Willows Park is a small park located at the edge of a neighborhood and not far from an Amazon hub…read more The park has a nice children's play area and also a nice pavilion. It is not a big park, but it is nice enough.

You can miss this spot easily by failing to look over but it's conveniently on a corner. This spot…read morewas perfect for a quiet place to eat my lunch on this nice day. Its quaint and small, wouldn't recommend a big gathering. This park has: -Grills -Playground -Fitness station The hours are sunrise - sunset

Bill Breeze Park is a great overall park with a pleasant water view of the lake…read more They do have designated parking and while it predominantly is just the lake and not so much a traditional park, it has a pleasant enough vibe. I would definitely recommend a visit to Bill Breeze Park.

I went to this park for a food event on Thursday. While there a nice parking lot, parking can be…read moredifficult during events. I parked in the back and walked a little to the park for the event. At least parking was free. I only went to the venue area near the city hall, which was spacious and very clean. I didn't go to the lake area, but it looked nice and I think you can fish there as well. I think there was a playground too, but it was a while since I last remembered. I do like the fountain in the pond not to far from city hall. While I only visited this park for an event, it looks to be a nice park to walk near the lake, go fishing, or playing in the field. Overall: B+

Mitchell L Nutter Park is a favorite of my grandson. The park is well maintained and has new and…read morechallenging play equipment. There is a lot of green space to run around in and a few benches scattered between the play areas. I saw a water fountain and a water bowl for dogs. There are two sides to this park. One side is for children two to five and the other side is for five to twelve year olds. My grandson loves the five to twelve side of the park even though he is only three. It means that he needs strong supervision but it is worth it. They have a rope climb where he pretends that it is Spider-Man's web and a fun swirling climber. The slide has open steps and there is a fun small seesaw type play thing. The seesaw allows for fun even if the weight is drastically lopsided between participants.

This park is clean and fairly new, with nice playground equipment for both the 2-5 and 5-12 age…read moregroups. There's even a working water fountain, which is always appreciated. That said, something about the layout feels a little off. There's open green space, but my kids never seem drawn to it. I think being right next to busy roads, even with a fence, takes away from the feeling of comfort. Overall it's good, just in a slightly awkward location.

George Barker Park is a great place to come unwind. Honestly, I was quite surprised but I had never…read morefound this park before, but perhaps I should not have been. It is in a quiet, unassuming neighborhood that lies in the shadow of Camping World Stadium and is just off of West Gore Street. This is not a big park by any means. However, they truly utilize their limited space and make it a pretty wonderful park. It is located on a lake and it has a very attractive view of that lake. I enjoyed standing up the dock and looking out at the water, I also enjoyed walking over the bridge. The park has a few pavilions to enjoy, as well as a playground for children. A park truly helps to find a neighborhood and gives that community a place to gather in both recreation and rest. This particular park truly serves this neighborhood in a wonderful way.

A very friendly park…read more The George Barker Park is named after a former city commissioner and is tucked away in a quiet neighbor of Orlando. It became a park back in 1968 but was extensively renovated in 1996. The park sits on the shores of Clear Lake and has a very convenient boat ramp for anyone wanting to fish or just mess around on the lake. The water is beautiful and surrounded by cypress trees and huge aquatic birds and the park also has some nice hoop courts, a volleyball pit and several nice pavilions for picnics and gatherings. The park is definitely a very scenic and pleasant place but what really got by attention was how friendly all the people in the park were. As we were walking around virtually every single person said hello to us and we were even offer some fried chicken from a family picnic. No one asked us what we were doing there or looked at us funny. Everyone in the park was having a good time and were also watching out for everyone else.. There are lots of parks in the world, some are nice, others not so nice. Some are beautiful others not so pleasant to look at. But what really makes a park are the people you meet. George Barker is a neighborhood park but the people welcome everyone. Other parks might be larger or more scenic or more historic but you will not find a park anywhere with nicer or more friendly people. That alone is worth five stars.

Lake Emerald Park is a small park that is pretty much a lake in the middle of a residential…read moreneighborhood. There is not much to it, but I am sure the residents of the neighborhood enjoy it.

The Park that's not!…read more I normally give some pretty high marks to parks, even those I find underwhelming, but there really is nothing to this "park." All it is is a tiny little plot of land no bigger than a McDonalds with a lake view and a table. It's like a backyard that someone wanted to call a park. This place is near a few "choice" neighborhoods...which are part of the "view" that you can experience at this place. I just don't know what to say...

