Great park for little kids/toddlers - until about 11am…read more We love how many fun options there are for playground equipment and ample space for running. I say until 11a because this is when it seems the crowd can become a little more suspicious, grown adults just wandering around, switching vehicles, not really seeming like they neeeed to be there. Go in the AM with all the other parents/caregivers, leave before 11a and it's all good

Perfect for the grandchildren, and it was been nice to go for walks. We like the options, but…read moresometimes rowdy crowds can come. Tennis is also fun and there is hand ball courts.

Parking was nice, I saw a sheriff come through and check on stuff via jet ski which was nice, it…read moredidnt seem too crowded and it's right by the Upper Deck which is crazy good and convenient. You can swim (or wade) right across.

Beautiful place, great for water sports. The location is good and it kept clean and well…read moremaintained. Water is so pretty and clear in some areas.

the splash pad is great but fences should be put up kids can run in parking lot, also the park…read morefence gates are broke in safe for little ones! instead of mulch in playground why don't u put nice padding, needs alot of work that park!!!

How do you bribe your kids to ride with you for forty-minutes to get coffee? With pop tarts and a…read moretrip to the park. This trip to get coffee in Brooksville led my kids and I to Tom Varn Park. Tom Varn Park is about a mile from downtown Brooksville. The structures are largely made from wood, which gives it such a cool aesthetic. The park includes two sections inside a fenced in area. One works better for older kids and one for younger. The play areas include numerous slides and some climbing poles with passageways up, down, over and around them. There are some balancing areas and strength objects as well. In the older area of the park, there is also a series of half buried tires. These large tires provide a great challenge for your older kids (climb over them) as well as fun for the younger ones (tunnel through them). The park includes swings that are designed for younger kids (my three year old could enjoy them but he was getting close to being too large). I don't remember seeing swings that are designed for older kids (one of the knocks on the park). In the little kid area, there is a boat that sways back and forth with your movements as well as some additional slides and climbing areas. Outside of the fenced in area there is a large grassy section where kids could throw footballs, kick around soccer balls, or sit under a tree to picnic. There was a pavilion full of picnic tables that could be sat at as well as bathrooms. This area seemed to be in slightly poorer condition than the rest of the park. The bathrooms and picnic area also weren't as nice as other parks I've visited in the Tampa/Pasco region. To the right of the pavilion area was an area that included some electronic games (lights, dancing, shapes). There is a similar machine at Curtis Hixon Park in downtown Tampa. My kids and I didn't go into that section so I can't really speak about what shape the machine was in and how much fun it offered. Tom Varn Park has a lot to offer anyone who has kids that are into being active, playing and being outside. It seems to offer a lot of shade which would be beneficial during the hot Florida summer. If you find yourself in Brooksville with a couple kids in tow, try it out!

From Tampa, it took an hour and 30 minutes to get to the river. We first wanted to take a swim in…read morethe swimming area so we went there first before it got really crazy. The area is a bit small and there isn't really a lot of sun spots for you to chill at. It is cool to experience once but I think if you tube, you still will be able to get a swim in because parts of the river are pretty deep. After the swim area, we headed to the tubing section. It is a 15 minute drive from the main park entrance. The fee was 54 for two people that had an annual pass. Highly recommend bringing a small cooler with snacks and drinks and an extra tube for it. It took us about 2 hours to float back to our car and the river is very calm and relaxing. I've floated a river in San Antonio but wasn't as nice as Rainbow springs. Very clean and the water is sooo clear. Overall, really enjoyed our day visit to this state park!

Our tubing trip down the river was pretty, but it was quite boring. It took us two hours to float…read morefrom the entrance to exit, and it was extremely slow. We kept getting stuck in trees and bushes. The fun part was getting to swim in the clear water and passing off our tubes to a floating friend to hold onto. We also saw an otter. The lady at the rental station was very generous and let us borrow multiple pairs of goggles and masks. There were a bunch of motorboats passing by and blasting their music. They disturbed us with their waves and noise. It was around $27 per person in addition to $5 for one vehicle, and we paid all the fees upon entrance to the parking lot. They take you on a safari-like tram to get to the tubing entrance. I strongly recommend water shoes because my friends were suffering while barefoot on the hot ground. The walk was unexpectedly long and painful for my barefoot friends. They don't have showers or any sort of water spout/hose, so it was kind of gross to not be able to rinse the river gunk off then drive hours back to a major city. They have restrooms, but they were already closed when we walked from the river exit back to the tube station, even though the actual park wasn't closed yet, and there were still employees there. This was very inconvenient, and I wish they had at least told us in advance because we didn't have a place to change. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect the restrooms to stay open while the park is open. Also, they have you sign a waiver that says you must wear a lifejacket at all times. They didn't even offer us one, so I was baffled why they made us sign a waiver that said that. Can't they get into legal trouble if they don't actually provide lifejackets? I was troubled by the fact that we had to sign something that wasn't in the slightest bit enforced.

