The West Orange Trail is a superb rail trail bike path, I am grateful that a thrifty state like…read moreFlorida spends the money to clear and pave such treasures, may they continue to do so. I parked at Apopka station, which has lots of parking and real bathrooms. I did not encounter any sketchy folks, which is delightful. The paved rail trail closest to my house, Whitney ( Wildwood ) to downtown Leesburg, has few upstanding citizens and many shady ones. Many canopy shaded sections, always appreciated here in the Blast Furnace.

The West Orange Trail is a 22-mile long multi-use rail trail owned by Orange County Parks and…read moreRecreation in Orange County, Florida, in the United States. The paved trail passes through downtown Oakland, Winter Garden, and Apopka with most of its length built on old railroad alignments. This is a great trail for walking , cycling, and Jogging ! I started in winter garden and jogged almost 3.5 miles and had a nice walk back. There is a station in winter garden where you can rent bikes and even ones with attachments for the little ones. They have drinks , snacks and a park for kids as well. Parking was convenient too! I look forward to starting at new spots and biking longer trails with my family .

This park has been a part of my refuge here at Cassadaga spiritualist camp for over eight years…read morenow. It feels like my own little Haven when I'm there. It is so peaceful that it's hard for me to put into words. It's very quiet, you feel like you're there all by yourself. I feel safe to roam around the park trail areas as a woman on my own. This is a great park. If you want to enjoy some peace and quiet, this is the place to come..

Popped by Big Tree Park this past weekend, and what a nice little park. It is located within the…read moreSpring Hamock Preserve. The park is home to The Senator, a large cypress tree that was 3,500 years old (sadly, it was mostly burned down in a fire), and Lady Liberty, aged 2,000 years (to name a few). While the trees themselves are the lure, the park does have some amenities like a playground, public restrooms, and areas to sit down, eat, and relax. The park has raised walkways, and the canopy of overhead tree coverage creates a cool escape from the Florida sun. Just come prepared with some bug spray - the mosquitoes are at play with all the humidity. Also, they have a handful of plaques throughout the park that provide a brief history of the trees and the park itself. All in all, it was a quick little side quest with a nice little history lesson infused. There is a good amount of parking, and it is truly a quiet and peaceful little park. If you are in the area, it's worth the detour.

Big Tree Park is located in a corner of Spring Hamock Preserve. The park is famous for having the…read moreThe Senator, a champion bald cypress that was 3,500 years old. The tree was named for State Senator Moses Overstreet, who owned the land around the tree and donated it to the county in 1927 for use as a park. In 1929, President Calvin Coolidge visited the Senator for the park's dedication. The Senator was a popular tourist stop for many years. The Seminole Tribe of Florida used the tall cypress as a landmark, and in the 1800's sightseers paid for buggy rides through the swamp, then hopped a series of logs to make it to the tree. A boardwalk was added to make it easier to access The Senator. Sadly it burned down in 2012 in an arson fire caused by a drug addict. Visitors to the park can see the remains of The Senator along with some informational signage. Big Tree Park is also home to Lady Liberty, a 2,000 year old historic Bald Cypress, and the Phoenix, a genetic clone of The Senator. While the trees are the real draw to the park it also has a cute playground in the center island, which lets kids play inside a replica of a cypress trunk. There is a picnic pavilion and restrooms if you want to bring a lunch. Big Tree Park is a stop on the Cross Seminole Trail used by cyclists and runners.

Newton Park is a beautiful park overlooking Lake Apopka. Shortly after we arrived we were informed…read morethat there was a 10 foot alligator nearby. We decided to stay clear of that area where the gator was spotted. Tanner Hall, located on the park grounds, is an event venue available for rent. As we walked by, we were greeted by members of a family who had arrived for a reunion party that was being held in the hall. There is also a smaller building, Little Hall, that is available for rent. While some came by cars and trucks, others came by golf carts. Some children played on the playground while one child fished. An ice cream truck drove by the park playing that familiar tune that calls and lures children and those wanting a treat. What a sweet way to enjoy an afternoon at the park.

Large park with multiple trails for bikes, walking and dog walking. There are dog bins for waste,…read morebathrooms and a boardwalk! Very cool place to check out!

The first segment of the Cross Seminole Trail opened in 2002. It has since grown to about 23 miles…read morelong. It is used by runners, hikers, bicyclists and more. With Covid still keeping things quiet this is a great place to spend time enjoying the outdoors. It's easy to keep your distance from others and the trail appears safe from end to end. Everyone was respectful during our hike and the trail was well maintained and clean.

