handicapped.

To get into the park with one person, it is $4; decent price. The woman at the entry was friendly,…read moregave me a map and a suggestion as where to start hiking since it was windy and cold when I arrived. I definitely got my money's worth, walking a little over 13 miles of trails. Most of the trails are well marked, but I did find it hard to navigate some of the trails resulting in me making a couple circles before I found the correct direction... but, extra steps aren't a bad thing, right?! There is a big lake along one of the trails. I was hoping to see a lot of wildlife here, but it wasn't super active. I did see about four different types of birds. There are a good amount of restrooms available as well as areas to have a picnic. I think most of the trails are doable for all levels of fitness as I saw several benches to rest along the way; they are also marked on the trail maps. I only went to explore for the day, but there are many campsites, a nature center, playgrounds and a beach area that I spotted in my park travels.

Beautiful park in a rapidly shrinking green space in the once beautiful Sarasota, FL. Park staff…read moreare great, friendly, helpful and generally lovely. Once you're through the entrance, you can pretend Sarasota hasn't been invaded by cancerous northerners who have absolutely trashed the city and destroyed everything in their wake. You can appreciate what Sarasota once was, beautiful, natural, and covered in flora and fauna. God save Oscar Scherer!

It is a great park to take your dog for a walk. Very pretty! I give it a 4.5…read moreI only gave it a 2 because my dog and my friend's dog , got many ticks! Be careful! Not the parks fault , just be careful with your dog.

If your looking for beautiful blue water, breathtaking sunsets and the possibly of seeing dolphins…read moreand/ or manatee, this is it! Interested in the Lemon Bay ecosystem? The best was to learn about the mangrove and its creatures is through a local on the water tour, like a cruise. I highly recommend "Native Charter Company" -- family owned, native to the area, passionate about the Lemon Bay ecosystem, $25.00pp for one hour. They are licensed and take your safety seriously. Search them on Yelp, read my review plus pictures. TIP: wear sunscreen and shoes!!

Ball fields, sand volleyball courts, covered basketball court, nifty playground with good variety…read moreof equipment especially some more advanced climbing features. Baseball fields. Picnic tables. Water fountain. Summer Camp. Community garden. This park has it all!!! Even a giant passion fruit vine. This is where my daughter held her forst lizard. Don't make me cry.. Come down and play some beach volleyball. Or picnic. Don't forgrt some bug spray. Not the ritziest of areas, but very nice park. I think most Florida parks woukd benefit from more native plant landscaping. The butterflies and birds will thank us.

This park is nestled in a residential neighborhood in the Bee Ridge area. There is a child's…read moreplayground has a variety of play structures including for little children and toddlers (the Kompari brand equipment) all the way up to older children as there is a climbing structure. There are also swings and a basketball court. There are several picnic tables to hang out at as well as a baseball field adjacent. The park is clean and there are garbage receptacles throughout. On my visits the visitors to the park were respectful and there was no disorderly conduct. There is ample parking and there are garbage and restroom facilities on the premises.

Nice little park and bicycle trail access area with covered picnic tables, water and bathrooms…read more There is a playground and dog up the street fl towards 41 at Bay Street Park This park is primarily and access to Legacy Trail with a visitor center (open Thursdays as of 2025) and some gardens, ponds and trails. Oscar Scherer State Park backside is across the street and Scherer Thaxton as well as some ponds too. Nice natural area to explore. Newer. Peeps have done some great improvements and plantings.

This is a nice preserve at the back of the larger and more forested Oscar Scherer. Set along Honore…read moreAve amidst new decelopments it features a picnic table, crushed shell parking lot that doesn't have much of a sign on the road, and a trail with some offshoots around a body of water. There are cattails. Some wildflowers. 275 isn't far and the apartment complexes are visible and nearby for much of a wildlands experience, but water features, marsh plants, and looking for birds is nice. There's a small canoe launch. Seems to be a trail connecting into Oscar Scherer. I posted a photo of the map as of March 2020. You can take a look at the trail. Nice oasis and I see bicycle riders coming from surrounding area as well as visitors from further afield. Doesn't rank up there with the beaches and wilder preserves and more scenic preserves in the area for me but I enjoyed visit and am glad it's there. Be prepared for some bugs. I got bitten by a horsefly after my hiking buddy took a photo of it on me instead so I coukd tell them what kind of insect it was instead of smashing it..