What an amazing oasis this place is. There's so many hiking trails. I wouldn't even know where to…read morebegin. My visit was brief, but beautiful. I would have to take a whole day to even begin to remotely explore this springs Park. I was hoping to see the fluorescent green water, but it wasn't that way this time of year. Either due to the weather or the time of year, I'm not sure. But I will be back. I will see that water yet!

Such a beautiful Florida hidden gem! Green Springs is a small, easy hike that's perfect when you…read morewant to get outside without committing to anything too long. The spot where the river and spring meet is pretty cool, and the water is the prettiest turquoise blue -- absolutely unreal. Definitely worth checking out!

Really great place to spend a few hours. The trails are peaceful and it's a great spot to get…read moreoutside and relax. Definitely worth checking out if you're in the area!

Gemini Springs Park is located in DeBary, Florida, 25 miles north of Orlando…read more Since you can no longer swim here due to high concentrations of bacteria in the waters, visitor attendance can be quite low. And since there's alternative parks situated throughout Central Florida that are swimmable, not many people will make the effort to experience Gemini Springs. In fact, I'd categorize this place as a local town park more than anything. It's free to visit and hours are sunrise to sunset. There were no names or signs for the hiking trails, so at times it felt like I was wandering aimlessly. But, the trees decorated with Spanish Moss exuded southern charm and most corners I turned felt like strolling along a nature trail. There's a dual sided passageway that acts as the centerpiece to the park and is also a dam spillway which (I believe) separates the DeBary Creek waters and the Gemini Springs area. I did spot a gator which almost caught a fish right in front of my eyes. I also noticed a soft shell turtle who appeared to be laying her eggs in the sand and some birds doing fishing of their own. Gemini Springs has picnic pavilions, a playground, a dog park, a fishing pier, plenty of grass to play around, and even camping is permitted here. Lastly, I'd like to highlight a section of the park that turns colorfully vibrant when the sun is shining... - Follow the concrete walkway (which you can't miss). - Then...you'll approach a tucked away corner of the springs. This area can be a rewarding moment for admiring the great outdoors. If you just pause and absorb the surroundings, nature's beauty shines through. It's a refreshing reminder that just because a park isn't as accessible as it once was, doesn't mean it should go unnoticed. I believe Gemini Springs Park can be a worthwhile half day visit.

This small quiet park along the St. John's sports tennis and basketball courts, soccer field, and…read more hideaway fishing pier boat launch. While there are some who seem to over-use the amenities, they're not always there and that's when we go. Should say there's also a small play area for play area sake, and bathroom facilities.

A park with water…read more Mariner's Cove Park is an almost fifty acre park that has just about some of everything. Basketball courts, tennis court, baseball and soccer fields, a play ground, hiking trials, picnic areas, clean bathrooms and even a fishing pier and small boat ramp. The park has access to Bethel Creek and from there you can head into Lake Monroe, The St. John's River and across half of Florida. Lots to do in the park but if you want to do absolutely nothing that is fine too. Plenty of peace and quiet and a great place to get aquainted with nature. Lots of huge aquatic birds and if you're lucky you might even see a gator or two. A cool park that never seems to be crowded but always is friendly and welcoming. A place that has just about anything you could want in a park and lets you discover something new everything you go.

