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    Nathan Benderson Park

    4.4 (46 reviews)
    Closed 6:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

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    Denise W.

    Great place to walk around the lake and enjoy the scenery and wildlife. They have a bathroom and handicap parking too.

    ROSARIO S. CASSATA AT BALDUCCI PALYGROUND AT BENDERSON PARK AT THE UTC MALL AREA IN SARASOTA, FLORIDA.
    Rosario S. C.

    Nathan Benderson Park is located at the UTC Mall area. It is a public park that offers fun and recreational activities for kids and adults alike. There is Ronald Balducci Playground which is a playground form the little kids to enjoy. There are also walking trails, bike trails, picnic areas, boat ramp and so much more all around this beautiful 400 plus acre lake.

    Cheree L.

    Super cute park to workout/ concrete trail. Has a 3.4 mile loop, good for a nice jog, walk, or bike activity. Has bathrooms on the loop also, bring plenty of water.

    John C.

    A massive park based on the rowing ‍ center but also great for other sports. Plenty of walking but little shad so wear a hat in the summer. Large children's play ground area. Dog friendly with water stations by the playground.

    Lara T.

    What a beautiful community park located in Sarasota, 600 acres. There's a great loop for running, biking, roller blading or ust walking around a 400 acre artificial lake. The park also is available for paddle sport competitions, dragon boats, canoe and kayak races. There's 2000 meters for the boat events. I actually did a rollerblading race at this location. It was so wonderful and the scenery and smoothness of the path is fantastic. And they have public restrooms along the way in a nice clean building instead of port o potty's. I wish I lived a little closer or I would be here every weekend. What a great asset to Sarasota to encourage physical activity both solo and as a family.

    Dragon Boat race
    Kiaresh M.

    Great venue for all paddling and rowing sports, and every time I go there, I see new improvements. It can be better, but it is already good enough to host international championship races next year.

    Junior nationals
    Paul P.

    Great park for rowing. Spent the last few days there while my son competedfor the U17 national championship. Easy parking, nice staff, great concessions. Had a great 4 days there watching all the clubs and schools compete in this "made for rowing/sculls/shells" waterway.

    Water Lantern Festival
    Jeff W.

    We have passed this park many times as you can see it from I75. My wife found an event (Lantern Festival) so we decided to attend. We could have done a better job of planning. We only brought chairs - which was good, but we should have packed a cooler with drinks and food/snacks. They had food trucks but the lines were very long. The Lantern portion was excellent/fun. The worst part was leaving. They charge you $5 to park, and they have like 1000 people directing you where to go and where to park, but when it's time to leave - nobody. It was total chaos. Poor ending to a nice event.

    Park partial view
    Marlene M.

    I am very happy to have a beautiful park like this one nearby. Everyone seems to enjoy their outdoor time.

    Sun shades
    Kristin C.

    We stumbled upon this playground while traveling for spring break. It has sun shades, which makes it nice even on a hot day. It's got bathrooms and picnic tables as well. The rubber floor makes it great for little kids. I highly recommend.

    Nathan Benderson
    Richard S.

    World class rowing venue; plenty of space for running, walking and relaxing. While visiting I saw rowers, runners and people working out in addition to baby strollers. Right off Interstate and close to UTCMall

    Jessica B.

    Ooo. This park is nice. It's nice to walk around the lake and watch the pro rowing teaM practice it's nice scenery and there is even a kids play ground. And yea you can have fun you can bring a bike or skates and use the cemented path. Yes it's a nice time and there are time you can rent a kayak or canoe and get in the water as well. Oo that's a fun time for sure

    Patti K.

    I love going here to walk or just to sit and write. Peaceful, beautiful and calm. Love it.

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    2 years ago

    Always a great place to run . Very well mentioned park . Grateful to have it so close to home

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    Beautiful park! Perfect place to go for a walk, run, bike ride, or walk your dog. They also have a nice playground for kids

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    I'm a fan of bringing your bike to this park. It's a big loop and always has a nice breeze. Also seems to be a hotspot for rowing

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Nathan Benderson Park

    My name is Elizabeth I have a small yoga studio business. I am looking for place once a week for my yoga class. Can I do it in the park?

    I am not employed by the park, so don't take my word for it, however, based on my brief experience walking the park, it is a public place with a ton of space. If you are gathering with a smaller class (5 or less) I don't see it being an issue as… Read more

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    Review Highlights - Nathan Benderson Park

    It hosted the World Rowing Championships last year and is a wonderful facility for rowers.

