This is such a great spot for walking/running. There is a parking lot out front, hardly ever a…read morecrowd when I come. Typically visit in the morning. There is no fee to enter. You do need to sign in at the front desk. Sometimes there is someone at the desk to greet you. There are accessible restrooms inside the main building. There are a few different trials, in which all are marked. Throughout the trials, there are clear signs and markings as you navigate your way through the sanctuary. I love the coquina trial. There are pretty views and I have seen on occasion turtles on my walks.

Requested a guided tou very informative beautiful mile long walk many more trails we fidn t even…read moreventure saw 3 different gopher tortoises first about 15" across then 4" then finally 30" going back will take our grandson

A small but beautiful park on mosquito lagoon built around a large shell indian mound and home of…read morethe family who saved it. There's a short walk circumnavigating the park and small gift shop with interactive learning display and interesting movie. Wonderful vistas of the lagoon with birds and butterflies about. Might could spot a dolphin or manatee. Makes for a peaceful respite and is also a great place for pictures. Fun Florida on a tankful sort of thing to do. Our indigenous people wintered here for thousands of years before their decimation as evidenced by the large Indian mounds or middens they left behind. The mounds are dumps of the accumulation of years and years of harvesting efforts from along the shore. Shells, broken bits and baubles, tools, etc. Most of them have been plundered for road and rail construction but this one remains, saved by the pioneer family who built their home atop it.

A whole bunch…read moreof clams The Seminole Rest Trail is an archaeological site that consist of several huge mounds of shells left over by the Timucuan and Ais tribes. The dates vary but the site was used and was occupied from at least 2,000 BC until about 1550, when the Europeans brought diseases and other bad stuff that decimated the tribes. The largest mound is call Snyder's Mound and was probably a clam processing place where the clams were shelled and dried and then moved to other places for consumption. They reasonable ask people to stay off the mounds but two very cool buildings from the last century sit on top of the mounds and help protect them. They is a roughly one half mile trail that goes around the park and gives not only cool views of the mounds and buildings but also the unfortunately named Mosquito Lagoon with it's huge aquatic birds and lovely wild flowers. The park is complete with a paved parking lot, clean bathrooms and most of the trail is wheelchair accessible. Sure, it's not the most exciting place in the world but gives a quiet glimpse of the past. A cool place for anyone interested in history, archeology of just wants a short walk in a very pleasant place.

I entered at the Jones East Trailhead, which has plenty of parking and also has restrooms at the…read moreentrance to the trailhead. Walking the trailhead was relatively simple and relaxing. I did encounter a few other people (they were either walking like myself or on a bicycle). The path itself is somewhat narrow, but it was enough for us to pass each other with no real inconvenience. Little Big Econ State Forest is a pretty cool place to check out. Walking the path, it was easy to forget that you were just outside of a major United States city in the twenty-first century. I seek out these spots where I can walk through the trees and forget the troubles of living in a modern city in today's modern world. Little Big Econ State Forest is a cool place to seek out if you are looking for a respite from the hustle and bustle of the modern world.

This state forest is about a 25 minute drive from downtown Orlando. We highly recommend it. They…read moreoffer maps at the start of the trail. So lush and peaceful. The stream along side most of the trail is beautiful. There are many benches along the path that offer a nice view of the scenery with shade. We took our pups and hiked for about 2 miles. The hikes range from 3 - 10 miles. I saw they do offer camping as well. Make sure to pack some water. It was nice to see many tamiles and couples enjoying the outdoors. We loved the variety of scenery and that it has lots of natural shade throughout the hike.

Living in Brevard is full of beautiful scenery, beaches and nature but coming to Merritt Island…read moreNational Wildlife Refuge you really feel like you are in a different country. It is so beautiful and remote and full of wildlife. The best part... it's free! This is a beautiful driving trail designed just for soaking up wildlife. Our favorite part of coming here is rolling down the windows and counting the various birds and alligators. At one time we counted 13 alligators in one drive. It's fun to see who can spot the most. The drive takes less than 40 minutes but if you really take your time and stop in the sections reserved for pulling over and parking you can spend hours here. There are various spots with viewing towers to overlook the reserve. There are also interpretive signs explaining the bird species in the area. I would highly suggest taking a detour next time you go to the Kennedy space center and taking a drive here. Also some advice is to bring drinks and snacks for the car because you may grow hungry on the remote drive.

