Recently renovated and shade sails added, Springtree Park features a small playground, picnic…read morepavilion, fitness equipment, as well as nature trails that pass through flatwoods with towering pines and fern covered slopes near Three Lakes Creek, a tributary of Possum Creek. Plenty of parking located at the back of Creekside Community Church, located at 2640 NW 39th Avenue. No restrooms or water.

This is a nice county park and I wish to add it is not just a kids' playground, either. There is…read moreindeed a playground and some pic-nic tables on the south side of the parking area but on the northern side there are extensive trails going through several types of natural habitats. The trails are appropriate for hiking or mountain biking, running too but be careful because there are a lot of roots and some unexpected wet areas and drop offs. Mountain biking you need to beware of branches and very narrow foot trails in some places, but it's fun. This is a county park and not the better-known San Felasco Hammock State Park not far from here. It is confusing that both parks share a very similar name so just check a map and ensure you're at the one you want.

A very quiet playground in a nice shaded area off of NW 43rd St., north of NW 53rd Ave. This park…read morehas covered picnic benches, bathrooms, a tire swing, a bouncy bridge and a few paved trails. I have never gotten to go on the trails, but maybe when my kids get a bit older we will venture down them!!

There is a lot to like about this park: lots of playground equipment, nice gazebos with picnic…read moretables, and plenty of shade. Hopefully as they continue to develop the park they will add permanent bathrooms (right now it is port-a-potty only), and clean it more regularly. Often when we visit, there is significant amounts of litter on the ground from irresponsible visitors. We are looking forward to the upcoming addition of a splash park here.

This 23 acre park in Gainesville offers a place for reflection and remembrance of veterans with…read morevarious memorials and monuments. It is also home to three pavilions, two play areas, sports facilities, volleyball and basketball courts, soccer field, a roller hockey rink, a community center, bathrooms and a walking trail. The new modern climbing playground is very impressive with a canopy overhead for protection from the sun.

Although we live less than 2m from the park and have lived in the area for 25 yrs we rarely ever…read moreventured into this park until recently (because of its proximity to a higher-than-average crime area nearby). Having said that the city has, to its credit, dramatically cleaned it up and redesigned the park. It is now pleasant to walk in during the day, have a picnic or bring your coffee and a book, dog friendly and very well maintained. Plenty of parking and bathrooms. No trash, no grafitti and no unsupervised teens during the day. HINT: Go early on a school day and you won't bbe disappointed but better to avoid the park area at night.

This is a park that is well off the beaten path, buried in the back of a small housing development…read moreoff of Newberry Road in Gainesville. There is a small parking area and then a couple of paths that lead into the park. It is but a short walk into the park itself, and I can see it as being a good place to take a dog for a walk. In the park itself there is a small play area for children, as well as a community garden where you will see various food plants being grown. It was a bit overgrown when I was there, but it is towards the end of summer and the way weeds grow right now it isn't all that surprising. The park includes a couple of vita-course implements for exercise, but nothing like some of the other parks in town that have full courses. If you are interested in a park that is well off the beaten path that few people even know of, this should certainly be on your list.

I was beyond pleasantly surprised by this park! Like many other parks, it lists a non-existent…read moreaddress. So we made our way to the neighborhood and just poked around a little until we found the northeast entrance at SW 38th St. There was only parking for one car here. About 50 yards down the paved path from the entrance, there was a fork in the road with a dirt path. The paved path straight ahead leads to private property. Another 50 yards down the dirt path, a clearing in the trees opens to a quaint little playground, a community garden, wide open space, and what appears to be neighborhood sand toys. During our visit, I walked the surrounding paths to discover a small parking lot off SW 40th St. We also had the MOST AMAZING experience with one of the neighbors that participated in the community garden. She invited my kiddos to help pull a turnip, a few carrots, and taste some edible flowers and herbs! It was such a special experience for my family. Wild Spaces Public Places is planning a renovation, closing for 6 weeks beginning March 2019. I hope they are able to keep the special feel of this hidden gem (maybe just add some restrooms)!

Recently I visited the Hogtown Creek Headwaters Park again, and it has expanded! The nature station…read morethat has been under construction for a while now is finally open, and is staffed on the weekends! There is a really nice exhibit inside detailing the history of the park and the house it is housed in, as well as some history of the area including the pitch farm that was in the area. In addition to the history exhibit, there are also nature exhibits showing the local fauna and flora. Definitely worth a visit now!

Extremely boring trail, nothing more than two, one foot tall overlooks. I went here in March, the…read moretrail is very small and the creek overlooks had zero water. If you have kids it has a large playground, in general I dont recommend.

You won't find Smokey here but you'll find every one of his friends flying, running scampering up…read moretrees. A little over 5 acres this is the perfect park to have lunch in, relax under the trees, play in the playground or jog on the trail. Everything is well kept with newer trees being planted regularly. A combination of the local Rotary and several other organizations originally help fund this park in 1965. It is now well maintained by the parks department and the City of Gainesville. The best part is that Smokey thought of his canine friends and built a special park inside this park for them!! So bring the entire family including the four legged variety. Give a hoot, don't pollute!!

This is a great park in Gainesville but in a bad area with adults seemingly on drugs hanging out on…read morethe playground. The park itself is so nice with many pine trees for shade and a great playground but I wouldn't go back with children.

The pool is nice and clean, although the spring seems a little much to get in for just the day…read more People cant afford 20 dollars per person(adult). Seems a bit much for 2 to three hours sunning and taking dips in the pool.

Open for UF students, staff, and faculty only and sometimes closed for meets. Overall, very good…read morepool can get crowded at times but being outside it's a great spot to swim on campus. No dive well however which is sad for me since I'm a diver. If you go to UF you should know about this and check it out.