LOVE THIS PARK! it offers easy drop in access for your paddlecraft and has a beachy swimming area…read moreto enjoy for when you're done. Parking is limited but there are many other places to park nearby.

Florida has some amazing parks. We are so lucky to live in such a beautiful area…read more The beach here is gorgeous and there are chance encounters with the manatee, but no touchie!

Lovely park in Inverness, Florida! Parking was easy and we…read morewere in search of geocaches. We completed an adventure lab ( free app) walking tour of the park and one conventional geocache. The views were gorgeous, real Florida views. We saw one gator but no cooters( turtles). We even saw a water bulldozer type thing for clearing out weeds in the pond.

My friend and I decided to explore some of the local beauty on our lunch break and found this cute…read morepark. Cooter Pond Park is the perfect place for a walk, picnic or even to exercise in. At the entrance to the park and along the walkway, there are several tables with benches to enjoy a meal or just catch up with your friends and family. The tables near the entrance are shaded so you can take a break from the hot sun! The walkway in this park is expansive and has several informational plaques to teach its visitors about the local wildlife that they love. There are also these boxes with various colored lights. I'm not sure what they do but they look cool. If you are lucky, you'll spot and alligator or two but don't worry, the walkway is plenty high above the water. The gators should not cause you any trouble!

The most memorable park in Ocala! I have to admit I did not see it all so I will be going back…read moreshortly to see so much more. I was at peace just walking a bit sipping coffee and taking in the calm and beauty. There is much to see at Shalom Park it's very beautiful place to be. When I was there they were having a yoga class it was so nice to see. I walked around and spoke to some lovely people they mostly were enjoying some morning exercise. I'm sorry that I missed the zen garden but this just gives me an excuse to go back faster. It's obvious that many frequent this park for so many reasons you can easily see. It's lovely, peaceful, clean and you feel pretty safe comparatively. They have activities here from what I've read and the yoga class is proof of this but I think there is much more that I need to explore and check the calendar for to see and know for myself. There are 2 miles of trails, the zen garden, an area called the Labryrinth where you can take a physical, spiritual or meditative walk along its winding path. Stop along it's 24 points of reflection and create your own Labryinth experience. Labryinth's have one way in and one way out come in and form your own perspective enjoying this relaxed atmosphere. The Pergebo was magnificent as I felt so much happiness being there. It is part gazebo and part pergola, I didn't even know such a thing existed until now! It's covered in confederate jasmine and blossoms in the spring with tiny white fragrant flowers. This is located on the path at the end of the olive trees! I enjoyed the pond so much with all the beautiful fish and sounds of the falling water. You can feed the fish and see them all come at once jumping out at you. Gorgeous Koi such beautiful colors. Sit on a bench and relax if you'd like there are many all around the park for you to enjoy. They say the pavilion is often used for educational purposes and horticulture events and that there are often presentations that people can escape the sun or rain showers. The stage is where I had seen the yoga class taking place. They have weddings, live concerts, the parks sunset series and much more on the stage throughout the year. Mounted on the stage, The Peace Panels display quotes of peace by renowned authors, musicians, and political leaders! The olive tree promenade has 18 trees on each side 18 is the symbol of peace; the number 18 is the symbol of life,and many couples use this as their entry way for marriage. The formal gardens is an area where there is lot's of live large oak trees, colorful bushes and lot's of foliage all around in a nice quiet shaded atmosphere. People often gather here for a picnic, wedding or just to enjoy and relax and enjoy the environment. The bat house can hold 800 bats during the night. Bats are a natural way of achieving insect control in the park and each bat can consume 6-8,000 insect every night! There is so much more to see and encounter at Shalom Park I encourage you to visit and explore. The story of Shalom Park from their website: As with most great achievements, Sholom Park began as a vision, born in the hearts of Sidney and Ina Colen. Inspired by a visit to Boston Gardens, Sholom Park was created for a purpose; to provide a place where the pursuit of inner peace and learning may be enhanced and enjoyed. The park was named after Sidney Colen's grandfather, Sholom, which is also the Hebrew word for peace. The park does not serve a political or religious agenda or belief system After years of conceptualizing the vision, a master plan for the park was developed in 1999 and the park concepts began to take shape. In 2001, horticulturist, Steve Curl was hired to oversee the final design and construction of Sholom Park as the vision came to life. On October 17, 2004, Sholom Park celebrated its grand opening and ribbon cutting along with hundreds of friends and supporters. Hours: 8 AM - 5 PM Address: 7110 SW 80th Avenue, Ocala, FL 34481 Phone: 352) 854-3677 Email: info@sholompark.org Wheelchair accessible *** Bike racks available ***

Wow! WoW! Wow! I think this park is profoundly under the radar and simply not well known enough…read more This isn't just some playground with a path. In fact, there is no playground equipment at all. What it does offer, though, is everything one could want in a natural setting. You can walk for a little while or lose yourself in it for much longer. The paths are easy, accessible, and thoughtfully laid out, with enough variation to keep things interesting from start to finish. It never feels repetitive, which is rare. The labyrinth was genuinely enjoyable, with multiple points of interest throughout. Subtle shifts in sound and visual texture keep you engaged, yet everything remains grounded in simple nature, shaped by the hands of men.. nothing artificial or forced, just an intentional design that draws you in. The crowning glory moment for me was the Zen garden. I cannot remember the last time I felt that level of calm and stillness. It has a way of centering you almost immediately. I would have stayed longer, but I needed a restroom, which unfortunately was closed at the time. This is a place I will return to without hesitation. My mother has yet to see it, and I already know she is going to love it.

