Rose Place Park is an 18 acre Orange County park that officially opened in 2007. Orange County…read morepurchased the land in 2000, and in 2004 they used it as a yard waste drop off site following Hurricane Charley. In 2007, the property officially opened to the public as Rose Place Park. The park takes its name from nearby Lake Rose and sits in an area that was historically agricultural before being developed. Today, the park offers open green space, walking paths, picnic pavilions, and a playground. In November 2023, Rose Place Park reopened following a complete rebuild of its playground and amenities. The playground is surrounded by a safety fence and has two gated entrances, five benches, and ADA-accessible ramp access. Shade sails to help protect the play area from the Florida sun and the bonded rubber stone surface provides a cushioned foundation.. If there is a drawback to this park it is that it lacks a restroom. Still, the park had a nice community vibe with people walking for exercise, kids playing soccer and enjoying the playground, and others were relaxing at the picnic area. For me, Rose Place Park ended up being a great place to stop, stretch my legs, and take a short break before getting back on the road.

This park is always good to stop at for a good workout or quick trip to the playground with the…read morekids ! Or let's say a field day or even a picnic! It's plenty of space for everyone. I often see yoga classes or speed training and tons of people walking or running along the outside of the park. My only downside is there are no rest rooms here so it makes it harder to actually stay for a longer time especially with little ones.

Howell Branch Preserve is a small park, but it is overall, a pleasant enough park…read more It has a pavilion, a children's playground, a stargazing station, fitness stops and a small walking path. It is well-maintained and has off-street parking Again, it is not a large park, but a park does not need to be large to bring value to its surrounding community. This park definitely brings value to its neighborhood.

Howell Branch Preserve is a beautiful park in Winter Park but it is more than just a place of…read morerecreation. This is an environmentally important preserve that contains Howell Creek which connects Lake Maitland with Lake Howell. The stream flows north to feed the St. John's River. In 2017, the City of Winter Park purchased 43.4 acres of wetlands and floodplain lands that bordered existing city properties and portions of Howell Branch Creek. All of the lakes in Winter Park drain to the creek in Howell Branch Preserve. The preserve serves the important function of capturing water overflow so it does not flood neighborhoods and it cleans the storm water before it gets to Lake Jesup and out to the middle of the Sr. Johns River basin. Howell Branch Preserve offers a peaceful escape with plenty of opportunities to connect with nature. Whether you're looking for a relaxing walk or a chance to explore local wildlife, this well-maintained and scenic spot provides an engaging outdoor experience. The 10.38 acre preserve has a finished park area surrounded by wetlands and natural habitat located on the north side of Howell Branch Road, west of Temple Drive. Amenities in the park include a large playground, boardwalk and observation deck overlooking the wetlands, fitness trail with exercise equipment that uses your own body weight to work out, a picnic pavilion, restrooms, and open lawn area for play or unstructured games. A gravel parking lot is available at the entrance to the fenced in preserve. The City of Winter Park owns another 50 acres parcel beyond the park. Plans are in the works to create trails so that people can hike to other city properties and even into Maitland. I love that Winter Park is committed to increasing parks in the city and to protecting important ecologically areas like this one that are critical to water health which impacts the entire environment. I can't wait to see how this area continues to develop.

This is a great little park in the Colonialtown South neighborhood near downtown. We took the baby…read morefor a stroll this past weekend and enjoyed the breezy weather. This park has lots of tree coverage which is much needed in the summer months. You can tell there was likely some damage and downed trees due to the recent hurricanes and some of the big oaks have uprooted. It's still a nice park nonetheless with wooden bridges, 2 playgrounds, a basketball court, and tennis court, and plenty of covered picnic areas and benches. They have a parking lot onsite as well as a community center. This park is also directly across the street from Dickson Azalea park, so if you're down for off-roading in more of a forest vibe (not stroller friendly), be sure to skip over there for a true nature adventure!

This charming park is located next to H.H. Dickson Azalea Park. H.H. Dickson is credited with…read morebringing azalea's from England to Orlando. Both he and Mayor Carl T. Langford are buried in Orlando's historic Greenwood Cemetery. Carl T. Langford (July 23, 1918 - July 9, 2011) was mayor of Orlando from 1967 until 1980. He was one of the first two Eagle Scouts in the state to be awarded the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. After serving in the military he attended the University of Florida and graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1948. Carl T Langford is most remembered for being instrumental in bringing Disney World to Orlando. Carl T Langford Park is an oasis of nature in Orlando. It is located along Central Boulevard just south of downtown. This 19 acre park has an abundance of ancient shady live oaks, wide sidewalks, and green open spaces. There are also laurel oaks and swamp chestnut trees. Many birds, butterflies, and squirrels make their home here. Park amenities include a playground, boardwalk, basketball and tennis courts, picnic pavilions, a gazebo and neighborhood center can be reserved for parties. A loved discovering the suspension bridge. In 2014 a three foot pink bunny sculpture appeared in the park. The rabbit was placed in the park in honor of Charles Smith (Chase Smith) a longtime aide to City Commissioner Patty Sheehan and Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs. Smith died in August 2013 at the age of 41, shortly after being diagnosed with cancer. Chase Smith stepped in one year to play the Easter Bunny for the children at the egg hunts in Lake Como Park and here in Carl T. Langford Park. He was a natural and was beloved for the role. To honor him, a pink bunny was placed here and at Lake Como Park. I enjoyed such a relaxing visit to Carl T. Langford Park. The trees are beautiful and this park is the perfect respite from the hustle and bustle of daily life. Go for a hike, take the kids to play, host a party, or enjoy a picnic. Whatever you do, you can't help but be charmed by the abundance of nature in this picturesque park