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Kathleen D Sailing Catamarans

    Kathleen D Sailing Catamarans

    4.6(30 reviews)
    6.5 mi

    What an excellent adventure, especially with Captain Charles (Charlie) Alexander! I met my friends…read morein Sarasota as the family was there on Spring Break and booked this 4-hour catamaran excursion. The harbor area was easy to locate based on the directions given, and a parking pass is provided (as the lot posts a free 3-hour limit). We set sail a little after 1pm. It was a little windy starting out, but Captain Charlie maneuvered the catamaran expertly. He also provided local commentary on the area and made us laugh with his jokes and statements. Sandwiches were provided at the halfway point, and we were allowed to bring drinks and snacks on the catamaran. There were 12 of us in our group and we easily moved around the boat and had plenty of room to stretch out. Captain Charlie even directed us to a small cove area where dolphins played along the seawalls. We got to see a mother, father and baby dolphin frolic in the water as well as one dolphin (probably the dad) swim along and under the catamaran. We all enjoyed that experience! I highly recommend Kathleen D Sailing Catamarans for a fun family day and a great excursion! Hi

    We had great wind but only sailed for about 30 minutes. The captain was great. We did a motor…read morecruise of celebrity houses on bird island and siesta key, I couldn't care less about celebrities 10 million dollar houses. I wanted to sail. The sunset was amazing. Nice catamaran.

    Photos
    Kathleen D Sailing Catamarans
    Kathleen D Sailing Catamarans - View of Sarasota from the "No Plans" catamaran.

    View of Sarasota from the "No Plans" catamaran.

    Kathleen D Sailing Catamarans

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    Canoe Country Outfitters - Look no further than this lovely storefront for all your kayak/canoe/paddleboard needs.

    Canoe Country Outfitters

    4.8(34 reviews)
    35.1 miTyrone

    The guys at Canoe Country Outfitters were knowledgeable and friendly. I had no clue what to expect,…read moreas this was my first kayak purchase. Not knowing exactly what we wanted, he talked to us about how we would be using our kayaks and what gear we wanted to go with. He told us all about the kayaks we were looking at and what would and wouldn't work. He even went as far as installing some new fishing gear. Then... as we were getting ready to head out the door, he told us to hang tight, and started strapping on the kayaks and showing us what to do every step of the way. OUTSTANDING CUSTOMER SERVICE! This family owned company has everything you need, including working on your new vessel. We will be back, for sure!

    So, I don't review businesses frequently or lightly. My experience at Canoe Country Outfitters was…read moreoutstanding. Honestly some of the best customer service I've experience. The staff were personable, knowledgeable, honest, and helpful. I had a bunch of questions which were all answered thoroughly and without judgment. No matter what I needed they were able to provide me a solution. When it came time to load my purchase up they even helped me fix my roof rack (it loosened after a cross country trip and I had no idea)! A fantastic place with wonderful people.

    Photos
    Canoe Country Outfitters - Paddle boards are a great alternative to kayaks and canoes for getting on the water.

    Paddle boards are a great alternative to kayaks and canoes for getting on the water.

    Canoe Country Outfitters - This is what greats you as you walk in the door.

    This is what greats you as you walk in the door.

    Canoe Country Outfitters - Cheers Canoe Country! You've earned this Mojito!

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    Cheers Canoe Country! You've earned this Mojito!

    Desoto National Memorial

    Desoto National Memorial

    4.5(39 reviews)
    15.5 mi

    I would have loved if we could have gone inside the museum... that's what the 1 star knocked off is…read morefor. But the rest of the grounds and displays were great! The beachfront walking trail and the story of deSoto's history from Spain described in full detail... I was not excited to hear how some of the horses had to be killed and eaten for survival purposes ... But back in the day, almost 500 years ago, I guess emergency survival food and water kits weren't readily available. Good idea to keep in your car, along with some TP. I would love to kayak around here. The water and the view were beautiful! There is a long route and a short route for walking, you also will learn about the different types of mangroves and other Florida native plants/trees. Definitely worth another visit, hopefully when the museum is open again, but my understanding is there's no one even answering the phones (even at the number on the sandwich board as you enter the park) so you'll never know when they will reopen.

    This site is still undergoing reconstruction after the storm damage in 2024 but the trails are open…read moreand a limited number of events are being staged on some weekends. The Spanish explorer De Soto landed near Tampa Bay in 1539 hoping to find gold, bring religion to the indigenous Americans and claim land for Spain. De Soto died from disease in 1542 never having found the gold he was seeking. The survivors of his expedition eventually reached the Mississippi river and set sail for the Caribbean in 1543. This National Monument is dedicated to him and has a nice hiking trail through the mangroves here. There are also two privately funded monuments dedicated to the religious personnel who accompanied De Soto on his voyage to America. Free admission and parking. The visitor center is still closed but porta johns are available.

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    Desoto National Memorial
    Desoto National Memorial - More views

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    Desoto National Memorial - Historical information

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    Historical information

    Nathan Benderson Park - parks - Updated May 2026

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