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.

Jervey Gantt Park as a multitude of athletic fields upon its property. It also has a nice paved…read morewalking area that allows you to walk in a quiet area and, at least when I was here, it appears to be a pretty safe place. I would say that the multitude of athletic fields are probably why most people come here. They all appear very well maintained and overall this was a pretty positive experience. While I would not recommend coming here if you are looking more for a park type environments, these sport fields I am sure are very well received by the community. Again, if you're looking more for a park where you can hang out and chill, this is probably not the place. However, this serves the community well with all these sport fields and I'm sure that the neighbors and community love it. For that I am giving it five stars.

I come here (almost) everyday. It's peaceful and has lots of space. There's about two miles of…read morepaved trail. I tend to weave around the park multiple times. The park will stay lit till around 10pm; so you can run after dark.

I came to Tuscawilla Park expecting a nice place to take a walk, and instead discovered I was…read morewandering through a little piece of Ocala history. The park dates back to 1916, when the city purchased the original 10 acres surrounding what was then known as Howse Spring. The Ocala Woman's Club helped transform the area with landscaping, huge oaks and magnolias, and even created Victory Way as a memorial to Marion County residents who served in World War I. Those historic brick entrance pillars are still standing, which I thought was a pretty cool detail to stumble across while simply walking around. Today the park has Lake Tuscawilla, walking paths, fishing, playgrounds, sports areas, public art and an amphitheater, so there is more here than meets the eye. I especially liked discovering how the park connects to the surrounding historic neighborhood, because suddenly you're not just walking around a park, you're walking through a piece of old Ocala. It's peaceful, historic and easy to explore, with just enough going on to keep a curious person wandering.

I always love walking around this park and today was just an enjoyable day walking with my son…read moregetting in a few laps around the lake trying to get my health back on track. Afterwards we went and I took some pictures because I could never resist the beauty in this little park in our little big city of Ocala! Come visit take a walk and remember right across is Midtown Station where yo can easily enjoy some coffee and some delicious food.

Birds & Insects speaking in a chorus…read more Such a wonderful one of a kind experience ! Can't believe we have this resource at our fingertips and FREE to enjoy. Not gate keeping this one. Try an alternative to Disney and experience nature up close... for FREE.

This park is such a peaceful, scenic escape. The walking trails are beautifully maintained, and the…read moreboardwalks give you the perfect view of the wetlands, birds, and wildlife. It's a great spot for a relaxing walk, photography, or just sitting quietly to soak in the view. There's educational signage throughout the park, which I loved, it's fascinating to learn how this place is helping the environment while also being so beautiful. It's super clean, safe, and free to visit. I would love if they had planted some flowers around and some plants so it has a better landscape. For a bit of the walk it felt like a desert land and like that had ripped out a lot of the plants and natural flowers but that's just my assumption. Whether you want a mindful stroll or just some fresh air and a gorgeous sunset, this place is a must-see. I'm already planning my next visit!

We spent about half a day at Silver Springs State Park and it was such a beautiful park! I…read moreoriginally planned on paddleboarding but after doing some research, I saw that the alligators can be more protective during mating season so we decided to skip the water activities this time. Instead, we did the glass-bottom boat ride which was really cool! We saw a few gators, paddlers, birds, and lots of other wildlife. They offer a 30 minute ride or a longer 1.5 hour ride. If you're prone to motion sickness like me, I'd definitely stick with the 30 minute option. That was plenty for me lol We also did about an hour of hiking. There are different trails throughout the park but we weren't really prepared to hike for much longer especially in the middle of summer. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see any of the monkeys this time! There's also a café/bar, discovery center and gift shop near the entrance, so there's plenty to check out. Overall, we really enjoyed our visit and I'd definitely come back. Hopefully next time I can actually paddleboard when it's not quite as hot and the gators aren't as protective!

Walking the trails was peaceful and scenic, with lots of shade and chances to spot wildlife (we saw…read morea few monkeys in the distance, which was wild!). The whole park is well-maintained, and the staff were helpful and friendly. Whether you're kayaking, hiking, or just relaxing by the springs, it's a great day trip that feels like a little escape into old Florida.