Walk. Run. Bike. Whatever you want to do on a paved walkway, this is available for you. The trail…read moregoes behind various neighborhood and through multiple towns. It covers miles and miles so you can go on a long trip or a short one. Great for kids too!

We came out here for a weekend getaway from the daily grind. The campsites are remote and are…read moreseparated by one or more miles from each other. Most sites are primitive; however, there are a few sites with a bathroom nearby (with no running water). We booked the Bunk Group Campsite for seven people and two nights at $50. The price fluctuates based on how many cars will be at the site. Campers can bring their own wood but it has to be from the FL region. Campers are also encouraged to use the deadwood that can be found throughout the park. All of the roadways are a combination of sand, dirt, and gravel, so your vehicle will get dirty and muddy in some areas. Getting to our site for the first time was a bit confusing because the directions are not very clear and Google maps have not been updated to show most of the trails. If you are coming in from SR 46 you can take Wekiva River Rd into the state park or if you coming from SR 44, you take Brantley Branch Rd into the state park; from there it takes some work to figure out where you are and where you are going. Note: There is a locked gate at both entrances for the trailheads; the code can be retrieved from forestry services once you pay for a site or receive a day permit. Otherwise, guests are limited to the parking area, hiking, bicycling, and horse-riding trails. I believe there are free walk-up campsites however you need to get a permit to leave your vehicle in the lot overnight. The Bunk Group Campsite was great. There was a bathroom close to the camp, lots of space available for multiple tents, and a big screened-in Bunk House area where campers could sleep in wooden bunks and cook/prepare food out of the elements. It is very quiet and peaceful out here, other than the occasional plane that would fly over. Now that I know my way around the park, I look forward to returning for another camping trip. Next time, I would like to stay another night or two. It's a lot of work to drag all of this food and gear out to the middle of nowhere then turn around a pack it up again a day or two later. There are several freshwater springs that you can hike to but we had to go off-trail and into the heavy brush to find them. The largest body of water we had time to visit was Black Water Camp, this is most likely the best spot to fish. Other than that, most of the creeks were swampy this time of year. If you're looking for that off-grid get away from the concrete jungle, then I highly recommend hiking or camping at the Seminole State Forest.

Excellent place if you like hiking and horseback riding. The Bear Pond Trailhead is right on SR46…read moreand it gives you access to Bear Pond and miles of hiking. One can fish at Bear Pond from the fishing pier but one cannot launch boats. There is a trail surrounding the pond but I'm not sure if there are any entry points to fish from the trail. The hiking trail goes through a variety of landscapes. From swap like, to pine forest, then to sand desert with palmettos. We saw a wild bunny and a snake which we couldn't identify. Lots of deer and bear paw prints on the trail but we never saw any. We will certainly make it back to continue the hike.

Over four years ago, I left an amazing recommendation for Horseshoe Park and Fairy Trail. My review…read morestill stands! I returned, like I said, 4+ years later with a different son, who equally enjoyed it just as much as my last son. I have to say I equally enjoyed it myself. It has changed a little bit since the last time I had been there. I think that is what made it all the more interesting to look around! The same would be boring! I love the horseshoe Park and Fairy Trail. That little girl inside of me always comes out when I go there. So thank you for that.

Cool park kinda cool and creepy lots of gnomes and fairy's butterfly's all randomly placed in a…read moreartful type of way

I totally dig this spot - even if it's not always the quietest park area in Orlando. The best…read morestretch of green space is across from a few of our low-key vintage industrial buildings along Alden Rd - which I think add it's own special charm here, and something I appreciate. Late mornings and late afternoons there will probably be loud trucks making deliveries, but other than that - it's fairly peaceful (for now - but I doubt that will be the case after all this upcoming urban development in this area). Although, you might hear the occasional clanging metal of some guy earning his living. It's a small little cove of a place - but if you are walking/riding bikes around Lake Formosa, there is a beautiful shaded spot with a picnic table to take a break (also, a good spot to just read a book). Keep going around the lake past the little park area towards the museum, rec center, etc. and you can get to the bridge to make a full circle around the lake, and end up connected to the Orlando Urban Trail.

Lake Formosa Park check-list: a good book…read more Yep, what a fabulous place for a quiet spot under a tree to kick back and relax. On a breeze sunny day this is your goto! There is 1 picnic table if you want to post up there or enjoy lunch on the lake. Not much room from grass to the lake but just enough. It's super simple and serve a great afternoon getaway from it all.