I loved my experience at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. While attending a conference…read morerecently, I needed a little bit of an escape and decided to head toward to coast to get my nature fix. I ultimately only chose to come here because it was the closest place with manatee viewing. I made the drive from Orlando, and made my first stop at the Visitor Center. If you have your America the Beautiful pass, you're all set, but I didn't get a new one this year, so I paid $10 for my visitor pass. Cin at the volunteer desk was super helpful and showed me where I should go. I ultimately decided on the Black Point Wildlife Drive - a 7-ish mile drive that provided some great opportunities to see various birdlife. If you're a birder - which apparently I've become - you'll enjoy this. I saw a variety of species almost immediately, and I bet there are even better times to come through this area to see larger flocks during migration. I took my time on the drive and enjoy the quiet and relative remoteness of the place. After that I headed east and then north to check out the Manatee Observation Deck by the Haulover Canal. I stayed here for a short amount of time, but didn't see anything. So on Cin's advice, I went back toward the Bairs Cove boat launch. And boy was this a treat. There were no people when I first arrived, but there were definitely manatees. After a while, a few other people showed up just for watching manatees - not to put boats in. One lady put her feet in the water and manatees came up and booped their noses on her feet. It was incredible to see these creatures in the wild - some of them mothers with little ones twirling around by their sides. The skies started to turn black, and while I personally missed the rainstorm, it was time to pack up and head out back to Orlando. I'm so glad I made the decision to come here, and I highly recommend it for any of those who are nature-lovers!

I really enjoyed walking the trails at Lake Butler. The scenery was beautiful and the trails were…read moreeasy to navigate--I was even able to push a stroller through without much trouble. There's a small nature center near the parking area that shares information about the wildlife in the reserve, which was a nice touch. Most of the trail is shaded, and there are water stations and benches along the way. We spent about two hours walking and had a great time. I'll definitely be back!

You better think twice before you wear your favorite hiking shoes cause things might get a little…read moremuddy! During rainy season some of the trails even close down due to flooding. But for the most of the year this preserve is about three miles of nice, flat hiking. We even spotted some osprey and a tortoise sunbathing in the middle of the trail on the way out.

What a great place to see the native wildlife and plant species. During my walk along the trail, I…read moresaw so many birds, turtles, and alligators - it's definitely a place to take photos. Besides hiking, the park also offers biking, bird watching, and horseback riding, plus guided tours. Check out the visitor center, you'll see live fishes and baby alligators, as well as taxidermy displays of the local wildlife. You'll also learn how this wetland functions as an advanced treatment for Orlando's reclaimed water. I thought it was super informative!

Truly a hidden gem! It's free to visi and they offer free tram rides on the weekends. It's sooo…read morevast and beautiful, there's so much wild life to see. On my hike we saw tons of alligators, birds, bunnies and turtles. Even got to see baby owls. There are miles of trails and a board walk. Went at 8am on a Saturday and there weren't too many people out but as we were leaving the groups were picking up. There are benches along some of the trails and picnic tables and bathrooms near the entrance.

This is a pretty nice trail. It's a 7 mile trail with plenty of things to see like the St John's…read moreRiver. I recommend coming early in the morning to avoid the Florida heat. You'll definitely feel the mugginess in the afternoon. Though it is a popular place to hike. It was actually quiet and peaceful. It's an easy trail but I wanted to challenge myself so I did it with a weighted vest on my back. In fact, I passed a few other hikers with weights on too . so if you're training for something, this place is it.

Amazing hike for the whole family! It was challenging for our younger kids and adults alike, but…read moredoable terrain and so worth it! We saw two families of hogs close to the trail, several alligators, tons of birds, and squirrels. I agree with other reviewers-- going right so you do the harder terrain first and have the flatter land when you're more worn out was perfect. One huge tip-- even with bug spray, we were SWARMED with mosquitoes the second it started getting dark-- absolutely attacked. Get out before dusk!

Beautiful park with a nice playground. The park itself has all kinds of things like a soccer field…read moreand more. It's huge but we only went to the playground area. There's a few benches and picnic tables. It's clean with pretty surroundings.

Chain of lakes Park turns out to be a very large Park. I did…read morenot see any area that was pet friendly. There is an area with playgrounds for the kids. There's an area where they have multiple soccer fields. There's an area where they have multiple baseball fields and practice areas. There's also a public bathroom over by the soccer fields. The walking trails here are paved path and they loop all around the park. Park as miles of walking path. In the back area of the park you will find a pretty tall observation tower which you can get a really good view of the native Florida railway. There's also a few Bridges going over lakes which are prefabricated metal bridges that are fun to walk over and stare into the water. I went on a fairly rainy day and the wildlife was mostly all birds. I saw regular ducks and a lot of different waterfall that I'm unfamiliar with. I also spotted an alligator who was floating around one of the main lakes.

Beware of the biting insects especially the yellow flies! my neighbor got a bite and her ankle…read moreswelled to three times normal. Wear protective clothing and insect repellents!!! They will chase you

Awesome quiet trail in the lake Nona area , dotted with small ponds and lakes and wildlife ! This…read moretrail has some seating along the way to get some respite from the heat and sun and water stations as well. We love it !

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!