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!

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.

Kiwanis Park is a great local park in Winter Haven, Florida. It's in a neighborhood area across the…read morestreet from a lake and a great walking trail. We were staying at an airbnb nearby so we walked there one morning. There are swings, slides, climbing structures, and it is also accessible for kids with disabilities. There's a little shade from the shade structures but there are not many trees. A small pavilion is another option for some shade and rest. The water fountains could use some work. Kiwanis Park is a nice way for kids to burn off some energy with a great view of a lake!

This park is loaded with challenging equipment and two age appropriate areas of play. There is a…read morebathroom, picnic tables, pavilion and a dock. The play equipment is well maintained. The dock is safe and goes out a good distance into the water. No swimming is allowed. While we were playing a collection of homeless people started to migrate to the pavilion. The pavilion loaded up with their belongings as they set up camp. I'm not sure if this is normal but since we are not from the neighborhood we will not be returning.

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.

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.

Trailhead Park is named for its location on the Chain of Lakes Trail. Opened in 2011, this well…read moreappointed and clean park offers inexpensive fun for the children of Winter Haven. I happened upon Trailhead Park during a recent visit to Winter Haven. Close to downtown, it was the perfect place to take a break and stretch my legs after the long drive. The park is a short walk from Lake Silver across the street. While walking through the park I admired the extensive playground being enjoyed by a number of children on the swings, slides, and climbing areas. The playground area has rubber flooring for safety. and the play equipment is color coded, green for ages 2-5, and purple for ages 5-12. Surrounding the play area are wrought iron benches where parents can sit and keep an eye on their kids as they play. Trailhead Park also has a splash pad that opened in 2016 and restrooms. This lively, family-friendly park has great amenities. While geared for kids, it is a relaxing park for all who visit.

This is such a cute little park to bring children. It is right across from the tennis center and…read morenext to city hall.

This sweet butterfly park was created by the Auburndale Rotary Club. Rotary was started Paul…read moreHarris, a Chicago attorney who formed the Rotary Club of Chicago on February 23, 1905 so professionals with different backgrounds could exchange ideas and form lifelong friendships. Through the years Rotary expanded to include humanitarian missions. Today Rotary International is a network of 1.4 million people who work together to promote peace, fight disease, provide clean water, sanitation, and hygiene, save mothers and children, support education, grow local economies, and protect the environment. The Rotary Club of Auburndale was founded in 1923 by club President, James C. Morton. For over 100 years their mission has been to help people develop their leadership and good citizenship with like minded thinkers. The butterfly garden is part of the historic Downtown Park. It was created with funds from the Rotary Club of Auburndale and the City's Community Redevelopment Agency. The garden has over 30 native, drought resistant butterfly attracting plants that include butterfly bush, milkweed, lantana, pink muhly grass, pentas, and many others. While visiting the garden I saw a monarch butterfly. Paved walkways wind through the garden and there are benches and an education area. While not very large this garden is a very pretty and worth a stop if you are in downtown Auburndale.

Awesome hike. Just be sure to take note that however far you walk away from your car, you have to…read morewalk that same distance back lol

Sometimes you are driving down the road and you see something so quirky you have to pull over…read more Things like a cemetery in the middle of a city park. When I see something like that I have to know more so here is the story of how graves came to be in Inman Park, Winter Haven. In the park is a fenced in area with a large monument flanked by the graves of Dr. Fredrick Inman (1840-1910) a former Civil War surgeon, his daughter Lillian Inman, his wife Florence and her sister Mary. The section of Winter Haven named Florence Villa takes it's name from Florence Inman. Florence Villa and Winter Haven used to be two separate towns but now they are all Winter Haven. Prior to Dr. Inman purchasing the land, it was owned by Florence's family. The couple was originally from Akron, Ohio and came to Florida in 1882 to visit the 695 acre family property in what is now present day Winter Haven. In 1887 they decided to make Florida their home on the advice of Florence's doctor who recommended a warmer climate for health. At first they camped before building their 10 room home on the shores of Lake Spring. Eventually they expanded the house to 42 rooms to accommodate all of their friends who wanted to visit. To entertain them Dr. Inman built a golf course and gave boat tours between the lakes. A train station was added to the property to make it easier to reach the house. After an economic downturn sparked by a citrus freeze the couple called the home Villa Florence and opened it to paying guests as a 49 room full time hotel until 1906. Dr. Fredrick Inman was one of the founders of the Quaker Oats Company. He also grew many different crops in the area. He planted the first citrus groves on 100 acres making him very wealthy with the sale of orange juice. He was called the father of the citrus and this area was at one time the citrus capitol of the world. In 1909 he formed the Florida Citrus Exchange. Dr. Inman was inducted into the Citrus Hall of Fame in 1962. Besides the graves there are some more typical amenities you would expect to find in a park. There is a climbing wall, paved exercise paths, a picnic pavilion, and outdoor exercise equipment. Also in the park are old oak trees. Next door to the park is the Inman Baptist Church. The not so great in the park is the belongings of homeless people shoved into different areas. Even with the homeless presence you could still safely exercise and picnic. You could easily drive by the park and never think twice about the large obelisk marking the cemetery. I am so glad i stopped to learn about the Inman's and their role as pioneers in the area. While certain areas of the park could use a clean up it is nice to see the grave site respectfully maintained.