Shadow Bay Park is a rare slice of florida's natural landscape. Formerly known as Lake Cane Marsha…read morePark, Shadow Bay Park is a 111 acre natural area preserve and park tucked into Southwest Orlando. Despite being surrounded by busy roads and urban development, the park protects a rare and biologically rich remnant of Florida's ancient sand pine scrub ecosystem, preserving a small piece of old Florida in the middle of the city. The park straddles an ancient shoreline associated with the Lake Wales Ridge, one of Florida's most important areas for rare and native plants and animals. Its diverse landscape includes rosemary scrub, xeric oak scrub, longleaf pine forest, wetlands, and four ponds, creating a variety of habitats for wildlife. It is one of the last remaining urban scrub habitats in Orange County and provides an important refuge for several rare and endangered native species. Shadow Bay Park is part of the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail, a statewide network of more than 500 wildlife-viewing sites. The northern portion of the park, especially the trails between Lupine Pond and Woodland Pond, offers some of the best birding opportunities. Depending on the season, visitors may spot Blue-headed Vireos, House Wrens, Eastern Phoebes, Yellow-throated Warblers and Indigo Buntings. The ponds attract Limpkins, Wood Ducks, Hooded Mergansers and Mottled Ducks, while Glossy Ibis and, occasionally, American Bitterns make appearances. Keep an eye on the sky for Ospreys and Cooper's Hawks, both of which nest within the park. I enjoyed exploring the trails throughout the park. A paved walkway and separate unpaved footpaths wind through the landscape. In the sandy trails through the rosemary scrub, you can find rare plants such as scrub lupine and threatened gopher tortoises. During migration season, you may see species such as Magnolia Warblers, Ovenbirds, Eastern Wood-Pewees and Baltimore Orioles pass through the oak area of the park. In addition to wildlife watching, the park offers plenty for active visitors and families. These include basketball and pickleball courts, softball fields, a fitness path, fishing areas around Shadow Bay Pond and a playground. The Lake Cane Tennis Center has been part of the park since 1986, when Orange County partnered with MG Tennis to operate the facility. Over the years, it has grown into a major Central Florida tennis destination and tournament hub. What I appreciate most about Shadow Bay Park is that it preserves an important part of Florida's original landscape while the surrounding communities continued to grow. It is a rare ecological refuge hiding in plain sight. Come for the trails, birding, wildlife, recreation or just for a peaceful escape from the surrounding city. This is a park worth exploring.

Had a wonderful tennis lesson here! The instructors were knowledgeable and welcoming, the court was…read moreclean and fresh, and the atmosphere was pleasant! I will be returning

In the late 1800's and early 1900's, settlers used a cattle trail to reach the 29 acre Red Bug Lake…read moreto water their cattle. Unfortunately for them, the area was plagued by chiggers, small biting insects that would irritate the cattle and the cowboys tending them. The lake and the road leading to it became known as Red Bug Lake and Red Bug Lake Road because of the abundance of the biting red bugs. Thankfully there is no longer any sign of the biting red bugs. Today Red Bug Lake is the site of a popular park with a variety of recreational amenities. These include a restroom, playground, baseball field, sand volleyball court, outdoor exercise equipment, tennis courts, fishing pier, and boardwalk. Adult softball leagues and adult and youth tennis programs are offered in the park. This park is clean and well maintained. I especially enjoyed taking in nature and wildlife on the .9 mile paved walking trail that circles the lake. I was able to spot several birds. It is ideal for joggers, walkers, and anyone looking to participate in gentle exercise. The park also has a picnic area with tables and grill for family gatherings and cookouts. This park is a great recreational spot for relaxing, exercising, and enjoying family time.

A friend and I decided to try a new park for a walking adventure…read more Unfortunately, it looks like the walking paths that she remembered were under construction as it was nothing more than a muddy pathway and unwalkable. Otherwise, it seems like a nice park with plenty of parking, some covered pavilions, tennis course and fields for sports. It also does have a little bit of a nice lake view so that could be awesome for relaxing and/or bird watching. I have not had the opportunity to interact with any staff or make any reservations, if needed, so I can't speak to that.

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.