My wife and I had a great time cruising the Homossassa River on the GoBoat from Getaroundboat…read moreRentals. Paula was really nice about showing us how to operate the boat and gave us some tips on what to look for out on the river. This thing has plenty of power, is very stable and lots of fun. You launch from near the Halls River Bridge, close to the spring and not too far to monkey island. We saw manatees and had a great time. We will do this again on our next trip to the area. Good service and a fair price.

Amazing experience! Paula is excellent and she made the entire process so easy. If you plan to…read moreexplore the Homosassa River this is the best way to do it, you will be able to get everywhere and see so much wildlife along the way. These boats are so much fun

My friends and I have been using River Adventure Tours over 5 years now for our annual scalloping…read moreadventure! A day out on the water with this outfitter has always been super fun regardless of the number of scallops caught. My group has gone out with a few different captains, all of which have been knowledgeable & safe. The booking process is pretty easy. I always book online - you can even sign the waiver through their website so there is no paperwork to take care of when you arrive at the dock. The boats are comfortable for the short ride out to the scalloping site and we always bring along a well stocked cooler of drinks and snacks to enjoy during our trip. All the snorkel equipment needed to dive for scallops is included in the tour. In general, the equipment is nice and well maintained. The conditions have been a little different every year I have gone - sometimes we catch a lot, sometimes a little. The captain has always dived with us to help search for scallops and moves to new locations as necessary. Cleaning the scallops after returning to the docks has always been easy - sometimes there is a group of high school students who will clean them for you for a fee. If they aren't around, there is a station to clean them yourself, and the captain has always been around to help / walk us through the best process. We will be back again!

It is about 3.5 stars for the experience. The river is nice where they located. It is located near…read morethe intersection of Halls River and Homosassa River. Basically has a lot of options to explore the area. You can take an 4 hour tour or two hour tour on kayak. If you really explore in one day use the motor boat is better. The rivers are wide and not much of cover. Sunny day will have big sun on you body, sun cream protection is recommended. The kayak trail have 4 different rout. We choose the homosassa spring head route. They need to improve on facilities. Such as changes clothes area when wet, better rest room facilities instead of potable station, better educate the people who rent the kayak and give details tours recommendations and direction. One thing for sure is they are nice to meet with us. We went to the spring head trail. And we did not know we need to get under the small bridge then further down. Nice to have proximity map. But better instruction to get there is equally importance. We also miss the tunnel river. We found out this point of interest when we get back docking.

Great little park a nice walk on the trail from there can even see the withlacoochee river.read more

Lake Townsen Preserve is a 375 acre park by Istachatta that offers 2.5 miles of hiking / running /…read morebiking / horseback riding trails. The area includes Lake Townsen Regional Park (fishing pier, boat ramp on the Withlacoochee River, Playground/Tot Lot, sand volleyball court, basketball court, horseshoe pits, horse trailer parking, water trough, hitching rails, and a network of riding/hiking trails; and Withlacoochee Trail segment., lighted picnic pavilions and picnic tables, barbecue grills, restrooms, historical signs and baseball field ) and Nobleton Wayside Park (including picnic tables, a one-half court for basketball and a boat ramp.) The area is divided into four management sections and includes longleaf pine, cypress, and sandhill ecosystems. Management plan: http://www.hernandocounty.us/plan/esl/preserves/LakeTownsen/LAKE%20TOWNSEN%20MGMT%20PLAN%20FINAL.pdf Here's the county website: http://www.hernandocounty.us/plan/esl/preserves/

Always a great experience with this operation. We usually go out without a guide and find…read moreeverything we want to see with the map and directions they provide. Kayak seats are comfortable... but we've never tried the clear bottom kayaks so I can't speak on those. We had to push off later than scheduled due to the holiday crowds so they gifted us extra time for the inconvenience. Saw lots of manatees! This is a very honest and hard working group who truly strive for customer satisfaction.

Wife and I went to Crystal River, came up from Tampa and spent the day there. Can't say enough nice…read morethings about this tour and business. Caitlyn and Emily our tour guides were great, it was just the two of us on the tour which was awesome. Very relaxing and saw a bunch of manatees. We believe we saw one that was pregnant. Just an enjoyable tour with some wonderful tour guides that went at a very leisurely pace to really enjoy the wildlife and the surroundings. Also thanks Caitlyn for the recommendations on other hikes, we ended up doing the mounds trail and homossassa state park. Thanks again for a great experience and we will be back to do another tour. Highly recommend this group for any kayaking/snorkeling, etc tours.

We had a great day on the river. Derek and Ron were super helpful launching and loading our kayaks…read more Thanks for an awesome time!!

This place is 10/10 amazing! There are so many options along the river and I'm so glad we chose the…read moreright one. From the second we parked, we were welcomed and ready to go! Derrick took the time to tell our kiddos about "oh shoot" the alligator and explain the directions to the coolest waterfront swing along the path. They also took the time to make sure our littles had the perfect size life vests and loaded us into the comfy shuttle van. At KP hole we were unloaded and given time to pay the park entrance and receive our wristbands, then loaded into our kayak at the bottom of the boat ramp. We paddled upriver to visit the headwater then paddled back down to where we parked at RRCK. A few things I wish I had known: be sure to pack plenty of snack in reusable containers, it seems easy to dock and get concessions at the headwater park or Swampy's, but it is not. Also, be sure to bring a rope to tie off while you explore the streams or deeper areas. Overall, it's a perfect day in old Florida! We loved seeing otters, alligators and turtles...and being welcomed by Derrick who loaded up our kayak and asked about our paddle. Nothing better than all the adventures, with none of the clean up or pack up!