This historic 9000-acre park opened in 1931. It's considered an old growth forest and full of bald…read morecypress trees. There are a wide variety of endemic wildlife and plants. The main feature of this wonderful park was the boardwalk that goes through the swamp forest. Some really old trees that are possibly 1000 years old, is located in this park. There are nine trails, a campground, a playground, and a picnic area. There's a 3-mile loop trail for biking and driving. Also, a museum and concession built by the Civilian Conservation Corps; they constructed many buildings, bridges, and blazed trails in Florida State Parks. We were staying nearby and decided to explore this park. I enjoyed the historic land and old trees. The boardwalk was pleasant to stroll on; I saw quite a few memorial plaques. Generations of people walking on the same paths decades ago. It's a peaceful place and I'm glad they didn't turn it into farmland back in the 1930s.

This park is wonderful, plenty of trails, a cute store and just peaceful nature where you can see…read moreall kinds of birds, sometimes deer or gators and it's just a great place to visit.

Lake June-in-Winter Scrub Park is part of the Florida State Park system. Entrance is two dollars on…read morethe honor system. You can drop cash in the lock box or pay on your phone. This state park provides 845 acres of protection for Florida scrub habitat on the Lake Wales Ridge. Scrub habitat is one of the most endangered in Florida because it is high and dry making it ideal to build on. This ridge is located on an ancient ridge of sand dunes. The ecosystem here consists of scrub, scrubby flatwood, and bayhead. Some of Florida's most threatened animals and plants make their home here including the scrub-jay, Florida scrub lizard, Florida mouse, gopher tortoise and the Eastern indigo snake. Ospreys and bald eagles are found along the three miles of lakefront on the west side of Lake June in Winter while white-tailed deer, bobcat and black bear can occasionally be sighted among the trees. During my visit I saw an Eastern cottontail rabbit. This park also has one of the highest concentration of rare plants in North America. In the park you can hike along the half mile Tomoka trail along the fern lined waterway. The Bobcat Trail runs south from the entrance gate into the scrub where you may spot the scrub jays. Fishing is allowed on lake June or you can launch a canoe or kayak on to the water. There are covered picnic tables available to eat at. The scrub is hot and sandy with little sun protection. Be sure to bring water. There is a composting toilet. At this park you can experience a remote feeling yet be only 15 minutes from downtown Lake Placid. Even though there are few amenities, the tranquility and peacefulness will attract nature lovers.

Beautiful park, nice scenery! Definitely would come again, the water looks so beautiful. Honestly,…read moreit's a breath of fresh air. Nice place to have a picnic, or to come and take lovely pictures of nature

This park was off the beaten track for me but it is well worth seeking out. I wasn't sure what to…read moreexpect when I had to to turn down a remote road past a ramshackle trailer. Fortunately the adventure turned out okay. Istokpoga Park is located on the north shore of the 28,000 acre Lake Istokpoga, the fifth largest lake in Florida. It is believed that Istokpoga is from the Seminole language and means a lake where someone was killed in the water. Legend has it that several Seminoles drowned in the lake while attempting to cross it. The lake is only four to six feet deep and it is fed by the Arbuckle and Josephine Creeks. Despite being shallow, the lake can be dangerous for boaters during windstorms when the waves can get high. The lake is well known for fishing. Lake Istokpoga is home to alligators and it attracts many species of birds including the endangered snail kite. It is also home to one of the largest number of Osprey nests in the United States. When I pulled into the park I was greeted by two sandhill cranes. They are a large species of crane but we don't have them as far south as I live. You only start seeing them north of Palm Beach. If you have ever met one of these characters you would know. YouTube is filled with videos of them squawking at their image in peoples windows. They do not care about you and often block the streets at my daughter's UCF campus. I love their don't give a flip attitudes. During my visit to the park I also spotted a limpkin. Istokpoga Park has amenities that include a double boat ramp, covered picnic tables, grills, bathrooms, nature trails, boardwalk, and fishing pier. This is a beautiful park perfect for bird watching, photography, fishing, and picnics.