Crews Lake Wilderness Park has beautiful and well maintained grounds. No fee to enter like some…read moreother wilderness parks. I attended a wedding here and it was a peaceful and serene experience. There is a boardwalk and pavilions for events. The restrooms were also nice and clean. Actually better than some restaurants.

I really love this park!…read more I saw the signs for it & just decided to check it out as I love to visit the Nature parks. This park is exceptionally beautiful. It has an old vintage Florida feel with gorgeous old moss covered trees, kids play areas, an old vintage railroad, tons of biking & walking/hiking trails & a giant Lilly covered pond/lake. I had such a great time the first time I went. There was wildlife everywhere & I got to video some very friendly birds. I went back again & it was even more beautiful the second time, than the first time as it had just rained & all the flowers were blooming. They have a little garden there. It's just so precious. This place is so very beautiful. I keep finding all these different trails, they are obviously working on it & making it bigger with more trails. It's a very peaceful place, Like a forgotten tropical wilderness stuck in time. I have not seen more than 5 people here at once. I love all the Nature Parks for hiking but I have to admit. This one is very special & very unique. I can't wait to return. Highly recommended.

Great place to enjoy in family, different opinions, horse riding, hiking, biking or just walkingread more

Beautiful area for camping, fishing, hiking, and enjoying outdoors. Has plenty of tent sites w…read morequick access to water for fishing or trails for hiking.

The park is still undergoing repairs from the hurricanes & storms. Great place for fishing,…read morebeautiful views & sunsets. Outhouses available.

This park has great parking - 2 large docks, shaded picnic tables and is just relaxing to watch the…read moreboats come and go. Lots of people fishing here.

Very basic with several areas "under construction " including the tower. Quick stop the. We were…read moreback in the car.

Kids playground area is dirty, as well as right next to porta-potties that you can smell from the…read morepark. Worst is the back walk area has been closed and under construction for what 5 years now. Clearly they've given up on this park.

This a great spot to spend some time. They open early making it a nice quiet morning enjoying the…read moregreenery. The botanical gardens are larger than they look and have many different paths to meander along. They are pet friendly. My pup and I strolled along the paths and took breaks at a couple of the many benches placed about to stop and enjoy the views. They have a nursery with some wonderful looking plants you can buy. There were a couple I wanted but wouldn't make the rest of my road trip. Parking and the park is free. They do accept donations and they also have volunteer opportunities. This was a great spot to spend the morning.

Cutesy botanical garden that's free to the public. It's small, but provides a nice break from the…read moresurroundings. If you're local pop on in, if you're passing through-- go and stretch your legs. Have a mindful moment or two.

This was the sun west seafood festival. We love seafood and had out of town guests with us. First…read moreoff, it was $5.00 to park! Then $15.00 to get in! We walked past every booth, exploring what each one served, foods, trinkets, T shirts and other hand made craft items. We settled on grouper sandwiches from burger boyz, a Hispanic twist on some of the worst foods we've ever eaten. I just wanted clam strips. (You usually get a good sized portion) not this place! 2 huge scoops of nasty, cold rice with very little flavor and it was a bit mushy. Then a tiny cup , half filled with soured coleslaw. Just a handful of small clam strips. When I say small, I mean half the size of a normal clam strips. They were ok. $10.00 for a very watered down lemonade. The food and drink cost close to $40.00!!!! Lousy food, lousy service! Now the funnel cake was from a food truck called, A fork in the road. THEY are the only reason for 2 stars. The funnel cake was fried to a golden brown and loaded with powdered sugar. Very delicious. Their price $10.00, reasonable for how thick and large the funnel cake was. The 2 young men serving were pleasant and eagerly smiled as they held up their masterpiece. There were tents set up with tables and chairs. But, there were no lights so we had to eat in the dark. There was a band playing. They were pretty good, playing rock and roll. To be honest with anyone reading this review, we will not go back to one of these seafood festivals. The food was terrible, the service was bad and the prices were ridiculously stupid! Definitely not worth the money. By the time we made it home, none of us were feeling good. We were bloated, a bit nauseated too. Sorry to say, but this was the worst seafood festival we've ever been to.

First of all, I don't like that you have to pay to park, but it is what it is. I don't know if this…read moreis man-made or just another inlet of water that they turned into a beach, but it's good if you only want to go to the beach for a couple hours to get some sun and walk in the water once or twice. It's definitely not made for adults to go swimming in, but great for kids. They just want to play in the water and the sand. The sand is good, they even have a handicap walk out on the beach to make it easy for those in wheelchairs. They do not have any beach wheelchairs, however, at least that's what I was told by someone who worked there. They are very few handicap parking spots.