Doing some research on Long Boat Key, and this park came up. It was perfect for what I was looking…read morefor. It is a dog friendly park, has inter-coastal water views and is perfect if you are looking for a place to walk and take in nature. Since it has been quite windy this week, even with the nicer weather, the wind is too intense for me at the beach. Plus it's not dog friendly. They have a boardwalk and gravel trails so it's easiest to wear gym shoes. There's a number of trails but some entries were closed. The trail that we took took you on the board walk where there were an abundance of benches along the way as well as garbages and poop bags for your fur baby. It was so clean and organized. There are also signs that say to Pavillion and parking lot. So don't think you will get lost bc that will always take you back. There are picnic tables, bathrooms and a playground a a nice adult swing to swing on as well as the kiddy swings. It was super peaceful, and away from the hustle and bustle of the beaches. Definitely check it out for that ideal quiet chill spot with nature and your family and fur babies!

A few years ago, while on my morning walk from White Sand of Longboat, along Gulf of Mexico Drive,…read moreI took a short detour into this park. At the time, I thought it was a small pocket park and that I had seen the whole thing. It was nice, but unimpressive. Well, during our annual week in Longboat Key, we decided to explore the park a little more. Boy, was I wrong with my first impression! The park's 34 acres wrap around homes, utilities, the firehouse, many municipal buildings and a few retail establishments, with paths weaving through dense mangroves to Sarasota Bay. You can drive in to a parking area, adjacent to a pond, Pavilion and playground. Behind the pavilion is a large, well groomed grassy field. There are cleared dirt and gravel paths and in the wetland, mangrove areas, boardwalks weaving through the trees, over ponds and streams. The scenic overlooks on the bay were comfortable. Benches were in many places along the trails. And to my delight, there were birds everywhere. We spent a delightful couple of hours there and will be back.

lovely well maintained outdoor preserve Great way to take…read morein Nature & the natural Beauty of Florida I think the grounds keepers do a Great job !! Kudos to them and all their Hard work

Very nice spot for an early morning excursion to see if we could find manatees! It was hot hot hot…read more but the hike to the observation tower was short and full of fun things to see!! We found a pond full of birds, two lizards on a bench, fish jumping out of the water and the tower itself is very tall and quite a sight! We had the best time and it is a very nice trail. We saw walkers, runners and bikers so good for all sorts of activities! Plenty of parking, quiet and serene. Get out there early or late in the evenings to avoid the heat bring plenty of water, wear sunscreen and stay on the path and you'll have a great time!

I love Payne Park…read more I do NOT like too many of the people that use it. Recently, the number of unsupervised kids that are riding their bikes, scooters, and electric do dads are inconsiderate with their use of the sidewalks, their total lack of attention to their surroundings and other people. These kids need more adult supervision and parents need to take more time teaching them manners. I also am taking exception to the growing number of pet owners that think THEIR dogs don't need to be properly trained, leashed, or picked up after. The 5 O'Clock group of owners that let their dogs off theie leads and let them just take over a section of the park is non-sense. Read the signs. That is not acceptable. On several occasions, while just walking I have been run up on by dogs showing their teeth. I stop, sayd nice doggy and then move on. But some day, if I do get bit by one of these unruly monsters, their entiled owners will owe me money they haven't even made yet. I would like to see more of a park police presence for a while to get the kids and dog owners back to being decent people. And to the people that are feeding the ducks and squirrels, STOP. Read the signs. You aren't doing the wildlife any favors by feeding them and you aren't doing the other people that use the park any favors either. Payne Park is beautiful; a great place to enjoy the out of doors and the wonderful weather in Sarasota. Kids and Pet owners don't have the right to ruin the experience for everyone else. Oh, and teenagers, we know you are smoking pot there. Move away from the popular walking areas. Your weed smell like skunk butt.

4 stars because the bathrooms are closed currently due to a leak . But other than that this is a…read moresuper cute place to go to and bring your toddler. This park has a variety of activities / slides , tjings to climb oh and there's a skate park on the other side. Plus the trails are nice walking here.

Nice park with a half a mile walking loop that is close to the marina, lots of nice boats. There's…read morea restaurant located on the premises that I didn't get to try. Enjoyed the swing bench and watching the water while exploring Sarasota. There's a lot of art featured here also. The huge parking lot is three hours max I believe.