We had a great time! We have done airboat rides in the Everglades and they were okay but they were…read morevery short. We went fast for quite along time and saw a ton of alligators. Captain Dave explained many things about the gators, buzzards and eco system to us. My grandkids and my kids along with us had a wonderful time and can't wait to go again. Also, it was an hour ride! Worth the time and the money. Cathy S

I literally spent two hours on Father's Day just to see if this park was a Leathers & associates…read morepark like Jim Space in Arcadia. Sure enough!! Jim Space has a rocket-NASA theme, this is so Okeechobee it's not funny. The Mud-buggy playground, the boat, it's all right on par for the creativity of L&A and the uniqueness of Okeechobee. A well-deserved civic asset!

The playground at the Okeechobee Sports Complex is a well-hidden GEM, I tell you. I'm guessing all…read morethe locals know about it, but I did a couple of pretty thorough (or so I thought, anyway) internet searches and never came up with anything even remotely resembling a playground anywhere near here. Luckily, we have the awesome breakfast lady at Hampton Inn to tell us about such things. And even draw us a MAP. Score! :D I felt like I was privy to some insider info that I was most definitely Not Supposed to Have, which only makes it that much more cool. So this place is probably the most awesome true playground I've ever seen. Not like I'm a huge playground aficionado or anything, but still. It's this ENORMOUS collection of wooden fort-like structures with all kinds of slides and swings, tons of stuff to climb on and explore and have an absolute blast. The entire thing looks to be relatively new, and they definitely are keeping up with stuff like mulch on the ground and maintenance on the structures themselves (I saw a couple of pieces of newer wood, in comparison to the older more weathered stuff that the rest of it is built out of). There's a little area of sand, which kids looooooove and moms hate. Ugh, sand on my floorboards. And in his shoes. And his socks. And then the floor inside when he takes off the shoes. *laughing* There are also a couple of park benches along a little path for the moms to hang out, and a pretty large pavilion right there next to the play area with a whole bunch of tables, a water fountain, a Coke machine, and I'm guessing restrooms somewhere as well (Speculation! Pure speculation!). The good news / bad news is that this thing is huge and sprawling. Good news for the kids: bigger = better, and spread out = more room for running like wild beasts! But somewhat bad news for the moms: there's absolutely no way you can actually keep your child within eyesight without moving around, and moving around a LOT. The structures themselves prevent you from being able to see much more than little bits of blonde hair go running by, a glimpse of legs and shoes elsewhere... you get the idea. And that's fine, really -- I am perfectly okay with not being able to see my kid at Every Possible Second and don't feel the need to Helicopter parent him. But. BUT! The place isn't enclosed on all sides, and there's not a single stationary vantage point where you can ensure that your child hasn't wandered out of the area completely. I'm pretty laid-back about a lot of stuff, but I'm totally not okay with the idea that my kid could walk off (or be taken off, yikes!) while I idly sit in the shade sipping on a frosty beverage. Not a big deal with older kids, but at his age? Yeah. I still need to watch him like a hawk. Anyway, allllll of that was to say - moms, watch your little ones because they can slip right out the back side and you would never know it. And take note playground people, you could totally make this SO MUCH MORE SAFE by extending the fence line a little further around the back side so the only way in and out can actually be seen from one place, be it a bench or the pavilion or even hanging out on the sidewalk somewhere. I don't need creature comforts, I just need to be able to make sure my kid hasn't escaped. A few other things that keep it from being a whopping 5 stars as well. No shade for the kiddos, like every single playground ever in the history of mankind. I dutifully greased up the boy with sunscreen before heading out and of course he still ended up with a slight burn. And nothing that can really be changed on the part of the playground folks, but something for potential playground-goers to be aware of: at 215ish, there was a massive influx of teenagers that walked over after school and completely took over the pavilion. They weren't hanging out in the play area while we were there, but rumor has it that they're always there in the afternoons, and that they do sometimes decide it's fun to play on the equipment. Not sure if they get rough and rowdy or not (they were perfectly well-behaved in the few minutes we were all there together), but something to keep in mind if the "big kids" make you antsy. Because I'm lame and the only picture I took is crap cell phone quality and is only a portion of the entire play area, you can check out some pics at the page I pulled off the county website (and see some of the other little hidden playground areas too, those scheming playground-hiding punks!!), just scroll on down to the sports complex. And be warned, their photos don't do it any justice either: http://co.okeechobee.fl.us/sites/default/files/files/PRBallFieldsParksPlaygrounds030211.pdf All told? SUPER COOL playground. 5 starts from a kid's point of view, only 4+ stars from mom due to lack of shade and effective kid-containment.