Gaston Edwards Park is located on the shore of Lake Ivanhoe. I had a delightful stroll through the…read morepark after visiting the shops across the street in Ivanhoe Village. Dr. Gaston Holcombe Edwards (1875-1934) served as a surgeon in the Colon Hospital in the Panama Canal Zone. He moved to Orlando in 1919 where he practiced medicine. The history of the park goes back to the 1920's when following the land boom, the Junior Chamber of Commerce wanted to build a solarium and boat basin on Lake Ivanhoe. Orlando Mayor S.Y. Way and Dr. Gaston Edwards who was serving as the the chairman of the utilities commission disapproved of the plan. Lake Ivanhoe was Orlando's main water source and they feared it would get contaminated. In honor of his dedication to Orlando's health and well being, this park was named in honor of Dr. Gaston. Today the park offers a paved walking path with exercise stations, boat ramp, playground, and pavilion with grills. Gaston Edwards Park is a popular destination for cooking out, exercise, jet skiing, paddle boarding, or just sitting on a bench and enjoying the lake view.

We visited this location for a Brunch in the Park event a couple of weeks ago. I won some tickets…read moreso my friend and I decided to go check it out. They had several drinks for us to sample and I didn't like any of them since I don't really drink alcohol anymore, the food was really good and we especially enjoyed the tea sandwiches and the food from Metro Diner. I can't remember all the places I tried, but I'm so excited that they had it at this park as we've been by here several times, but I never actually walked through the park. Can't wait to be back!

Amazing location. The park is always clean and well kept. Plenty of space to walk around and enjoy…read morethe outdoors. A great spot for families and kids to play.

Young Pine Community Park is a nice little find that somehow I have never noticed and all the years…read morethat I have lived here in Orlando. When I pulled in on this early Saturday morning, the parking lot were already filled with people to play on the spirt field. However, I was here to walk around the conservation area. Anyway, Young Pine Community Park also has a children's playground, a dog park (actually two parks, one for larger dogs and one for smaller dogs), a canoe and kayak launch and much more. The Conservation Area had signs spaced regularly throughout instructing that no loitering was allowed. I'm assuming this is more to keep the homeless out from camping here. I mean, is it a park about supposed to be hanging out? Getting close to nature? Again, I am guessing that this is an attempt to keep the homeless from establishing tents in a wooded area. All In all, this is an enjoyable little park. The sporting Fields seem to be the biggest draw, but I enjoyed the little walk around the lake and all.

Ferndale Preserve is located in what feels like the middle of nowhere. The park opens at 6:30 am…read moreand closes at 6pm. There are two trails currently open. One is .5 mile up to a high point and the other is a 1.6 loop. No dogs are allowed in the park or in the trails for their safety. Bathrooms are available at the entrance. The playground area is separated into two sections. The sections are age appropriate and super challenging and fun for children. The equipment is clean and has the appearance of being well maintained. The park is not shaded so I don't recommend coming in the middle of the summer. Fall, winter and spring will provide lots of fun.

I'm a sucker for a good nature preserve and this place is no different. I loved my experience here…read morethe trails were fantastic and the wildlife and trees were incredible. This place has a good trail system encompassing about two and a half miles with multiple cutbacks and side trails and they've even got a water access for fishing. The scrub forest was fantastic and this park is at a higher elevation than most area around it so the views were pretty cool especially looking down onto Lake Apopka. I loved my experience here, and they've got nice clean bathrooms in the parking lot available for your use.

Warren Park was such a delightful discovery on a recent trip to Orlando. This park in Belle Isle is…read morenamed after Wilbur and Rose Warren. In 1924, they donated eight acres of land along south Lake Conway "in consideration of the sun of $10" to Orange County, establishing the county's first public park. This donation was the foundation for what would later become Warren Park. For decades, this beachfront park offered a spot for folks to gather and visit with family and friends. Wilbur Warren also served as the first park commissioner when the Office of the Park Commissioner was established in 1926. In 1996, a park renovation added a dock for kayaks and paddleboards. Warren Park also has a rental pavilion, tennis and pickleball courts, picnic tables and grills, sand volleyball court, and a playground. A paved 0.3-mile walking path with exercise stations encircles the park. Note that the park is in two pieces. You have to cross the street to reach the smaller waterfront portion of the park. Warren Park is an important recreational resource for anyone seeking a peaceful retreat. The large shade trees are especially lovely but my favorite part might be the scenic lake view. Take the pups for a walk or the kids for play. This family friendly park has something for everyone.

I grew up going to this park with my cousins. It was one of…read moreour favorite things to do I. The summer. We would run around the field with frisbees or play in the park. We would bring our tennis equipment and play on the courts when they weren't being occupied. I haven't been to this park in a while, but pass it by on the way to the mall quite frequently. It's still looks as fun as I remember! I'm glad to see it's still in good upkeep!

Overall, this is geared more for baseball and softball and the leagues seem to be well organized…read more There is decent parking and the fields are well-maintained.

Hancock Park is home to the Clermont Girls Softball League. There are five well maintained softball…read morefields and two soccer fields. They offer a full concession area with picnic tables and bathrooms. There is also a playground pavilion that is not shaded. The park has a large parking area.