Nathan Benderson Park is beautiful, well maintained, and while there are few trees for shade, offers great trails for walking, running, or biking. There is also a shaded playground for children, some tables and seating area, restrooms, and good parking. The water and park is also used for international rowing competitions. The trails continue around the lakes over to the Aquarium and UTC Mall. I was there at sunrise for my walking and it was beautiful. read more

See all

Watched July 3rd, 2026 fireworks here at Nathan Benderson Park. We parked by Foxtail Coffee for free, 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. read more

See all

its a lovely place to walk, although it needs better, more clear signage for its mile markers. It is 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. read more

One of our preferred locations to enjoy the thrilling spectacle of these incredible teams competing! And of course you can't help but even see the wonders of a cat on a leash! let's GO Lake County rowing read more

See all

Nathan Benderson Park is an attractive and impressive park not far off of Interstate 75 in Sarasota, Florida. It is so impressive that both the Olympic row team and the U.S. Paralympic row team did their team trials here. I enjoyed my time at Nathan Benderson Park and I would definitely recommend a visit to Nathan Benderson Park. read more

See all

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

Nathan Benderson Park - Parks Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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. read more

See all

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. read more

See all

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. read more

See all

Great spot on a cool day to walk the loop, people on bikes, RollerBlades, and jogging walking pets kids play park area, this spot is a Full Sun area with a few shady picnic benches that I could see fill up quick on a hot day. Bring some water for your pet if your walking I noticed only one water bowl at the beginning, there are public restrooms. Enjoy!! read more

This is a near perfect park for runners, rollerbladers, walkers, bikers, rowers, kayakers, people looking for a nice place to meditate, or have a picnic. Situated just south of the sprawling University Town Center shopping district, NPB is a large lake which is repeatedly hosting major rowing events such as NCAA rowing finals and Olympic trials. There is an island in the front of the lake with a large viewing stand for such events (did I mention it's also great for stair climbers as the stairs for the 6 or 7 story platform are outside and accessible). If you're into rowing or dragon boats or kayaking, they have rentals, classes to learn, teams you can join, etc. there is also a boat ramp if you have your own. There is also a child's playground if you have the kiddies, two restroom areas on either side of the lake and a couple of port-a-potties, at least 2 water fountains, maybe more at one of the restrooms, a bottle filling station, and a bike repair station. Surrounding the lake is an approx 3.4 mile blacktop path (concrete in some parts) as well as an adjacent gravel path that runs concurrently with the paved path on one side, but through the trees on the other On the side where the gravel path goes through the trees, there is also a secondary paved path that runs at the bottom of a small hill from the main path and closer to the lake. All in all, it is an excellent path for anyone whose into any of the exercise activities noted above. I consistently run 1-3 laps in the morning and it is beautiful at sunrise. All of that said, there are a few faults. First, unless you take the gravel path through the trees on one side of the lake, there is almost no shade. Therefore, unless you're stronger then me-which isn't hard-it's unbearable 6 months or more out of the year. Secondly, although the lake isn't standing water-it does flow somewhere-it can get very buggy and my head has been involved in some gnat massacres. One might even call it gnat genocide. Finally, I am disappointed in some construction going on at one end. It used to be that you can continue the path under a bridge and to the shopping area, which can be pretty when lit up, especially around the holidays. However, a lot of that has been closed off to build a new aquarium and to expand the shopping district. It's not technically part of the park, but it was still a nice way to expand the run without having to do another full lap around the lake. For what this is-a local county park, but not a nature preserve for hiking or bird watching or whatever-it's a 5 star park. I wish it were less buggy, but then I wish Florida also had seasons and wasn't unbearable unlivable 6-9 month of the year, so I should probably just move. read more

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. read more

Nathan Benderson Park - Parks Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

See all

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. read more

See all

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. read more

See all

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. read more

Nathan Benderson Park - Junior nationals - Parks Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

When there isn't an event and nothing is going on here, there's not a lot of excitement to be experienced. That said, the building overlooking the water is a perfect place for photo ops and getting a wide-view of the surrounding area. We took our dog on a walk up and down the paths and it was a peaceful experience. I'm guessing that when there's an event, this place is probably loud and exciting. I also saw some people walking up and down the stairs for exercise, so if you're looking for some cardio, this park as plenty of options available. We enjoyed the 30min or so that we spent exploring the grounds, but if you have young kids, you may want to consider the boredom that could come soon after you arrive! read more

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

See all

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 read more

Nathan Benderson Park - Nathan Benderson - Parks Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

See all

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. read more

Nathan Benderson Park - Sun shades - Parks Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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

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 read more

See all

This camp was horrible. My son came home crying because a counselor mocked him for being jewish, some child covered in him in sand and was not punished, he had to wait inside for 30 minutes so that he could clean for other children instead of leaving, the counselors were horrible except for one named chris. Do NOT send your children to this summer camp if you love them at all. read more

