Beautiful park in a rapidly shrinking green space in the once beautiful Sarasota, FL. Park staff…read moreare great, friendly, helpful and generally lovely. Once you're through the entrance, you can pretend Sarasota hasn't been invaded by cancerous northerners who have absolutely trashed the city and destroyed everything in their wake. You can appreciate what Sarasota once was, beautiful, natural, and covered in flora and fauna. God save Oscar Scherer!

I absolutely love nature and going to state parks. You are able to camp here, but I just went to…read moreventure around for a little bit. You do have to pay to enter the park. It was not busy at all. I highly recommend wearing bug spray and wearing long pants. There are trails for walking, hiking, and biking. You can also do kayaking. There is a small pond with sand, but need to be careful of the alligators. It's worth checking out.

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.

We recently spent four nights camping at Myakka River State Park while also making day trips to…read moreVenice for some fossilized megalodon tooth scuba diving, and this park was a perfect home base for our adventures. The RV sites are spacious, well-maintained, and thoughtfully laid out. Unlike many campgrounds where you're practically sharing coffee with your neighbors, Myakka provides plenty of room and natural vegetation between sites. It felt private, peaceful, and uncrowded. If you enjoy the outdoors, you'll never run out of things to do here. There are miles of hiking and biking trails, abundant wildlife, and excellent opportunities for photography and birdwatching. For those looking for a little adventure, the canoe rental outpost offers a chance to paddle the Myakka River and lake system while getting up close and personal with about 10 bazillion alligators. (The OG Floridian!) One attraction you absolutely shouldn't miss is the Trail and Observation Tower. The suspension bridge is a fun experience, and the views from the 72-foot tower are spectacular. Looking out across miles of untouched Florida wilderness really gives you an appreciation for how wild and beautiful this state still is. One word of caution: be mindful of the poison ivy. It's everywhere around campsites, trails, and wooded areas. As a native Floridian who should know better, I managed to find it the hard way and am still paying for that mistake. Learn from my suffering and keep an eye on where you're stepping, leaning, and reaching. Whether you're camping, hiking, biking, paddling, or just looking for a peaceful getaway, Myakka River State Park delivers. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and are already "itching" to return. This time without the poison ivy. Pro Tip: Bring your camera, binoculars, comfortable walking shoes, and a healthy respect for Mother Nature. You'll be glad you did!

Beautiful park full of wild Florida great place to see gators and other wildlife and just soak up…read morethe beauty that is Florida

The Myakkahatchee Environmental Park is my favorite dog friendly park at North Port…read more Beautiful hiking trails,few esy to follow looping trail,through beautiful jungles and grassy pampas. Some of the paths floods after rain. The Live Long and Prosper Trail runs along the Myakkahatchee creek for 3 miles.Lot to see,from alligators to beautiful birds and unique flora and fuana.For that 3 miles it was always walkable because it is on the creek bank much hire than the water level. The trail supposedly loops around,but I was never able to come back on the return loop because it was flooded-even at December-deep swampie water was blocking port of the trail and we had to turn around. However I seen some markings on the return trail,it looks like the park management is working on it. I wish that trail would go farther up by the Myakkahatchee creek,I would love to explore that area more.The trail ends at a barb wire fance..... There is so much to do at that park,you can walk with your dog,ride a horse,fossil hunt at the creek-when the water is low and clear at winter time.There is picnic area, a huge fild. Restrooms at the parking lot.Few boardwalks. Trails are well marked and maintained pretty well. This park keeps growing,I'm so grateful that is near by.

Seems to be a new park / preserve still under construction in 2025. Saw some…read morenice fish. Saw and heard some cool birds. The paths are wide country roads and pretty torn up. Sarasota County doesn't seem to be into trails

This place is sort of hidden in plain sight. It wasn't on Yelp until I added it. But, my mom knew…read moreabout it because she'd driven by it and, well, our friend Google knew about it. Slough: "A side channel or inlet, or a natural channel that is only sporadically filled with water." It's really tranquil and pretty here. It's a 72 acre nature preserve with trails, picnic shelters, and a few benches to sit on so you can view wildlife in peace and quiet. Even though it's near Beneva Rd., you can't hear any car traffic. What I like about this place is that it's not hugely overwhelming and it's incredibly quiet. We took a nice, leisurely stroll here before Christmas. We were there for about an hour and there weren't many people around. We saw a few herons (grey and white), spoonbills and turtles. While I do like reptiles, I was happy to not have seen any gators....though, I'm sure they were there, watching us. Pick up a map at the entrance and read the park rules. If you bring a dog, it has to be on a leash and for god's sake, don't let your dog go in the water. Hello, gators live there.