Lake Monroe Park is a popular park located at the base of the Lake Monroe Bridge. It is known for…read moreits beautiful waterfront views of Lake Monroe which is a lake on the St. John' River. It also has a variety of recreational activities. Lake Monroe is almost 10 acres and a destination for fishing, boating, kayaking, and other water sports. The park reopened to the public in July of 2004 after a $1.2 million renovation and improvement project that included new restrooms, refurbished entrance road, floating fishing docks, picnic pavilions, and improved parking and a trailhead for the south segment of the Lake Monroe-Gemini Springs-DeBary Hall trail. The Spring to Spring Trail is so named because the 6.6 mile trail links a number of state and county parks that contain springs. This segment of the trail is known as the Pat Northey Trail, named for a local resident who advocated for protection of this natural corridor. Additional park amenities include a boat ramp that puts you on to the St. Johns River at the north end of the lake, a sand volleyball court, and a playground, but it was closed during my visit. The trailhead at the back of Lake Monroe Park is a draw for hikers because the bike path leads to a broad boardwalk through a cypress swamp. There is also a 25 site campground, one of the few public campgrounds in Central Florida. Each site has a picnic table, grill, and electric outlet and a bathhouse with hot showers is provided. I loved the lake view and despite the alligator warnings the only one I saw was a huge concrete one that you could take your picture with. I did see a red-shouldered hawk in the parking lot catching his dinner but he didn't feel like stopping and posing for a picture.

This is a nice community park with lake access (boat ramp) that also has camping facilities…read more(trailer and tent). There is a ranger station there for assistance. The park has a small playground, volleyball court, pavilions, restrooms, and ample parking. The restrooms are nice, clean, and for single (private) use. I was impressed. I used the park for the Spring to Spring trail access. This is a nice area to go camping if you don't mind the road noise - probably not bad at night.

Such a beautiful place to spend a day with endless activities! You can walk the boardwalk, swim,…read moresnorkel, scuba, tube, kayak, or paddleboard down the spring. Fishing is permitted from the fishing dock on the St. Johns River. There is also camping, cabins for rent, hiking, and manatee viewing. You can even rent an all-terrain tracked wheelchair for accesible hiking! You can find a gift shop and a concession stand inside the park. Follow the Blue Spring State Park Facebook page to stay up to date on fun activities and events like Manatee Bingo, Meditate & Move with the Manatees, guided moonlight hikes, and the Junior Ranger Program. My favorite event of the year is Firefly Nights from around mid March to mid April. You get to walk the boardwalk after the park closes to see thousands of Florida fireflies! It is absolutely magical, and a little surreal. Weekdays are less crowded, but honestly if you can only go on a weekend it's worth braving the crowd. It's a separately-ticketed event, and it does sell out some nights so make sure to get your tickets in advance!

The Baseline: For a park/monument the site must be informative, have great attraction, and have a…read morepark rangers that are knowledgeable of one of the park we are visiting. Park: This was one of the cleanest and best organized state parks I have ever visited. The parking was easy and the access to the main attraction was easy to get to. The walkway trail along the spring was well taken care of and safe. There is no graffiti or vandalized buildings in the park. Thank you State of Florida and California you should take notes. Attraction: The Springs are the main attraction with options to swim, tube, snorkel, and scuba dive in the spring in the summer. When we visited that was all restricted because the manatees were here to nest in the winter. This was awesome and it was great to see these amazing creatures in their winter respite. This is a must if you are visiting the Orlando area in the winter. Cost: Six dollars to come into the park with up to 8 people in the vehicle. Great price for an unforgettable experience.

Nice park. There is playground equipment for children to climb on which appears to be popular in…read morethe mornings. There is one tennis court which has been available on most occasions when I come. There is a fishing pier over the lake also seems popular with a few fishermen. The only drawback there are no large trees to make shade over the tennis court and playground. On hot sunny days it is very hot and hard to use. Other parks have canopies over the playground which would be nice to have. Second it would be nice if park personnel would blow off the sand and gravel off the tennis court. Overall nice park.

I visit Campbell Park today. I enjoyed the docks on the lake. I liked seeing the ducks on the…read morewater. They have a nice path to follow around the park.