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

Nathan Benderson Park - Parks Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Reviewing the summer camps here. They offer half- or full-day camps that are very well organized and that offer awesome water sport experiences for kiddos. The director of camps is highly organized and communicative. Kids' safety is a top priority of the director and staff - including drop-off and pick-up procedures. They are communicative throughout each day if issues arise such as change in weather, pick-up locations, etc. Beginners are welcome and made to felt comfortable. No prior water sports experience needed. :) read more

This is a world-class facility in Sarasota right off I-75 by the University Town Center. It hosted the World Rowing Championships last year and is a wonderful facility for rowers. I came here last month for to participate in a regatta. There is a trail for running/walking/biking that loops around the park, and there's plenty of parking available. Kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, and single sculls (rowing boats) are available to rent, which is awesome! There isn't much tree coverage, so you'll definitely want to have sun protection. I would come here a lot more if I were local, but I'm definitely looking forward to coming again for another regatta! read more

See all

This is a wonderful surprise if you're looking to stretch your legs along I-75. My husband and I got a nice walk in, passing by dozens of folks utilizing the loop for walking their pup, strolling, power-walking, rollerblading, and cycling. If you can handle the breeze, I suggest getting some steps in at Nathan Benderson Park! read more

This is not a park. Parks have trees. Benderson cut down thousands of trees here so that I-75 commuters could have a clear view of their mall. This area was part of my stomping ground for 17 years. I moved away from the University corridor in part because Benderson turned it into a tarmac for the ultra-consumer crowd (and I do mean crowd). Those whose lives revolve around shopping and consumption think it's dandy. read more

Very nice park, I went there to do picnic and watch the sunset it was so beautiful and nice read more

See all

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

When I looking for a place to run in a city I'm not that familiar with, I want a place that I can run for a decent distance and not have to make any navigational decisions. This park is great for that! There is about a 5k loop around the main rowing pond and an additional small loop just north of the main pond that makes a 5 mile loop. There are even choices between a gravel and asphalt. Highly recommend for a run. Additionally, the park offers kayak and paddleboard rentals. However, I've never seen this obviously set up anywhere and would recommend calling ahead. read more

Saw the cirque des voix there today. Great show but Benderson has to do much better with its parking exit. This is a paid parking venue when you drive up They collect $5, direct you to the lot and apparently disappear after the show. Waited in the car for over a half hour trying to get off the lot. I saw few if any traffic helpers and people were really getting hot. read more

Would definitely come here more often if I was a local. We like to use this park as a little stop over while driving on 75. It has a cute little playground, restrooms, and drinking fountains that are a perfect road trip stop for my toddler. Seems like an amazing park for running, biking, or walking the dog. Last time we stopped I noticed signs saying they're adding shade over the playground which will be so great for these hot Florida summers! read more

I'm a photographer and I loved going to this park! There are so many different areas of the park to explore. The breeze from the lake also makes it a little bit more bearable than other areas of Sarasota. Photos by Katie Beiler Photography. read more

Beautiful paths around a huge lake. Site states that it's 3.5 miles around, but I feel it is slightly larger. Used for the World Rowing Championship, this facility has numerous events each month. Playground for the kids and there are even boat rentals now. Meticulously maintained. Bring your bike, skateboard, scooter, or just your sneakers to spend lots of time outside. read more

Attended Semi finals of the World Rowing Championship on Friday 9/29. Easy parking, plenty of shuttles, lots of security and event staff. Had to go through security to get in which I think was excellent considering it is World wide event. Surprisingly organized. Great accommodations for food truck vendors, a/c porta potty trailers. First Class all the way. We had beach seats with beverage service. NBP did a fantastic job of putting on this event. We met two families from New Zealand who's sons were competing. Looking forward to attending more events at this venue. read more

See all

Beautiful grounds. Spacious and good view of the water. The biggest complaint we have is the parking. On busy events (eg US Rowing) only one car was given a parking pass. The overflow parking is far away and shuttles run infrequently. read more

This is a great place to walk or run! The track they built around the lake is beautiful! Great for walking my babies, and spending some time outside. Not very busy. They also need to stay up on maintenance. Every single trash can I saw was full! And pigweed in the grass. For such an upscale "park" I thought it would have been kept pristine. We will be back on a regular basis. Looking forward to the improvements. read more

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

Excellent place for exercise. 3.5 miles around the lake. I've measured it 20 times. Often a good breeze because it's so wide open. Three bathroom facilities. One warning. A friend lost her dog to an alligator there ten years ago. It was running free. Keep your dogs on a leash. Signs there suggest a six-foot leash. read more

We come to this venue several times a year with our children who row. This is a state of the art rowing venue! We travel nationwide for rowing and nothing compares to NBP! Thank you to Bob, Sarah, and staff for always welcoming our crew and for providing us with the ultimate rowing experience! read more