Gilchrist Park has a way of feeling alive even on a cool winter morning. I arrived around 9am on a…read moreSunday expecting a quiet start, but the place was already humming with tennis players, dog walkers, and people easing into the day along the Harborwalk. The breeze off the water made everything feel crisp and unhurried. The public restrooms were open, clean, and very welcome after my morning coffee, which is not something you can take for granted in a waterfront park. Parking is probably tight when there is an event, but on this visit it was easy enough to slip into a spot and enjoy the shoreline without any stress. The view of the bridges was especially lovely, stretching across the wide river with a kind of quiet confidence. From here you really appreciate how much engineering went into building and maintaining them, and how gracefully they connect the two sides of the harbor. The seagulls added their own bit of drama. They were unusually active, circling and calling, and once they noticed I was eating a sandwich they fell into formation behind me like a feathery escort. It was a little unnerving to feel so closely monitored, as if I had wandered into a Hitchcock audition. [Review 1589 of 2025 - 2170 in Florida - 25139 overall]

This 11 acre park is named for Governor Albert Gilchrist, a real estate broker, surveyor, and…read morepolitical leader and one of the founding fathers of the City. Gilchrist grew up in Georgia and came to Punta Gorda as surveyor. Governor Gilchrist first served on the City Council, then in the State Legislature before becoming the 20th Governor of Florida from 1909 to 1913. Upon his death, Governor Gilchrist established a $5,000 endowment to the City for the provision of ice cream to all the children of Punta Gorda on Halloween. This tradition still continues today with the help of community sponsors. The park is located at 400 W. Retta Esplanade in historic Punta Gorda, Gilchrist Park runs along the waterfront between the downtown and Fishermen's Village. In the the park you get a view of Charlotte Harbor. Park amenities include a large pirate themed playground, basketball, tennis and pickleball courts, fishing pier (closed), gazebo, picnic pavilions, and open green space. In the center of the park along the water there is a large statue of Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon memorializing when he came ashore as the first European in this area in the 16th century. The statue was donated by the Royal Order of Ponce de Leon Conquistadors,an organization "dedicated to the preservation of the Spanish heritage of Charlotte County and Florida." The statue was dedicated on March 27, 2005. Weddings, craft shows and concerts are some of the events held in the park. Also located within the park is the Bayfront Center operated by the YMCA of Charlotte County. This facility hosts YMCA programs including a sailing center. The YMCA rents this waterfront facility.

Very clean park, water part was a hit with my twin 2 yo nieces!…read morePlenty of shaded areas too. My only issue was the bathrooms, no changing stations for young kids. Had to change diapers in the car. Other than that, it was a great time.

so fun! splash pad is awesome and it shuts off water 6pm everyday and there is excellent playground…read moreequipment

Awesome beach and picturesque.Great place to visit! There is a little hot dog stand there also.The…read moreowner of the stand is really awesome.

Ponce de Leon is a nice park to visit overlooking the Charlotte Harbor. There is a sandy beach area…read morethat you can watch the sunset. There are wild animals; I saw a raccoon just hanging out and not fazed by how many people were there. There is a boat ramp, fishing pier, and picnic area. Plenty of parking too!

Great spot to walk around! Taking 1 star off as I wish there were better signs directing the trail…read more Overall, great spot for a small walk through nature!

Cute park in a somewhat residential area. Parking is…read moretricky, so I parked parallel to the road. ~Green space with ponds and birds ~Exercise stations ~Playground area ~Trail area ~Free

Do NOT come to the playground here with children…read more Aside from the non fenced shoreline with alligator warning signs on them (doubt that is a huge issue, but dont risk it) the building right next to it is filled with homeless guys generally up to no good. It is NOT SAFE. I went with my child on a walk from sun seeker and tried to pay them no mind, but one man on a bike rolled up and started snapping photos of my daughter. When we grabbed her to hide her from the camera he got verbally aggressive demanding we pose for him and "smile pretty"and kept pressing us as we covered her and kept saying no. It was creepy and so upsetting. And yes, it was 100% a guy being creepy about a child, not a misunderstanding. Im from LA and my skin is not thin, im used to homeless literally everywhere and kicking myself for letting my guard down because this the town I grew up in and it is generally safe, this area in particular has always been sketchy though so maybe its my bad for thinking things had changed from 35 years ago. We called the police afterwards and he was thankfully (apparently!) thrown in jail because he had a list of other things combined with our issue, but those are the sorts of guys hanging out there. He was buddies with all the men at that building and they outnumber you.

Cute little park right on the water in Port Charlotte. Looks like the park folks have invested in…read morethe pier and nice walkway. They also have a sort of canoe launch. I most enjoyed the views from shore of the water fowl and the long walk out on pier.

Second time here - kids love feeding the fish/turtles/ducks. There are some turtles that are…read moreenormous!! And so many fish! I get the carrots for the little ones to feed the cows and goats but they get really scared and just end up chucking them at the animals. Fun experience though...and a good way to expose them to animals that live on a farm. Fresh veggies and fruit for purchase. Would love to see a smoothie counter here to get fresh juices and smoothies. They have live music/food trucks at night sometimes but we haven't been there for that yet. It's hot but the canopy over the kids play area is very much appreciated. Plenty of places to sit and relax. A fantastic way to kill an hour or so outside.

Poor bunnies are manhandled by unsupervised children. This place is nothing like advertised…read more Trash everywhere. Poop everywhere. No hand sanitizer in the pumps. Very small and homemade

Laishley park is 17 acres located on Charlotte Harbor. The park contains a 400 foot fishing pier,…read more94 slip marina, fishing pier, interactive splash fountain, playground, concert area & event lawn, gazebo, Veterans Memorial Garden, and walking paths. The Laishley Crab House Centre offering a restaurant and shopping is also located in the park. The city uses this park to stage their Fourth of July festivities. Located at the entrance to Laishley Park is a Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The wall is replica of the wall in Washington D.C. In 2013 a traveling wall in Texas was put up for sale for $500,000. Retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Richard Carr received an email that the wall was available for purchase and got Charlotte County onboard with installing it. Upon further consideration it was determined that the salt air of Punta Gorda would not work with this wall so the non profit Vietnam Wall of Southwest Florida Inc., was created to build the project. $650,000 was raised and the City of Punta Gorda donated the land in the park. Ground was broken on January 4, 2016 and the wall was dedicated 10 months later. On the black granite wall is the names of 58,000 men and women who gave their lives or remain missing. Names are arranged in chronological order, starting with 1959 when the first American died in Vietnam. QR codes are located on each pedestal that allow visitors to type in names to see where they are located on the wall. The memorial was created to honor the "courage, sacrifice and devotion to duty and country" of all who answered the call to serve during the Vietnam War, the longest war in U.S. history. The wall allows Florida veterans who may not be able to make it to Washington D.C. a place to reflect and remember.

A nice, clean open space good for a variety of outdoor activities from biking and jogging to…read moretossing the football, soccer and picnics. I enjoy sitting in one of the many benches overlooking the water. I can sit for hours enjoying the view and people watching. My grandkids enjoy the splash pad and have attended birthday parties at the park.