Talk about a beautiful sunset! The park is located in kind of a funny spot..almost like an office…read morepark area. The park/ beach is very lively and there were tons of families. We were never worried about safety and happily enjoyed our time here. The sunset itself was beautiful, and we even saw a dolphin! The proximity to the airport also allows for some cool plane watching. If you're in the area I'd recommend checking it out!

Cypress Point Park offers excellent opportunities for sunrise and sunset viewing, as well as…read morephotography. The proximity to Tampa International Airport also provides opportunities to observe aircraft. The beach offers different roofed pavilions equipped with barbecue facilities, providing families with a pleasant setting to enjoy the views while spending time together. The park offers a designated play area for children. Parking is available within the park, but it requires payment. Restrooms are clean and conveniently located. Cypress Point Park is an excellent place to spend time with family and offers beautiful views.

This park is beautiful! It is one of the most fun parks that I have been to since moving here…read more The trails are all so lovely and picturesque! The views, lakes, springs, trees, and vines are all just so beautiful. You can spend a whole day walking all of these beautiful trails! If you are a photographer looking for a great photo shoot, then this would be the place!

Was here last week. Totally forgot to catalog my first Catfish! It's crazy how many years i cone…read morehere n never catch one. Always come home with like bluegills n a random tilapia. You can see the catfish all over the lake just swimming by your bait n just testing you lol there's a crap ton of them near the pier but you gotta be careful cuz there's tons of alligators there to. I pulled out a nice size Catfish n then lost my second one to a damn alligator! Im happy the line broke cuz if i had lost my Shakespeare rod to i would've been more pissed! I got lucky n the couple nearby gave their bluegills. Went home happy with 1 catfish n 4 bluegills. Shared tips n bait store locations with a family camping there to. I wish the park entrance dude sold worms. It would be extra money for the park. I kept the catfish for a couple days in my aquarium, but he wouldn't take to it. I fillet his ass with the other fish. Doing fish tacos later. I used night crawlers from bass pro n sprayed them with-garlic sent to amplify the smell. I will try my homemade punch bait next tome. I found something tasty for them. Oh yeah, i caught some ghost shrimps in a cup but let them go. They look like glass at first then they moved around nicely. They are at grass edge, i do not recommend you get close to the edge!! Use a fishing rod n tie a water bottle or cup at the end with bait in it. I use catfish punch. Please don't let your pets get near the edge either. Gattor follow u when you are near water. Keep track of your kids!

Went kayaking with my Ph.D-studying son. Perfect, mellow afternoon making our way upriver, checking…read moreout egrets, herons, ibises, lots of turtles and startled alligators. There is a decent amount of duckweed but it is easy to navigate through or around. The Spanish moss is languidly beautiful, as are the overhanging trees and the price of $5/kayak can't be beat. Great, hidden gem!

Love the park, easy to put our kayak in the water, and it is gorgeous.read more

20 holes of technical bliss. Water comes into play on about 2/3 of the holes. Not the longest…read morecourse but challenging with some great views. Highly recommend!

Difficult course. Water on most holes. Be prepared to get your feet wet for disc retrieval. Some of…read morethe 'lake' bottoms are pretty soft and mucky so be warned. That being said it's a very nice park with some nice views and concrete pads. If you play conservatively you can take the water out of play on all but maybe 2 holes. We played on a very windy day and although it wasn't kind, it was fun. They do a fairly good job of marking where the pin and next hole is, there were only a couple markers that needed to be updated/repaired.

If you've played this course before you're good. If you aren't familiar it's more challenging than…read morenormal. The first hole is 976 ft and the basket has no marker. It blends in really well with the trees so if you're not familiar you're shooting blind. Same with the second hole basket. Take a picture of the course at the beginning as there's not much help as you go. If your goal is to get out in nature, you'll be good. It's a pretty course. Pretty challenging! Overall this is a decent course, but does need some maintenance as some of the map signs are gone. It can be confusing to find the next hole if you've not done this course as a result.

A beautiful park where nature abounds. A great place to spend a day bird watching or just hiking…read morethe woods. A small piece of paradise.

"Discovering" this new (to me!!) hidden gem illustrates why as much as I'm turning into a "lone…read morewolf" these days (or so it seems...) every now and then, ESPECIALLY when you're spending time with locals, it PAYS to follow their lead and go where they suggest. My SIL has lived in the area for years, and knowing how much I love exploring nature near and far, she recommended a visit to this gem of a park only 10-15 minutes from her home. PERFECT choice!! We didn't have a ton of time, but squeezed in a FINE early morning walk around the lake, and I confess I slowed her down taking TONS of pictures (as usual...) because even though it's far from "wilderness," it's a great spot to see lots of nature and wildlife (no alligators this visit!!) and get away from the hustle and bustle normally part of my visit down to the Clearwater area. So many beautiful birds!! There's a well-marked trail around the lake, passing by picnic areas, playgrounds, disc golf courses, and more. Wish I had more time to explore, but at least I know where to go to "decompress" next time I'm down in this area. Definitely worth a visit... Enjoy!!

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.

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.