Nice little hiking trail inside blue Spring State Park. You have to pay $6 to get in or buy a state…read morepark pass. Came here to hike during the winter, because if you come to Blue springs during the summer and it is swimming season you may wait a long time to get in. It doesn't matter if you're coming to hike as they seem to have limited parking in the park and fill to capacity quickly. Definitely worth coming in the winter because A) there might be Manatee sightings and B) it's nice hiking weather. Seeing manatees in the Manatee zone in the water is hit or miss, it depends on the water temperature and air temperature. Also swimming is restricted in the winter months because of this being a natural manatee habitat. It's a nice trail that is adjacent to the parking lot past the historic site house. Would suggest bringing gnat or mosquito repellent because the hike is a bit damp in areas. It's a nice canopy of trees, then a long stretch of white sand with brush and no large trees, then around the 2 mile point there are beautiful cypress knees and cypress trees in a swamp like setting. The 2 mile point is an excellent milestone and turn around point. The trail sign says it's 4.5 miles one way, it's not a loop so you will have to traverse your route back but Florida hiking and other online hiking resources have measured the one-way hike closer to 3.5 miles. Always bring water and sunblock as well!

What an AWESOME day! Crystal River Kayak Company & Dive Center made for such a great experience!…read moreThe staff were friendly and informative, equipment was clean & well maintained, and check-in/out was simple and quick! We rented paddle-boards for 3 hours to go visit Three Sister Springs at the Crystal River Wildlife Refuge, and it did NOT disappoint! You cannot swim at Three Sister Springs unless you arrive by watercraft as the refuge is protected, so going on an adventure via paddle-board was a nice relaxing way to explore the area. We saw multiple manatees and even got to swim with them when they came in the refuge (SUCH A COOL EXPERIENCE)! The coolest thing about the manatees was how much trust they put in the people visiting their home. There was a mom and calf swimming right up to people, and I thought how cool it was that she put that much trust into her surroundings as to show off her baby. I highly recommend checking out this company next time you're visiting the area!

Very friendly and knowledgeable staff, easy entry point for a day on the river. Great time…read morekayaking with the manatees!

There really is not much to this little park other than a gazebo. I would compare it more to an…read moreopen strip of land than an actual park. I would recommend heading down south just a bit to where there are three pork pretty much right next door to each other and all are significantly better.

A park with a…read morelibrary Dickinson Park is a small one acre park that is extremely clean and well maintained. Not enough room here for hiking but this park does have a charming feel to it. Some benches, drinking fountain and a very cool gazebo is pretty much it but there is the town library right next door if you need bathrooms or to cool off. The park does have a whole lot of activities going on. Frequent parties are held at the park and during the summer they have concerts and a farmer's market. Lots of parking available on the side streets. Not the largest park around but certainly a lovely little place. A nice park to go after you take out a book at the library or just to hang out for a while

Dead cows and lots…read moreand lots of poop. The Brickyard Slough Tract is actually the eastern end of the Lake Monroe Conservation Area. A huge place with hundreds of acres that was a flood plain for the St John's River in wetter times. The area is indeed a beautiful place with lots of pristine wilderness and weird trees, plants and critters that call it home. Unfortunately SR 415 is under going some major construction and the whole area is now under siege. Huge trucks and lots of noise and dust everywhere. The area is still assessable but takes a bit to find it through all the construction. The huge parking lot is basically just a field but there is a nice board with info and a cool map. Unfortunately the cool map is now basically useless because of all the changes due to the construction. The first part of the hike leads through a huge field that is shared by many cows. Make sure you close the gate if you actually hike here. Of course lots of cows means lots of cow poop and the field is quite literally covered with it. Hard in places to find a clean spot to put your foot. The whole west side is blocked due to the construction and I suspect that's where the turns for the main trails are. We certainly couldn't find them because a fence blocked the way. We had to go straight into more open fields and more cow poop. Saw a whole lot of cows along with the cow poop and even the remains of one dead cow. The buzzards were through with it and it was just bones and hide. The hike was interesting with lots of cool and mature trees and plants but much of it was open field covered with the cow poop. I saw lots of cow tracks, deer tracks, buzzard tracks and even some raccoon tracks but not one single human track. I suspect this place isn't hiked very often. Just as well. As lovely as it is the area is best left to the cows until the construction on SR 415 is completed.