The playground is nice overall. It has two sides: for kids 5…read more& up. And 2-5. It can be fun seeing the train go by. But also a bit too loud/close for some kids. Restrooms were smelly when we went. Wondering if it's always the same. Parking is great and so it's the shade of trees

Downtown City Park was created as a town square with the businesses of…read more Auburndale downtown built around it. The charming downtown area contains many restaurants and shops in historic buildings. Today the park still serves as a gathering place for the community. In 2007, Downtown City Park was redesigned to enhance its recreation and beauty for residents and visitors to the city of Auburndale. In the eastern corner of the park is a number of umbrella shaded picnic tables and an engaging playground that is fenced in for safety. The playground area has an artificial turf, cushioning surface to protect little knees and bottoms. The playground has a multilevel tower with climbing structures and two slides. There is also a play train which is a nod to Auburndale's history as a railroad town. Civil engineer Louis Randolph Mclain, who was working for the railroad on the extension of the system between Lake Alfred and Saddle Creek, is credited with founding Auburndale. The historic 1927 Seaboard Air Line Rail Depot is in the northern part of the park. The park also has restrooms and a historic bandstand with a stage for community events like the annual CityFest music festival and other events throughout the year. In the western part of the park is the Rotary Butterfly Garden with butterfly attracting native Florida plants. This well maintained and family friendly park offers a great place to spend time with family. Whether coming for exercise, play, or a special event, this wonderful spot capture the spirit of historic Auburndale.

This park is amazing that is how I can describe it,not only it is huge but it is also beautiful and…read morehas so much for the kids to do while enjoying the outdoors there is also a kids museum close by. There is plenty of parking here but we aware you will be walking a lot thru this park even if you park close or not. For the kids I recommend bringing a bathing suite as there is a little river where the kids can play and get wet also bring snacks and drinks it gets very hot and there isn't to many places here to buy food or drinks. If there is an event like there was when we visited, be ready to park on the far side of the park and walk also you can bring bikes,scooters and skates to this park. This is truly a hidden gem in Lakeland,Fl and we enjoyed visiting here.

Always a five star experience…read more There is so much parking and depending on what you want to do you can park close to where you want to be. We always park close to the main playground and start there. It's actually a giant circle when you think about it, so we start at that playground then we move on to where there's the owl playground and the spinning carousels. Then we continue onwards to the treehouse, from the treehouse we go to where there's the main building where they had shaved ice and you can get food if you want then it's an easy walk back to the car. We always bring the kids scooters because the walk is a little far for them, they are five and seven. I did learn this time around that if you are older like my in-laws this park may be a little too spaced out, especially when it's hot outside. However, there is a tram that will bring you from place to place so we did end up taking the tram from the main building back to where we parked. We spent about an hour racing around just giant park. There is a lot of shade, but also you do need sunscreen. It is a majority outside and everyone knows how hot Florida gets. I think it is brilliant that at the main building they have shaved ice. Also, at the treehouse they sell drinks, a water bottle was three dollars, which was actually pretty reasonable so I got the kids water. Even though it's hot in Florida I really like the kids spending time outside so this is a fantastic place to spend a couple hours. I'm sure we could spend even more time here if we ever decide to check out rooftop bar or the food place, but for now we've only experienced the multitude of playgrounds. It never feels crazy, busy, but that's probably because it is so spread out that families can be all over this huge park.

South Lake Howard Nature Park is the perfect place to enjoy a walk. The 17.6 acre area was…read moreoriginally developed to treat stormwater. Stormwater parks help the environment by capturing and retaining stormwater runoff which prevents flooding in the surrounding areas. It cleanses and stores stormwater to recharge the aquifer. The pond plants removes pollutants from the water leaving it clean. Left untreated stormwater leads to algal blooms, muck deposits, fish kills, and other environmental problems. These ponds also attract a variety of wildlife including Florida's beautiful wading birds, alligators and turtles while providing a recreation area for the public. The South Lake Howard Nature Park opened in 2001 and contains stormwater ponds and infrastructure to help clean and filter the stormwater water from the sucrose's and neighborhoods before it enters Lake Howard. At the entrance to the park is a parking lot, picnic pavilions with tables, and restrooms. The first part of the trail into the park is a 1,000 foot boardwalk that takes you over the water. Further into the park are three paved loops measuring a quarter mile, half mile, and mile. At one point you have to cross over 21st West. The paved pathways make it easy for people of all exercise abilities to enjoy the park. As wonderful as the park is, there is even more to come. The city purchased an adjoining property which was the former home of WSIR Radio. They plan on adding more trails, boardwalks, kayak launch, play area, disc golf, an outdoor classroom and other amenities. Keep an eye out for the exciting new developments at South Lake Howard Nature Park.

