Talk about a beautiful sunset! The park is located in kind of a funny spot..almost like an office…read morepark area. The park/ beach is very lively and there were tons of families. We were never worried about safety and happily enjoyed our time here. The sunset itself was beautiful, and we even saw a dolphin! The proximity to the airport also allows for some cool plane watching. If you're in the area I'd recommend checking it out!

Cypress Point Park offers excellent opportunities for sunrise and sunset viewing, as well as…read morephotography. The proximity to Tampa International Airport also provides opportunities to observe aircraft. The beach offers different roofed pavilions equipped with barbecue facilities, providing families with a pleasant setting to enjoy the views while spending time together. The park offers a designated play area for children. Parking is available within the park, but it requires payment. Restrooms are clean and conveniently located. Cypress Point Park is an excellent place to spend time with family and offers beautiful views.

Such a beautiful place. I would have never thought all that beauty was back there. A really nice…read moreplace to take some photos. And that is what we did. We used this place to take some graduations photos of me. We got some great shots in the different areas they have inside the park. The pergolas. The gazebos. The bridges. They all add a nice background for photos. So many beautiful plants and flowers also. I'm going to take my granddaughter for a walk in there. She will love it too.

Seriously, this park is beautiful! We came out here to take graduation pictures for my aunt, and…read morethere are so many pretty spots for photos. It's only $2 to park, which is super cheap, and the coolest part is that your parking pass actually works at other Hillsborough parks for the rest of the day. The park rangers we talked to were also incredibly nice and welcoming. Plus, the actual walking path is really nice and would be perfect for a casual walk. I'm definitely coming back here, such a great spot!

This is a great park! It is perfect for a festival because there is tons of free parking. I went…read morehere for a plant festival. This park has a playground and a splashpad for kids, a small skateboard/bike area for kids, a dog park pavillions for picnics, restrooms by the play area and dog park and a really nice long walking path around the huge pond. There is also a small stage near the big open field so it would be a good location for concerts. The park is on county land adjacent to a water treatment plant, which supplies the pond with reclaimed water. What a great use of space! I will bet most people wouldn't notice that but I work for another local government so I notice those things. Lots of people were out enjoying the nice weather. People with their kids in the kids area, people with their pets in the pet atea and people like me shopping for plants. They also had some food trucks out and staff/volunteers directing traffic and keeping things nice. Again, great venue for a festival in the heart of Carrollwood Village.

This is the park to end all parks! From a paved storybook path around the "lake" to a fitness…read morecourse, from playgrounds to large, family swings, the views, the play, the comfort and the challenge are all present. The park also maintains facilities and the parking is plentiful.

I enjoy walking a few blocks over to the Riverwalk. It starts right at the Greenwise/Publix right…read moreoff of Water Street and Benchmark International Arena. I usually get on it there, and then walk it all the way over to Armature Works and back. There are always a ton of people either running, walking, roller skating, or hanging out along the riverwalk. I like walking it on both sides and taking in the nature, and getting great pictures. It's probably best to come right at sunset so it isn't so blazing hot. There isn't a ton of shade. My favorite photo spot is walking up one of the bridges and then looking back at the circular Rivergate Tower and the river.

What a pleasant experience!! We are here visiting from out of state and decided to explore the…read moreriverwalk. It just so happened to be the night of the boat parade. There were hundreds of people along the riverwalk watching the spectacular experience. There were boats decked out with Christmas decor, and music playing to ensure the crowd is entertained! Cool experience!

I have loved this place for so long! Great walk or ride up the pier. Take in the beautiful waters…read moreor natural wildlife swimming or flying around. The squirrels are pretty daring and friendly here too. Bait shop and food shack on premises too. They are a bit pricey but certainly delicious and worth they hype. Be mindful of hooks and debris on the pier. Folks haven't been very mindful lately

Ballast Point Park is located South of Bayshore off inter bay and has a fantastic shaded kids…read moreplayground with a younger and older kids area, 3 slides, and even a splash pad play area. There's a fantastic seafood restaurant, fishing pier, and pretty water views too! During the winter months when the sun sets early at 530-6, the park really should have lights for the playground at least until 8pm. There's not enough parking spots for this park and parking on side of road has signs that say no parking which is ridiculous because everyone parks on the side of the road anyways. If you're in the south Tampa area and looking for pretty water views, casual seafood, or a fun kids playground, definitely visit Ballast Point Park!

There's a fee to enter the park, but it's worth it to take a few trails and spend a lot of time…read moreoutdoors. The trails are easy to navigate and are good for people of all levels. The nature center has a bathroom and a bit of information, but all the displays were empty, including the outdoor one that allegedly used to have a tortoise. There are canoes to rent if you're into that. Overall, it was a nice, uncrowded park to spend some time outdoors.