A small oasis in an industrial area of Ocala. It is not a big park by any means, but it offers a…read morepeaceful getaway from the day to day stress and let's you exhale the stress of the daily ground and relax. The trees here are a stunning canopy over the property, allowing the sun to peak through and let's visitors choose to bask in the sun or revel in the shade. There is a small lake, a children's playground, and clean restrooms. I was happy that I stumbled across this little park. Sometimes a wrong turn can prove to be a blessing and this was certainly one of those times.

This place is adorable and a nice quiet retreat from the rest. It doesn't appear to be quite large…read morebut it actually is fairly big having its own Pickleball court, tennis courts, basketball courts, racquetball and volleyball courts! It has a born learning trail (courtesy of "Success by 6" ) natured themed play area which is wonderful. There are walking/hiking trails, picnic pavilions and pavilions you can rent for private gatherings. The main trail in the park is 2.1 miles long and it is suitable for biking, running and walking as the path is rather flat. Coehadjoe Park is dog friendly leash required. You can metal detected license required. There are plenty of shady areas in this park and there are bathrooms available. Address: 4225 NE 35 St Ocala Florida 34479 Phone: (352)671-8560 Hours: 8 Am - 8 Pm

While we were touring around the city of Ocala, the hubs and I stumbled upon this oddly named park…read more There are courts for everything; basketball, tennis, racquet ball and more. None were busy at the time of my visit. Nice clean area too

I drove through here on the way home from the Panhandle. It reminded me of what I thought Florida…read morewas like when I was a child growing up in Massachusetts. Forrests and springs, fishing, canoeing, swimming, and yes, gators. There are over 400,000 acres in the Ocala National Forest. It needs more than one visit to fully explore this wonder. There are many opportunities for camping and backpacking. I want to come back soon to go on a nature hike. Like Dave O. says, this is the wilderness so don't be naive. You must go in prepared with water, protein snacks, and emergency supplies. This is not Disney, this is the real Florida adventure.

Another spot of beautiful nature in Wild Florida…read more I love going on nature hikes, and this trail has plenty of wildlife and plants to see. Even with the paths seeming wild and free, they're easy to follow and I wasn't afraid of getting lost.

Kicking off the new year on a new trail - and it was a great one! This trail is part of the Majorie…read moreHarris Carr Cross Florida Greenway that stretches from the Gulf to the St Johns River, the Greenway is a Florida State Park. This address takes you to the Landbridge Trailhead (approximately 1.4 miles NE of the actual I-75 Landbridge) and has separate parking and trails for equestrians -vs- hikers and bikers which is nice. There are bathrooms, a water bottle filler, a bike wash station, a few picnic tables, a bike tool station (although the air hose was cut) and all of it very well maintained given the impressive number of acres. The mountain bike trail intersected the paved trail so when we had enough bumps (hello, beginner here?!) we could take the paved trail a little while longer and all the back, thank goodness.

Great hike easy to moderate difficulty (not totally flat) make sure to bring water and stay…read morehydrated interesting to stand above I75 and watch the traffic pass below

Wall in Ocala, Florida on business, I came across this very cool park and that commemorates Fort…read moreKing, named after Colonel William King and first occupied in 1827. On December 28th, 1835 Warriors led by Osceola ambushed and killed General Wiley Thompson in for others at this Fort. We need to remember history. We need to remember the path that lettuce to where we stand today. Whenever I see a spot like this, I try to pull in and learn a little bit about the past. In addition to the forks there's a Pleasant area to walk and enjoy a bit of peaceful Solitude. There is also a visitor center. There is a sign here that designates it as a monarch waystation. It stated that the site provides milkweeds, nectar sources, and shelter needed to stain monarch butterflies as they migrate through North America. There is a hiking trail for you to also walk. Also, according to the map there is a soldier cemetery site located on property. If you find yourself in Ocala, I strongly recommend finding yourself at this park. You can see history, you can see where our path was created and in the process you can learn a little bit more about yourself. Even if you are remotely close to Ocala, I would recommend getting off the highway and checking this place out.

Let's just say "I got my steps in early today" - it historically significant according to the…read moreplacards around the site, but honestly there's not a lot to see. Looking at the infrastructure it appears to me all of the existing structures are recreations on a historic site. The museum was closed today so we basically did a self-guided tour, the grounds are vast and very well maintained so bring your walking shoes. No admission fees to access all the property I stopped in because I was close by but probably wouldn't have gone to far out of my was to see this one...