This is a great nature preserve to visit in the middle of St Pete! We saw many birds, native plants…read moreand baby alligators huddling in a nest! It's was incredible. We took the mile long loop, that meandered a very natural area of native Florida plants and trees. We loved the rustic, natural feel of the park with clearly marked trails. $3.00 to get in at the visitors center that is pretty cool to look at, too! Don't forget the rescued birds just outside the visitor center.

Disappointed they don't allow dogs and no mention of this til youre right at the opening.read more

The nice thing about Palmetto Estuary Preserve is its proximity to downtown Bradenton and the…read moreBradenton Riverwalk. The not so nice part is its proximity to busy U.S. 301. The park includes a shell trail in a natural strip along U.S. 301. It runs into the Manattee River and under a bridge. There are some niceish views although it's very close to a major thoroughfare and busy traffic. The legendary Clam House is just a hop, skip and a jump west of here (very walkable) on 7th Street. I was going to call it funky, but funky clam house doesn't sound good..

It was kind of neat to see so many crabs running around but the trail is lacking and it's sort of…read moreseems more like a mini homeless camp. The shell trail was neat as well but it would be great to have some sort of trail map on a sign at one of the entrance points. It looks like there were a lot of offshoot trails but those ended up just leading to homeless camp type areas with clothing and garbage.

The moneys been put in the box at the booth, it's five bucks and The Honor System is used - thena…read moreseries of slow winding snake turns up the next half mile past the canoe launch and into the parking lot & picnic area where there's also a little playground set up for screaming kids. Last week we explored to the East, logic dictates we head West because there's more land, more trails and a brisk twenty minutes in, past the equestrian area and I had wished I brought my compass . So I looked to the sun, it was my nearing 9:45AM so I made a quick little sundial and determined my bearings, keeping the rays at my right shoulder, a tall pine in the distance for extra measure. So quickly the terrain can change from soft and slow white sand to fast packed non-silty soil to brown and boggy muddy to green and lush all within a stones throw in any direction. Know this friends - you'll be given no help from signage - only arrows , there are numbers from 15 to 3 - yet, not telling ya anything at all - no maps at the gate, nobody in the booth at the gate - nobody official looking around, so be aware of that if you want to see beyond the next turn. Getting turned around is easier than going straight towards the trails end. I assumed that the 15 I saw, then the 7 I saw then the 3&4 means I'd be on a cylindrical circumnavigation - looping back to the pavement that takes you in and separated the two very different sides of the park. We came up on Dude Lake and here in this primitive shallow shored lake - along with birds, turtles are sounds unique to my ears, movements in the brush that have the dogs diving into and thrashing within - only to pop out from the other side dumbfounded and disappointed. There are things that are unseen underneath - human penetration is virtually impossible without damaging the plants, vines and thick green entanglements. I believe these are small creatures, whatever they are but emit the most beautiful sounds, whatever they are.

Nice area to go camping. The rangers explained where to go and bathroom has easy access to find.read more

Great area for bird watching!…read more We parked in the free lot, climbed some of the hill, and then crossed the street for a short walk to the water viewing wooden piers. We were able to see some great birds and the water was beautiful. Very peaceful area that we could've easily spent more time in. It was sweltering outside so make sure to bring a sun umbrella, hat, and water.

We visited Celery Fields on a recent Monday morning, with the hope of seeing and photographing…read more sandhill cranes, roseate spoonbills, and other birds. We were partially successful. There are 2 buildings adjacent to the main parking lot at Celery Fields. Each has a purple martin house, and both of these were very active when we were there. One of the buildings houses Audubon Society volunteers who can advise you where to see birds. There's a small garden outside of this building that's worth a visit. The other building, on the opposite side of the parking lot, has rest rooms. There's a crosswalk across Palmer Blvd. near the parking lot, leading to a boardwalk over a marshy area. A recent rain attracted quite a few birds when we were there in mid-March 2026. At the end of the boardwalk there's a gazebo for observing the birds. Another marshy area and gazebo is along Raymond Rd. Parking is available on the grass along the road. There was lots of bird activity. We saw many varieties, including herons, egrets, a caracara, a northern harrier, ibises, wood storks, gallinule, osprey, anhinga, and many others. There are lots of trails near the marshes, in addition to the boardwalks. Celery Fields is a great spot to go hikng and birding. Sunscreen is advisable because most of the areas are not shaded.

