While it's not fancy or brand new, it's a great option for a park in the Palm Bay area. It's…read morerelatively small compared to Palm Bay Park off Malabar and it doesn't have too many amenities but it still receives a solid 4. Young children can climb around in the play area while the older children play in the skate park adjacent to the play area. Seems like a great option for a small kid's party. Do keep a close eye on the kids as the park entrance is not fenced and is off of a major street full of cars!

My mom loves this park, and our family has been coming here for over a decade. It's clean and…read moreconvenient, perfect for young children. It has swings, a rock climbing station, jungle gym, and a few other stations to keep kids busy. There's also picnic tables that would be perfect for a children's birthday party or a small celebration. The bathrooms are clean and accessible. Parking is never a problem. As a bonus, sometimes ice cream trucks stop by to offer a quick frozen treat to cool off the kids after working up a sweat.

More of a children's playground than an actual park, but this children's playground is pretty cool…read more It also has a pavilion and restrooms. If you are looking for a children's playground, this definitely rates five stars, but if you are looking for a park, I would recommend looking elsewhere.

Truly beautiful local trail, we did about 2.5 miles and there is more to walk through! It's clean…read moreand kept up, there are many places to have some food take breaks or just enjoy nature. We saw lots of tortoises and some turtles too! No alligators today but there were signs for caution. Overall, will come again!

This natural area was a delightful discovery next to the Palm Bay Library. The sanctuary sits on a…read moresmall section of what was once an ancient Atlantic Ocean dune which was part of a series of dunes formed by wind and wave action when the ocean extended across Florida. Through many years the sand was enriched so that a forest grew where only sea oats previously survived. The land that makes up Turkey Creek Sanctuary was donated to the Florida Audubon Society and the City of Palm Bay in 1978. Fundraising to conserve the area began in 1981 by a citizen support group which is still in existence today as the Turkey Creek Sanctuary Society, Inc., a registered non profit. The purpose of the Turkey Creek Sanctuary Society is to raise funds to support the improvement and upkeep of Turkey Creek Sanctuary and to educate the community on the vital importance and the many benefits of Florida wildlife and its natural environment. By 1994, 113 acres were protected by the voluntary management committee. Today Turkey Creek Sanctuary is part of the Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands (EEL) program which added acres to the sanctuary in 2004. It is also a stop on the Great Florida Birding Trail. Some of the birds you might see here include ospreys and owls in the old pine canopy and woodpeckers and the rare purple martin. There are also alligators, manatees, gar fish, and turtles in Turkey Creek which can be accessed by canoe or kayak. Turkey Creek Sanctuary has more than three miles of marked trails through 130 acres of sand pines, saw palmettos, and live oaks. There is a 1.85 mile boardwalk that passes through a hydric hammock, mesic hammock, and sand pine scrub community. Also in the sanctuary there are 1.5 miles of jogging trails through native forest and a 1 mile mountain bike trail that connects to an additional 8 miles. The Margaret Hames Nature Center was opened in 1992 and offers interpretive exhibits, a restroom, and environmental education programs that include nature day camps, tours, nature library, and a gift store. I loved my hike at Turkey Creek Sanctuary. I started off by visiting the Margaret Hames Nature Center where you can see exhibits, use the restroom. and purchase a drink. Near the entrance to the boardwalk I spotted a gopher tortoise wandering around. The boardwalk area was mainly shaded with lots of interpretive signs. My favorite spots were the tree house and the Oli Johnson Canoe Deck where you can look for alligators and turtles. This is such a beautiful spot. If I lived closer I would be a regular visitor.

Overall, Fred Lee Park is pretty impressive. It has ample parking, a great children's playground,…read morebaseball fields, basketball courts, a couple of pavilions, tennis courts, an open field that looks like it was used maybe for football, and more. The park is very well maintained and again, this park is pretty impressive. Even the garbage cans were empty. Far too often, I see a great park with overflowing trash cans. Here was not the case (at least on the day that I visited). The pavilions are also available to reserve for parties or gatherings. I would definitely recommend a visit to this park. Parks are an integral part of our communities. It is a place where we can gather with our neighbors in recreation and relaxation. Palm Bay, Florida is fortunate to have this particular park for its community. Again, I definitely recommend here and I give it five stars overall as my rating. Go see it for yourself.

We love our time at Fred Lee Park in Palm Bay. Whether you're watching somebody shoot 3-point shots…read moreat the basketball courts, grilling out at one of the covered Pavilions, or just taking a walk with your dog and watching the children play softball is a great time for all ages. There is a covered playground, tennis courts, basketball courts, bathrooms, and two large softball fields all this part needs is a community garden.

Always see a gator. The bathrooms are not the great. But fun hiking area. Fishing is ok.read more

Be very careful when traveling to this area. My husband and I were fishing and walked through an…read moreopen area next to a gate that only had a sign that said no hunting trapping or motorized vehicles. When we got to the first pond to the north a man traveling very fast in a side by side atv drove over the embankment where we were prepping our fishing equipment and demanded to know how we got in. When we told him he accused us of repeatedly cutting a fence away that had been there. We explained we had never been fishing here before and were not the people he was referring to. I explained that I was a local high school teacher and we sometimes came birding but had never fished there and certainly wouldn't cut a fence. We weren't aware we came through a non authorized entry to the area. He threatened repeatedly to arrest us on "felony charges". He told us he would have our fishing licenses revoked and my teaching license revoked. I told him we didn't have any tools with us to cut a fence, but he said he only had our word to prove that. He flashed a non descript badge when he first arrived, never gave us his name, and didn't ask to see our fishing licenses. He never left his unmarked atv and had no uniform on. He told us our "punishment" should be to leave three forks immediately. We did. He was scary and our law enforcement friends and family said that even the things he alleged we did (of course we didn't) were not felonies. Please be careful, may be someone impersonating a law enforcement officer, it had a very "deliverance" vibe. We will not be going back, I recommend steering clear of trails and dirt roads, you're probably safe on the water in a boat.