Big appreciation for little spots like this in Lakeland! Peterson Park is a gem that is definitely…read morealso pretty hidden. It's tucked away behind quaint Cleveland Heights neighborhoods and CH golf course. You can enter it by turning between the YMCA and Cleveland Heights animal hospital. I can't even properly word how gorgeous this area is. There are gazebos and grill out spots, baseball fields and a few other activities, along with plenty of parking. And then there's the boardwalk. Holy moly. The boardwalk, as one would expect, criss crosses all over one of the many lakes of LAKEland (yes, the name is actually accurate for the area haha). It's serene, quiet and peaceful but lively and buzzing at the same time (lots of funny bugs, frogs, birds and other flying all around). There are benches to sit on and just enjoy the nature- though do remember you are still in Florida. Some nasty looking spiders love to hang out in areas like this. I am just in love with Peterson Park. It's such a marvelous getaway right in my own backyard. It's the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. It's also a typically much, much less crowded walking/ running option compared to Lake Hollingsworth down the road. Let's go explore!

Most beautiful park I have found in forever. This park is not one where you may run into a bunch of…read morewild life. What makes this park so beautiful are the boardwalks. They take you on top of the trees. Once you walk them, which is a gradual slope up, your views of the water are breath taking. I never think I'll see elevation, and it definitely was unexpected. This park has a parking lot and once you park, you will see picnic tables, a playground and baseball diamond. You also see short boardwalks. But when you go across the street from where you park there are two more walks. One, you are on the ground and are right beside the lake. The other is the boardwalk that brings you above the trees. Definitely take it. It's amazing beyond words. This park also has a small boat ramp, and it has restrooms. It's definitely a beautiful treasure. It made us so happy to find it!

What a wonderful, beautifully maintained, park! We were awed on the hiking trail we looped around…read moreon. The wildlife we saw was pure joy. There are interpretive signs, as well as warning signs (alligators, snakes, etc) along the way which was an added bonus. Although there was a huge number of vehicles in the parking lot, we barely ran across other hikers. The pathway we took, about a 2.5 mile loop, had minimal foot traffic. The paths are wide, wide enough for worker or emergency vehicles. We enjoyed this park very much and plan to return, albeit most likely NOT in the dead of the Florida summer heat/humidity. We are not that "adventurous" hahaha. We are very blessed with the County and State parks we have here, that's for sure!

This place never ceases to amaze me! Every time I come here, I have a different kind of experience…read more That's what I love about it, you never know what you're going to get. I can't wait for my one day where I get the shot to see an alligator sunning himself on the walkway. My children and I still come here on a regular basis to see all the different kinds of wildlife we can count while we're there. It's quite a fun experience!

Lake Shipp is part of the chain of lakes in Winter Haven. The 276 acre freshwater lake is an almost…read morecompletely round shape. Lake Shipp Park is located in the west side of the lake. This part of Central Florida has many lovely parks and I discovered Lake Shipp Park while returning from a visit to the South Lake Howard Nature Park. Lake Shipp Park was built in the 1960's on 4.41 acres. Attracted by the beautiful view of the lake which I think is the best feature of the park, I stopped to check it out. Lake Shipp park is popular with anglers who can fish from the elevated boardwalk that leads to a fishing pier. Pumpkinseed, Chanel catfish, bull head, bluegill, redear sunfish, largemouth bass, and redbreast sunfish have all been recorded in Lake Shipp. There is plenty of room for fly casting. The park is also popular with boaters and jet and water skiers. A concrete boat ramp was deepened in 2011. Other park amenities include a playground, restroom, bench swings, picnic tables, and a covered pavilion that can be rented. On the day I visited it was being used for a birthday party. Lake Shipp Park is adjacent to the Sertoma Park baseball fields for further fun.

Small park with beautiful scenery but not very well maintained. Bathrooms were yuck! Playground…read morelooks sad and not shaded with lots of metal so kids couldn't play- way too hot. At least trash cans had been emptied.

Lake Wailes Park takes it's name from Lake Wailes on whose shore it lies. The land that makes up…read moreLake Wales was first surveyed in 1879 by Sidney Irving Wailes. He changed the name of Watts Lake to Lake Wailes after himself. The city of Lake Wales was established near the lake in 1911-12 by the Lake Wales Land Company. The spelling Wales was used for the city, although the lake is still spelled Lake Wailes. The park is visually stunning. Under old oak trees dripping in Spanish moss sit picnic tables. On the north side of the lake is a boat ramp. There is a fishing pier on the west side of the lake with an observation gazebo that offers a beautiful view of the lake. The 2.5 mile Lake Wailes Trail, a lighted and paved hike/bike path winds through the park for exercise enthusiasts. It leads around the lake from the south side to Kiwanis Park on the northeast corner at N. Lake Shore Blvd. and Cephia St. It should be noted that there are no restrooms in the park. This passive park that is perfect for a stroll or a picnic lunch. It is also a great place for bird watchers. Migrating song birds can be spotted in the trees in spring and fall. Around the edge of the lake are Grackles and Red-winged Blackbirds. On the shore are Least Bitterns, White Ibises, Anhingas, Florida Sandhill Cranes and winter ducks. Common Loons inhabit the area in winter. The stately trees add to the old Florida look of the area and it easy to see why Mr. Wailes fell in love with the lake and view.

Lake Wailes Park is a peaceful and older park with picnic areas and a 2.5 mile hike along the lake…read more It also has a pier, boat ramp, basketball court, play ground, soccer field and more. It is open from 7am to 7 pm daily and is dog friendly. During my visit there was a large festival going on with lots of family fun activities.