We've been trying out some different biking trails around the Orlando area. We've now visited the…read moreSeminole Wekiva Trail twice. We like it because it's more scenic than some other paved trails. It's also quite long, so you can choose how far you want to go. The first time we kept going alongside I-4 in Lake Mary, but the second time, we turned and went over I-4 (yes, OVER) and then continued down the trail that way before heading back. Coming from Winter Garden, the San Sebastian Trailhead is the closest jumping on point, and it's also near the beginning of the Trail. The trail does extend a couple of miles further across 436 and down by the Costco, but it seems too busy and trafficky that way. My GPS didn't take me to the correct spot for the trailhead, though, so be careful of that. The road to the trailhead is next to the left of the Rooms-to-Go parking lot with only a tiny sign indicating it. If you turn into a neighborhood (like my GPS suggested), you can't get to the trailhead from there. I love to see the art work painted on the backs of wooden fences as I bike down the trail. Someone has done of excellent job of making boring fences look exciting. There's also a decent amount of shade throughout the trail, and I love how they've built two tunnels under major intersections for bikes to safely cross.

What a hidden gem! Bike riding is one of my favorite activities. So when I get to ride on a nice…read morebike trail I'm happy. West Orange trail is another good bike trail in the area. However, West Orange is like the bike version of I4. Super crowded and you really have to pay attention. I guess the bike trail just mirrors Orange county traffic in general. So over to Seminole county, and it's more relaxed and less busy but no less the fun! We biked on a day where the high was 75. But in the sun it was quite warm. Make sure to wear sunscreen especially on your upper legs. I totally got burned. We began the bike trail in Lake Mary as it runs behind my boyfriend's neighborhood. We biked to Altamonte and then turned back around. We turned it into a mini "food bike crawl" stopping for lunch at Don Julio and snacks at 7 11 and Panera. A wonderful workout and activity to do with friends and for all ages. I can't wait to do the bike trail again soon!

We didn't realize this beautiful area was right here all along. We drive through the gate which…read moretook us to another area for parking and a walk through gate. There are several different habitats and a nice trail to hike along. There is some noise from nearby roads. The old oak trees with Spanish moss draped limbs next to the clear water flowing creek was our favorite part!

Great place for wildlife photography. Otters, Lots of birds, eagles, owls and a lot more. Birders…read moreand hikers are friendly.

The name is in reference to the winter quarters of the Ringling Brothers Circus. Although I…read morecouldn't penetrate deeper that a couple of hundred yards beyond the entrance and posted signs, this 14+ acre preserve is another good place to go to explore. While walking the unpaved walking trails you'll be likely to see Res Shoulder Hawks, Barred Owls, you'll hear sing birds but don't just look up, keep one eye down as there's a good chance of crossing paths with some turtles. The bulletin of atomic scientists say that we're 90 seconds to midnight, the clock is meant to spark conversion of global catastrophe, the clock has never reached midnight but it's getting closer. Earth experienced it's hottest year, fires, floods, oil spills, viruses, mineral mining machines, resource scarcity and pollution, economic models, wars and now AI is threatening civilization in countless ways. We really don't want to get to midnight and we probably won't know it when we do. Admittedly I'm a doomer and I'm prepared but the search for safe spots is always ongoing and I like to map out new areas in the wooded places and areas that I can get to in a jiffy and set-up for the waiting while the industrial organism unwinds.

We were just looking for somewhere to take a little walk and this place fit the bill. I have a…read morefeeling they have never cleaned things up from Hurricane Ian as there were so many palms laying around, as well as an overall messiness which I don't normally see in Florida parks. There are well marked paths, as well as little side boardwalks with water views. Many people fishing along the way.

I entered this park via the Perry Bayview neighborhood entrance and was quickly astounded with how…read morebig it was and how many paths were interconnected here. I saw some people fishing here (unsure if that is actually permitted), biking, walking and even just sitting or standing around and talking. There was a children's playground and benches from the entrance I came into but depending on the entrance you use you will come across varying facilities. I loved the mile markers and that this was right on the skyway trail. Walked a mile here with a friend and will definitely be exploring this sight more.

This is a very nice preserve / park. We saw lots of dragon flies and many different types of…read morebutterfly March 2020. Also many species of bird. There are some covered picnic table areas and a small playground. Then some woods with wide and narrow trails. Leads to an open area and slough (lakeish feature). Good mix of wilds and park features. Did a pretty wel established tent campsite with two tents despite the no camping signs. There are buckets out to collect air potatoes if you see any. Lots of large vines,, some saw palmetto, and wildflowers. It was pretty dry this spring and not too buggy. Not sure on summer with the water features around. Lovely area to explore for a walk. Saw people fishing. Reccomended for a nice outing. Peeps were friendly. Lots of dog walkers and nature loving folks.

There are dog walkers with the dog not on a leash. There are signs posted to inform dog walkers…read moreaboilut this

Nice days get away. Small but work in progress. Will be interesting to see how it progresses.read more

Getting the right location this app would be great start!!…read more You CANT GET THERE WITHOUT A BOAT!! I even googled it!! Nope nothing DONT SIT ON ROCK DONT GO IN WATER WHAT IS THE POINT OF EVEN BEING THERE it's scarily close to what seems to be a power plant of sorts!!