This is a very nice preserve / park. We saw lots of dragon flies and many different types of…read morebutterfly March 2020. Also many species of bird. There are some covered picnic table areas and a small playground. Then some woods with wide and narrow trails. Leads to an open area and slough (lakeish feature). Good mix of wilds and park features. Did a pretty wel established tent campsite with two tents despite the no camping signs. There are buckets out to collect air potatoes if you see any. Lots of large vines,, some saw palmetto, and wildflowers. It was pretty dry this spring and not too buggy. Not sure on summer with the water features around. Lovely area to explore for a walk. Saw people fishing. Reccomended for a nice outing. Peeps were friendly. Lots of dog walkers and nature loving folks.

Such a fun park. The kids like it because they can bounce back and forth between the playground and…read morethe parkour park. 05.02.25

This is the most beautiful and peaceful place to hike in town. Sure you can go to rural areas and…read moreenjoy nature but there is nothing convenient or particularly safe about really remote areas. Rothenbach gives you the feeling of freedom that comes from being immersed in nature. It does that without the typically requisite long drive time to get to a trail head. It also is a place that someone can go enjoy alone, yet one can maintain relative safety. You have to check out Rothenbach. It's about 3 miles of hiking to do one complete revolution around the property.

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.

My absolute favorite hiking and picture taking spot in southwest Florida. It's free, and beautiful,…read moreand not overrun with people. There are bike trails and wooden plank trails when the rain gets heavier. There are birds, bears, and the secretive Panther.

CREW is the acronym for the sixty thousand acre Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed. The CREW…read moreLand & Water Trust was established in 1989 as a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to purchase land, manage it, and offer public outreach. The CREW project includes parts of southern Lee and northern Collier Counties in southwest Florida. The Corkscrew Marsh, Bird Rookery Swamp, Flint Pen Strand, Camp Keais Strand, and the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary are all CREW lands. Fifty-five thousand acres of CREW land is in preservation and it provides flood protection, water filtration and important aquifer recharge. They would like to purchase even more land in order to preserve natural resources such as water and to offer protection for wildlife. I have been fortunate enough to explore several of the CREW properties and each is a treasure of native plants and animals and unspoiled wilderness. The CREW Cypress Dome Trails is also known as Gate 5. A cypress dome is a swamp that has mainly pond cypress and bald cypress trees. Tall trees are at the center with smaller trees at the edge which creates a dome effect. The moist environment is also ideal for other plants, shrubs, and trees. The dome removes carbon emissions and stores water, recharges the aquifer, and provides drinking water. In the dome you can expect to find flatwoods salamanders, white ibis, and wood storks. Be aware that black bears and panthers also live here. There are six miles of loop trails that traverse through pine flatwoods, oak hammocks, wet prairie, popash slough, and two cypress domes. Trails are flat grass and sand. The trail connects to the Caracara Prairie Preserve which is owned and maintained by Conservation Collier. A $3 cash donation is suggested for use of the trail. Trail maps are located at the trailhead along with one port-a-potty. Bring your own water.This trail allows horseback riding With a free special use license from South Florida Water Management. During my visit it was hunting season. Although I didn't hear any shots being fired all of the signs about it made me feel nervous. I went down the trail a way before becoming uncomfortable and deciding to head back. I don't know why they allow the shooting of migratory birds. I can't imagine flying 1,500 miles to Florida to get shot by a hunter. SMH. The only thing I want to shoot birds with is my camera. I'll be back after hunting season. Hopefully some birds will have survived the hunt.

Beautiful park and great staff. A hidden gem in South St Pete with a long walking trail and some…read moregreat wildlife, as well as some interesting sculptures. We love the small bird sanctuary also. And so inexpensive for the family.

This is a great nature preserve to visit in the middle of St Pete! We saw many birds, native plants…read moreand baby alligators huddling in a nest! It's was incredible. We took the mile long loop, that meandered a very natural area of native Florida plants and trees. We loved the rustic, natural feel of the park with clearly marked trails. $3.00 to get in at the visitors center that is pretty cool to look at, too! Don't forget the rescued birds just outside the visitor center.

Now the road is closed down after the Hurricane but from Venice you can walk down to this beach and…read moreit's a nice walking and along the way you can definitely find shark teeth and beautiful sea shells. PS: if you come during midday, please be prepared that the sand is extremely hot walking towards the ocean. Especially in the summer!! We came here this past weekend and stayed until sunset it was a beautiful view, and the water was perfect. Probably found about 50 short teeth, sifting, and walking on land. It's a great beach for the kids as long as the water is not too rough.

A beach located in Venice. This beach is much quieter and definitely less crowded than the other…read morebeaches in the area. This is the beach to go to if you are looking for shark teeth. The sand here is darker in color than the others near by, but very soft. I like going here just because it's so peaceful. There are no food or drink options on this beach, but there are resturants near by.