Well as long as looking at manatees IS NOT a goal, I recommend this place. We spent about 45…read moreminutes here hopeful to catch a glimpse, without success. They have lined the bottom of the viewing area with black plastic and the water looks very murky as a result. We saw a few fish leap out of the water, less than a dozen lizards VC and the top few inches of one alligator. Parking was $2 an hour and easy to pay with a C QR code. The bathrooms were clean and there is a cut gift shop with a nice variety of items. The walking trails were plenty close to nature while still feeling protected from the alligators. They had a few volunteers available to talk to as well.

quiet, nature-filled spot with walking trails, wildlife viewing, and access to the water. There's a…read moresmall entrance fee along with a nominal parking fee (about $1.50 per hour). The park's trails are short and easy to navigate, winding along shaded paths that take you along the water's edge. While we didn't spot any manatees on this visit, it was still a nice, relaxing stop. Instead, we saw plenty of rabbits, squirrels, and lizards along the way. There's also a small fishing dock where people were casting lines, and if you're looking for something a bit more adventurous, you can rent kayaks at a nearby location within the park. We stayed for about an hour, enjoying the sunshine and slow pace before heading out. It was the perfect low-key outing -- light activity, peaceful surroundings

The Hamrick Butterfly Garden opened on June 30 of 2020 and it is the most recent addition to the…read morefive block Flagler Park that runs along the center of Main Street. The garden was created through a partnership between Okeechobee Main Street, Waste Management, Inc and the University of Florida's Okeechobee Extension Office's Florida Yards and Neighborhood Program. The garden is designed in four sections with red, white, blue, and yellow butterfly attracting flowering plants. The low maintenance plants were chosen by the Florida Master Gardeners and volunteers from Riverwoods Nature Center. They are drought tolerant and designed to exist on rainfall and not need further watering. Park benches made from 100 percent recycled materials were then added to the garden. The garden was built with donations from local businesses and the city is also selling personalized bricks that will be installed in the walkway. Installed in the garden are 8 large artist designed butterflies and 2 smaller student butterflies that were painted by Okeechobee High School students with the Grand Oaks assisted living center residents. I love how the real butterflies attracted by the plants mingle in and out of the butterfly sculptures. I saw several Monarch Butterflies circling around. You can get food, coffee, or ice cream from one of the restaurants lining Park Street and enjoy it in this tranquil oasis of nature.

Tiger creek was a beautiful hiking area provide extremely well marked trial blazes and ever…read morechanging ecosystems along it's hike as well as amazing demonstrations of succession (post prescribed burn growth) in some areas. Trails can be taken in chunks or as one long loop of about 10-13 miles. I'd be sure to pick a cloudy cool day these trails would be very warm otherwise

One of the most beautiful preserves in Central Florida. Tiger Creek sits high on the ridge. Trails…read morecover rolling hills of Sandhills, Oak Hammocks and bay heads. Long and short trails provide views of rare native plants, swaths of wild flowers, and small grassy lakes. I love it here and try to make it once or twice a month to see the seasons unfold. Eagles and swallow tailed kites nest here. Both bears and panthers have been found here. Tiger Creek has a range of hikes to offer. The trails are well marked ( travel from blaze to blaze and ignore the unmarked fire access roads). It's charms are subtle but well worth a visit.

