Great area for bird watching!…read more We parked in the free lot, climbed some of the hill, and then crossed the street for a short walk to the water viewing wooden piers. We were able to see some great birds and the water was beautiful. Very peaceful area that we could've easily spent more time in. It was sweltering outside so make sure to bring a sun umbrella, hat, and water.

We visited Celery Fields on a recent Monday morning, with the hope of seeing and photographing…read more sandhill cranes, roseate spoonbills, and other birds. We were partially successful. There are 2 buildings adjacent to the main parking lot at Celery Fields. Each has a purple martin house, and both of these were very active when we were there. One of the buildings houses Audubon Society volunteers who can advise you where to see birds. There's a small garden outside of this building that's worth a visit. The other building, on the opposite side of the parking lot, has rest rooms. There's a crosswalk across Palmer Blvd. near the parking lot, leading to a boardwalk over a marshy area. A recent rain attracted quite a few birds when we were there in mid-March 2026. At the end of the boardwalk there's a gazebo for observing the birds. Another marshy area and gazebo is along Raymond Rd. Parking is available on the grass along the road. There was lots of bird activity. We saw many varieties, including herons, egrets, a caracara, a northern harrier, ibises, wood storks, gallinule, osprey, anhinga, and many others. There are lots of trails near the marshes, in addition to the boardwalks. Celery Fields is a great spot to go hikng and birding. Sunscreen is advisable because most of the areas are not shaded.

Very nice spot for an early morning excursion to see if we could find manatees! It was hot hot hot…read more but the hike to the observation tower was short and full of fun things to see!! We found a pond full of birds, two lizards on a bench, fish jumping out of the water and the tower itself is very tall and quite a sight! We had the best time and it is a very nice trail. We saw walkers, runners and bikers so good for all sorts of activities! Plenty of parking, quiet and serene. Get out there early or late in the evenings to avoid the heat bring plenty of water, wear sunscreen and stay on the path and you'll have a great time!

Several easy hiking trails make this a handy place to take a stroll. The terrain isn't very scenic…read morebut there is an observation tower that affords good views of the surrounding area. Unisex restrooms available at the parking lot. Free parking and admission.

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.

Tony and I stopped today at DeSota Memorial Landing Park at Palma Sola FL just before crossing over…read moreto Anna Maria Island. The park is free to enjoy and hike around! If in the area you should definitely check it out!

Well on the other side there are two dead ends. There's no parking on the main road so you have to…read morepark in front of someone's house. It's cute if you're a local and live close by but if you're not I feel like there's no point going. It's Akward to park and pretty small although it is pretty.

Great fishing to at high tide! Red fish ,trout etc. People…read morehere are very nice to and it allows pets and there's a kayak launch at the end very convenient park and very kept up and nice

Nathan Benderson Park is beautiful, well maintained, and while there are few trees for shade,…read moreoffers 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.

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

I think this place is swell. Top notch organization on all fronts. i strongly recommend a visi…read more check with the website Before hand. They have so many free activities and some really amazing events!

Love this park even more. Decided to come here at night, and it was a good choice. There are lights…read moreat night so you can walk which was perfect so we can walk our pup. We also went by the lounge chairs closer to the bay. It was so comfy at night to sit here. We fell asleep since it was so relaxing. The park is so cute with whimsical birds as part of the playground. A huge grassy area for walking was nice and comfy too. We brought a snack to eat at the tables and our pup had his dinner too. This was def a great choice! Parking was street parking and it was free.

Wow, this is not the beach, the Riverwalk is something to be seen. There's tons of seating along…read morethe riverwalk. Everything from metal benches facing the water to these really cool cement lounge chairs that are actually comfortable to sit in as well. Along the river walk there are really cool our installations as well as a playground for families. My two favorite things to see while walking on the river walk where the dolphins swimming in the water. Yes actual dolphins in the water that you could see so cool. The other thing which might not be exciting to some people, but I thought it was cool was being able to see a train that goes across the river and the bridge that lifts some of the tracks up so that boats can go by. From the hotel we stayed at we could have walked about 15 minutes to the downtown area where there's some restaurants and shops to go to.

A 2 mile long Riverwalk along the Manatee River. We walked past a skate park, over train tracks,…read moresplash water park, playgrounds, an amphitheater & some art installations. This is an expansion of Rossi Park between the Green and DeSoto bridges. There were clean shady seating & lots of signage about the Riverwalk. There were cameras & we felt very safe.

This preserve has so much to see for a medium sized park. Trails and mostly boardwalks traverse…read morethrough a couple loops highlighted by a tower about four stories high that provides 360° degree views of the Anna Maria Island Bridge, the intercoastal and park itself. The trails have about 20 signs identifying plants, bushes and trees. Some of these signs have become difficult to read and need to be replaced, but most you can read enough to understand. Many plants are semi-uncommon for Florida, which makes this park more interesting. Animals seen today included osprey & spiders. It can be a little "buggy" so recommend insect repellant. Have sunscreen since the trails are 90% unshaded. Another highlight of the park is the archeological dig done in the 1930's of several Indian burial grounds here. Larger signs near the tower explain the tribe and what was found during excavation. There is also a short audio clip you call to hear more about the park. Lot of great photographic moments! Recommended in the early morning (open 24/7). Plenty of parking, a large picnic shelter and a single port-a-potty are the amenities.

This is a small but pleasant preserve with an observation tower. The view from the top of the…read moretower is impressive. The preserve is located on Rt 64 just east of Anna Maria Island. Most of the trail is pretty wide and paved with crushed rock. In fact, it's pretty much wheelchair accessible. We heard some birds but didn't see any wildlife. It's a nice place to take a stroll and there isn't much traffic noise. There is a a small parking area at the entrance that has a porta-potty. Allow about an hour to walk the trail.