Tony and I walked around Bay Front Park in Sarasota this evening! Free parking and Free to enjoy…read morethe Sea Air, the people in the park, street musicians and there is even a water splash park for the kiddos! We enjoyed seeing the boats in the marina!

I saw a video on IG a few months back that stated this beach would make you feel like you were on a…read moreisland, so I had to check out Bean Point Beach. It was an hour plus drive south from my friends house in Gulfport to Anna Maria Island. Bean Point is the north point of the island. Be cautious if you park in a neighborhood as they will ticket you $75 if your car is touching the road. We find out the hard way:( We walked a few blocks and found a public beach access. When I saw the beach I couldn't believe my eyes. The water was a gorgeous color of blue/green! It was hard to belive this was Florida lol. We walked for a while and I found some pretty shells to take home from my adventure. This part of the beach wasn't too crowded which I loved. A few people were fishing and others were sitting and relaxing. While a few tourists were in the water. Brrrr it was too cold for me. I only let it hit my feet lol. I highly recommend checking out Bean Point Beach so you can see this lovely water and beach for yourself!

We checked all the beaches in Anna Maria Island, so of course we had to come to Bean Point. It…read morefeels like a more private beach, surrounded by vacation rentals, but it is still open to the public. Parking is not easy to find, and on weekends it is probably even harder. We came on a Thursday late afternoon, and it was already a bit difficult. There are no bathrooms or restaurants here, just you, the sand, and the ocean. It's quiet, peaceful, and not crowded at all. It feels romantic but also nice for families who want a calm beach day. It's definitely worth visiting, but it's less accessible than Coquina Beach or Manatee Public Beach.

Love bird key park. It's on the smaller size but that's what makes it so nice! There's a walkable…read morearea into the water, wide sidewalk, greenery, water fountains, parking lot, and a shaded large picnic table. So perfect for anyone looking to park and walk the bridge or to enjoy the scenery without being overcrowded.

Nice sunset, peaceful and quiet. I would recommend taking in…read morethe sunset here especially for picture taking

Emerson Point is one of those how-is-this-not-more-famous? kind of places. Whether you're into…read morehiking, biking, kayaking, or just soaking up the views, there's always something fun to do. The hiking trails are great, the kayak launches make it easy to get out on the water, and the observation tower is a must--climb to the top for an awesome bird's-eye view, including the Sunshine Skyway Bridge showing off in the distance. There are plenty of picnic spots, plus a pavilion with nearby restrooms (always a win). One of our favorite things is walking out to the Portavant Temple Mound, where helpful signs bring the area's history to life. And if you're looking for photo ops, this place delivers--nature shots, family photos, you name it. We've had ours taken here more than once. No matter if you're exploring, relaxing, or snapping pictures, Emerson Point always has beauty waiting around the corner. There's even a welcome center near the pavilion to get you started. A perfect spot to wander, relax, and fall a little in love with Florida!

This was our first time here and there is so much more to explore! We drove all the way to the…read morepoint and parked in the lot. There are portable bathrooms there and a lot of small beaches. We walked and stopped and enjoyed the water! We brought the bike and scooter and stroller but didn't get a chance to use them this time although there are plenty of good sidewalks to use! We will be back!

One of our preferred locations to enjoy the thrilling spectacle of these incredible teams…read morecompeting! And of course you can't help but even see the wonders of a cat on a leash! let's GO Lake County rowing

Watched July 3rd, 2026 fireworks here at Nathan Benderson Park. We parked by Foxtail Coffee for…read morefree, and walked over. They also had fees to park in parking lots starting at $30, but you still had to walk. The walk wasn't bad at all and luckily the rain finished and it wasn't as hot. We stayed at the part of the park before the bridge. It was a nice set up with a walking trail, grass, a few picnic tables, inside restrooms and a playground. Two or three food trucks. The other side of the park had more stuff along with the VIP area. Liked this side of the park since we could comfortably place our chairs down in the grass and be close enough to the bathrooms. The music was streamed from the other side. I didn't like it because it was orchestra and classical music the whole time. The fireworks were ok and you saw it on the distance not too far. But the music made it sleepy for me. This is just my reminder for next year. At least we had good parking, weather, seats, & clean restrooms. Line for them wasn't too bad.