We visited this park as part of the 2020-2021 Hillsborough Hiking Spree. I was very impressed by…read moreit. We arrived and parked in the parking lot nearest the nature center. The center is currently closed due to Covid but the bathrooms are open. From what I could tell, on our mad dash to the bathroom and distance viewing, the displays are informative and well done. I'd love to return when it is safe to and take a look. The park has three trails that are part of the spree. We hiked the Bobcat Trail since it includes the boardwalk. The trail travels for about a half mile through trees and over dusty shells. Then it connects to the boardwalk. This was by far the best part. We walked along the beautiful, tree lined water, getting up close and personal with a bunch of small black crabs. We scanned the water for manatees but were not lucky to find any. The trail ends back at the nature center. We climbed the back steps to the top level and caught a great view of the river and the distant city. After the hike we hit up the playground for a few minutes. This is always my kids' favorite part. We also stopped off at the butterfly garden which was pretty active on this day. The park was in great shape, the bathrooms were clean, there were lots of people around doing various park things. Canoeing, kayaking, hiking, nature hunting and playing on the playground are just some of the things available at your fingertips here. So glad we visited! Can't wait to return to check out the other trails.

One of Tampa Bays best kept. Good Biking, Walking, Skating and Dog walking. Peaceful place…read more Beautiful nature walk and Wildlife scenery.

Great facility at beautiful setting. Plenty of parking, clean bathrooms, benches, fresh water to…read moredrink, dog clean-up station. There are also office rooms for rent. Small fee to park there, but otherwise everything is free!

I have been visiting this park for years!…read more This is on my "Host Suggestions" list when we have guests in town and is a hit every time! We visited the park recently and were on the hunt for as many bird species we could identify. Found some birds we had never seen before and it was so much fun trying to hunt them down by their calls. I've never not seen a gator when visiting but you had to take your time and look closely. I can't say enough about this park. Just $2 to enter the park. There are picnic areas you can reserve, volleyball courts, playgrounds, trails, restrooms and an onsite nature center. You really cannot ask for much more. Definitely worth the visit!

One of the coolest parks in Tampa. You almost always get to see alligators. Beautiful boardwalk and…read morewalking trails. It costs $2 to park. The playground is also really nice and my son enjoys it. Dogs are allowed in this park as well. One star removed because the tower is now inaccessible.

This is an all ages, all ability, open park and playground…read more The location is great because it is in a neighborhood yet close to the highway. There are plenty of shade trees, and there are a few areas to picnic as well as different playground areas if you feel one is too crowded for your little one. We went to the larger playground area with my grandson, and he loved it. There are swingsets for all ages and abilities, which is very nice for all. The pirate ship has a great musical area as most kids like to bang on things that they can control the sounds. There are plenty of open areas to play ball or just run from tree to tree like the squirrels. My only complaint is that the park could be a little better maintained for trash. There was random garbage that people should have thrown away, but they didn't, so it made the park look a little unkempt. Parking is plentiful but not in abundance in any one area, so be prepared to park and walk to the playground on a busy weekend or after school.

This is a great local park with wide grassy areas for kids to run around…read more My local park was all booked up for my daughter's birthday weekend, but there were picnic shelters available at MacFarlane Park, so we decided to check it out. We rented a "small" shelter that had 24 person capacity. An all day rental was about $27, a bargain. The park is pretty big with multiple areas where you can park, so make sure you look at a park map to get an idea of where you should park to be closest to where you want to go. The playground looked like a lot of fun, but our shelter was closer to the tennis courts, and the kids ended up just running up and down the hill, which was fine with me! The area looked well-maintained, and the shelters were in better shape than the picnic shelters in most of the South Tampa parks.

Cool riverside park walk along the park and river. This Hillsborough River flow along the location…read moremake the strolling or jogging very desirable. The scenery ever changes along the river make this prime location. The house along the park has clear view toward the river and the park. We were here because live orchestra music in the park. Because it close to holiday, they play the Christmas and holiday music. Very pleasant. The park also is a home for canoeing and rolling boat area. There was boat parade when we visited the park. Children are roaming like not limit. There plenty tree cover for open air concert. The gazebo serve as a stage for the presentation. Love the Santa make available to the kid and old kid like me. It was great to see old friends from Yelp in a surprise meeting in the park.

Located along the Hillsborough River, this is a relatively small, free neighborhood park, which is…read moreperfect if you want to exercise or take a walk with no hassles. There is a paved asphalt track that circles along the exterior of the park which runs a little over half a mile. I do wish there were more trees along the path - much of the path is in full sun, which can get brutal in the summer. There are plenty of cool, huge old oak trees in the center of the park, though, so it's a perfect place to bring a chair or blanket to just hang out. There also seems to be a yoga class most weekends held right next to the river, which is pretty neat. It does have a few amenities - one picnic shelter, a volleyball area, a great little playground, and restrooms. Plenty of parking - in the lot, or along the street. Great spot to bring your dog!