Absolutely love this place! We came in for the free Wawa…read moresummer days and it was more amazing than I could ever imagine! Even driving to the parking lot you feel like your morning FL anymore. The main hall was beautiful it gave us pieces of information about the tower and all the beautiful gardens surrounding it. The tower took my breath away it was so amazing to finally see it in person. Were your here you are on high ground so you can see the surrounding area. Each trail we took we saw something more amazing than the last. The kids area was such a hit we stayed there probably the longest. They have a cafe which is convenient but I wasn't in love with the menu. So amazing and I can't wait to go back.

We last visited these gardens, designed by Frederick Law Olmstead (who also designed Central Park…read morein Manhattan), in early 2024. This time, more flowers were in bloom, and we saw a different variety of birds on the premises. The tower is, of course, the centerpiece of the gardens. We had the pleasure of listening to it sing at least 5 times during our visit. We briefly visited the children's garden, and recommend this if you have youngsters in tow. After we were done in the gardens, we had a nice lunch in the on-site café. Portions are large, so you may want to consider sharing.

I really wanted to love Lakes Park Children's Garden because honestly... the park itself is…read moreBEAUTIFUL. The location is great, it's gated, and at first glance it feels like the perfect spot to take kids, especially if you're just trying to kill time like we were before a flight. But I'm going to be real, the safety concerns completely changed the experience for me. It gets VERY crowded, and there's a big mix of people coming in and out. There were tons of kids, which is expected, but a lot of them were not supervised and were honestly pretty rough/mean. It didn't feel like a calm, safe environment where you can just let your kids play without constantly hovering. Also... the slides were SO hot. Like, borderline unusable hot. That alone was frustrating. The biggest issue for me though was the bathrooms. They are far from the main play area, and as a mom, there was no way I felt comfortable letting my kids go alone. When I did go, the bathrooms were extremely dirty, and I noticed syringes in a nearby area which was honestly alarming. That completely shifted my level of comfort. It also gave off the vibe that it's a place where people hang out who aren't necessarily there for the park, if that makes sense. I will say again, the park itself is beautiful and has so much potential. But just because it's gated doesn't mean it's actually safe. If you go, just be VERY vigilant, especially if you have more than one child. This is not a "sit back and relax" kind of park in my opinion.

All Children's Park is a brand new playground along the Caloosahatchee River in Centennial Park in…read moredowntown Fort Myers. The full name of the playground is the Lizbeth Benaquisto Inclusive Playground, in honor of the former state senator who pushed the legislation that set aside state funds for the playground."We were very particular there was going to be a playground that was successful for kids with very unique abilities," Benaquisto said at a January 2021 council meeting. "They have never had a safe place to play." The playground has swings, slides, and numerous climbing structures. I love all of the uniquely Florida touches like the puffer fish, manatee, and the Model T car in honor of Henry Ford who had a winter home in the city along with Thomas Edison. This is one of the nicest playgrounds I have ever seen and the kids playing on it we're having a ball. Best of all it is ADA accessible so children of all abilities can enjoy it. The new playground is a fantastic addition to Centennial Park.

I came here because it was one of the darkest places in Florida…read more But we didn't do our research and had a full-moon for our visit :-/ Still, what a great place to hang out. Unlike most of Florida it was quiet and peacful. Also unlike most of Florida there is a pretty decent trail system! Also, Also unlike most of Florida, you will probably see a ton of wildlife on said trails! And by wildlife, I mostly mean mammals. Bird sightings aren't special in Florida, that's probably why all the Olds move to the state.

Loved camping here! We did trails and brought the dogs. Found snakes. It was pretty cool. Saw a lot…read moreof wild animals