Very nice place to spot and let the dog out!! Parking at the entrance and then before the trail…read morethere's a large space with grass and trees to run around. Then you pass an entrance and can start the trail

Nice place to walk-- very peaceful. Not many hikers out here today, but there were a couple of…read morepolite cyclists. Did see lots of birds & a few small gators. Lots of sunshine-- yea:) Oh, & of course bovine. I promised to leave my phone in the vehicle, which is just as well since each & every phone has gravitated to bodies of water from toilets & sinks to oceans:) Why not a lake:) If you love the outside, sunshine, & the stillness of nature, this is a great place to hike, although "hike" sounds as though effort was needed. The trails are quite easy here.

Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve is a network of conservation areas that includes: Dead…read moreRiver Park, Flatwoods Park, John B. Sargeant Park, Morris Bridge Park, Trout Creek Park , Wilderness Park Off Road Loop Trail System, Jefferson Equestrian Area and Oak Ridge Equestrian Area. The area connects with Hillsborough River State Park. Here's the Southwest Florida Water Management District website: https://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/recreation/areas/lowerhillsborough.html

This place is amazing, sometimes a little scary, the alligators will be all around you, but…read moreabsolutely amazing!!!

We saw a lot of wildlife including massive gators, rabbits and a raccoon and tons of different…read morebirds. It was very peaceful.

A friend told us about this park so we decided to check it out. The park itself is a good size they…read morehad lots of stuff to do for the kids. Plenty of shade from the trees which was great and they have pavilions near by for parties and picnics. They also have some walking/ trails as well. It's a great park but if you have kids who like to wander just be aware because it's right next to a HUGE lake.

Beautiful park with great trails and tons to do! We had a…read morewonderful day at Lake Parker Park in Lakeland. It's a lovely spot with so many amenities for anyone who enjoys the outdoors. We came mainly for hiking in the early afternoon; even though it was a hot, breezy day, the trails were comfortable-b I sy enough to feel lively but never crowded. We walked all three trails (green, red, and blue), and each one was well-marked, peaceful, and shaded, with beautiful views of the lake. There are plenty of spots along the way to rest, stretch, or get in a little extra exercise. The grounds throughout the park are very well maintained, and the scenery is gorgeous. Beyond the trails, there is a huge variety of amenities: boat docking, tennis, basketball, and volleyball courts, a soccer field, shaded picnic areas, pavilions for private events, and lots of parking. Overall, Lake Parker Park is a clean, well-kept, and truly enjoyable place with something for everyone. We are looking forward to coming back.

There is a $2 fee that you pay at a machine in the parking lot. Went here to fish and birdwatch but…read moredidnt catch anything since it was the wrong time of day. Saw plenty of other wildlife though such as gators, turtles, and several species of birds. There was very nice scenery of huge cypress trees and palmettos from the boardwalk and there were several places to fish from it without being in the way of walkers. At the fishing spots there were places to put your unusable fishing line so it doesn't accidentally blow into the river. The regular bathrooms were closed but they provided porta-potties which were stocked and of typical cleanliness for a park toilet. The trails were a bit confusing with many options leading to the same places.

I thought I had explored almost all of the Hillsborough County parks so I was quite surprised when…read moreI discovered that Trout Creek Conservation Park existed. I don't know how I missed this one. Once you pull off of Fletcher you continue to drive for way longer than I expected. It's nice that you can be so secluded when you're really not that far from residential and business areas. Unlike several of the other Hillsborough parks you have to pay (two dollars) to make use of this one. I'm assuming that's because it has a full bathroom available? No park is going to have a "nice" restroom and this one certainly didn't BUT it was fully stocked and you didn't have to touch anything to wash your hands. That's a big plus in my book. There are also several picnic pavilions and a launch for canoes. Canoes and gators are a "hell no" for me but you do you. The signage is minimal. Because I had done my homework I knew that there was a boardwalk somewhere here. If I didn't know that we would have easily missed it. The boardwalk isn't particularly long, but it gives you some very nice views of the river. The maps are honestly atrocious. It was hard to decipher where the heck the walking trails were. We eventually found a sign past one of the picnic pavilions that said "nature trail" and started exploring. We encountered several forks in the trail and because there were no signs indicating what was in each direction we were completely guessing at our route. Some of the path was pretty overgrown and also the densely packed tree roots you had to walk over could make tripping pretty easy. If I come back I'm just going to stick to walking on the bike route instead.

Love the parts of the trail that wind around the pretty lake and the short hike to the pavilion…read more It's a noisy hike as the interstate is nearby! Planes going over head, cars, trucks, sirens, loud exhaust, motorcycles.. ugh! Parts of the trail are in the sun and sandy, come prepared with water. Still a nice chance to get outside and go for a walk!

As a Georgia Girl that likes pretend I'm from the country when really the only trees I was in were…read morethe Peachtree Streets of Atlanta... This preserve is DANGEROUS. Because it is a preserve the trails aren't well kept which I get cause Nature. However, the trails aren't well marked and they don't match the map online or posted at the preserve opening. There is not passage where there should be and extra trails that aren't marked anywhere but are painted. Not to mention, it states only that there is a restroom, which there is but it is closed to the public. I could easily see someone getting lost. The Blue Trail was easy enough and marked accurately. The Red and Yellow Trails . I attempted to do them if that counts....

First time to McIntosh Preserve today but not the last time. This is a small preserve in Plant City…read morewith a parking lot off of Knights Griffin rd. The preserve is open sunrise to sunset and dogs are allowed. The trails are well maintained crushed shell and rocks and should be ADA accessible. I did not notice any bathroom facilities. There are benches along the trails. We arrived late and only walked the linear blue trail so I am eager to return and see the rest of the preserve including the observation tower. Lots of beautiful birds calling, very peaceful. Near the parking there is an open park setting with some picnic tables. The blue trail starts out very sunny but makes it way across and open pastoral setting to a nice shaded area. Would definitely recommend sunscreen and water if you're there in the middle of the day :)

South Lake Howard Nature Park is the perfect place to enjoy a walk. The 17.6 acre area was…read moreoriginally developed to treat stormwater. Stormwater parks help the environment by capturing and retaining stormwater runoff which prevents flooding in the surrounding areas. It cleanses and stores stormwater to recharge the aquifer. The pond plants removes pollutants from the water leaving it clean. Left untreated stormwater leads to algal blooms, muck deposits, fish kills, and other environmental problems. These ponds also attract a variety of wildlife including Florida's beautiful wading birds, alligators and turtles while providing a recreation area for the public. The South Lake Howard Nature Park opened in 2001 and contains stormwater ponds and infrastructure to help clean and filter the stormwater water from the sucrose's and neighborhoods before it enters Lake Howard. At the entrance to the park is a parking lot, picnic pavilions with tables, and restrooms. The first part of the trail into the park is a 1,000 foot boardwalk that takes you over the water. Further into the park are three paved loops measuring a quarter mile, half mile, and mile. At one point you have to cross over 21st West. The paved pathways make it easy for people of all exercise abilities to enjoy the park. As wonderful as the park is, there is even more to come. The city purchased an adjoining property which was the former home of WSIR Radio. They plan on adding more trails, boardwalks, kayak launch, play area, disc golf, an outdoor classroom and other amenities. Keep an eye out for the exciting new developments at South Lake Howard Nature Park.