Won't make republic pick up garbage even though palm bay collects the money. If palm bay stop…read morepaying maybe republic would do a better job.

Nice little quaint park. Location is in the middle of a neighborhood so it's a little odd to find…read more There is a small playground that is very shady. If you walk around the fence line you will find basketball court and baseball fields.

The Environmentally Endangered Lands (EEL) Program was established in 1990 to protect the natural…read morehabitats by acquiring sensitive lands for conservation, passive recreation and education. Shortly thereafter EEL acquired Malabar Scrub Sanctuary with the help of the State of Florida for the purpose of preserving scrub jays and other threatened species like gopher tortoises and the Eastern Indigo Snake. Malabar Scrub Sanctuary is a massive 577 acre sanctuary that protects habitats that include xeric dry hammock, scrub, scrubby flatwoods, pine flatwoods, sand pine scrub, ponds, sloughs, and depression marshes. The scrub forest with tiny trees found in Malabar Scrub Sanctuary is the perfect habitat for scrub-jays found only in Florida. Two million years ago they became a distinct species. They are listed as threatened by the Federal Endangered Species Act and Florida's Endangered and Threatened Species Rule. It is estimated that there are only 2,500-10,000 left in the wild. scrub-jays are a long tailed songbird 10 to 12 inches long with blue head, wings, and tail and a pale gray back and belly. Florida scrub-jays live in family units, with one serving as the sentinel that will alert the others. In order to keep the land hospitable for scrub-jays and the other threatened species, controlled burns must be done periodically in order to keep the land clear for the animals to thrive. Scrub-jays need sandy open spots to forage for food and watch out for predators. Hawks and other birds of prey occupy trees and are natural predators to the scrub-jays. Thinning tree densities and lowering vegetation height restores the landscape to optimal scrub ecosystem conditions. As you can imagine a natural area without any shade trees is hot, especially during the summer months. I only went for a short hike before I had to give up. Come in the winter months to enjoy the mountain bike, equestrian, and hiking trails that extend through the preserve for 12 miles. The Malabar Double Loop Trail for example is 5.3 miles. Restrooms can be found next door at Malabar Community Park.

Took me a while to find a nice paved walking trail! This…read morepath was great and long, really clean, bathroom stocked and opened, perfect for kids to ride bikes or scooters and smooth for long boarding.

My dogs enjoy this park. I like it that there are good handlers present to supervise their large…read moredogs. While the play between the big dogs is big dog size play....their handlers are quick to shut down anything getting out of hand. The park is big with different areas created by a hill toward the back. So you can find space to interact with your pet. Palm Bay Regional Dog Park is along the continual loop of Fred Poppe Park. Fred Poppe Park has lots of room for walking your dog on leash around ponds, tree lines and other park areas. Always well groomed and well kept, the park is a treasure to us! Plenty of sidewalks and bathrooms throughout. The locals are friendly, quick with a smile and a wave. Good vibes and plenty of sunshine make it enjoyable for you and your dog.

I went to the dog park for the first time a few weeks ago. When I was there there were several…read morepeople with small dogs that were being supervised by their paw parents I really enjoyed the day and people. My only regret was I had to leave.

Ais Trail Park is a great place for all ages and abilities to hike. This 18 acre parcel was the…read morelast undeveloped property along Turkey Creek in Palm Bay when it was purchased from the Sterner family in order to preserve it in its natural state. The park gives you access to the Ais Trail, a .6 mile loop, natural earth trail. The park and trail are named for the Ais people, a group of Native Americans that lived in eastern Florida. Their territory included coastal areas and islands from Cape Canaveral to the Indian River. The best account we have of these people comes from the journal of Jonathan Dickinson which recorded their appearance, diet, and customs. Dickinson and his party spent several weeks with them when they were shipwrecked in 1696. By 1760 the Ais were extinct as a result of enslavement, war, and disease. I really enjoyed my hike on the Ais Trail that traverses through scrubby flatwoods, sand scrub, hardwood hammock, mangrove shoreline, and a brackish creek ecosystem. Plants you will encounter will include Hickory and Loblolly Bay trees, American Beauty Berry, ferns, hog plums, wild olives, native rosemary, cabbage palms, saw palmettoes, slash and longleaf pines. The trail was mostly shaded and part of it was on a boardwalk where I met several large Eastern Lubber Grasshoppers. If you want a longer hike you can connect from the Ais Trail to Dewar Park via a boardwalk. In addition to the trail, the park also has a fishing pier on Turkey Creek, canoe and kayak launch, pavilion, and restroom. The park is open daily, 7am until sunset.

This is a small primitive park, but a nice walking path. Also a short boardwalk…read more I was told by a frequent visitor that he has seen a few bobcats.