Lakeland Highlands Scrub is a beautiful place to encounter native wildlife and plants. It holds…read moreremnants of Florida's ancient landscape. When sea levels were higher it was an island. There is a picnic shelter and portable toilet at the entrance and a boardwalk and gazebo over the lake. There are old phosphate pits nearby. There is access to the Se7en wetlands, a natural wastewater treatment area.

We've lived in the area almost four years and have only just heard of this place! Naturally, we ran…read moreright out to check it out. It's easy to find, free parking, no admission fees, etc. just park, and start walking. There's a great boardwalk over one of the lakes that connects some of the trails. If you keep going, it does connect to the Se7en Wetlands, as well. Check the map at the front entrance! I love a good nature trail, especially in Florida. This one is so quiet and peaceful! Not much wildlife, though; at least, not when we were there. We saw one pigeon. That was it. But it was still a nice walk. Note that these trails aren't paved and the farther in you go, the sandier it can get; like, thick, fluffy beach sand. Most of the trails are really well shaded, though! Also, leashed dogs are allowed but just know that if you connect to Se7en Wetlands, they are not allowed in that area. Very nice little hidden gem in South Lakeland!

Very nice place to spot and let the dog out!! Parking at the entrance and then before the trail…read morethere's a large space with grass and trees to run around. Then you pass an entrance and can start the trail

Nice place to walk-- very peaceful. Not many hikers out here today, but there were a couple of…read morepolite cyclists. Did see lots of birds & a few small gators. Lots of sunshine-- yea:) Oh, & of course bovine. I promised to leave my phone in the vehicle, which is just as well since each & every phone has gravitated to bodies of water from toilets & sinks to oceans:) Why not a lake:) If you love the outside, sunshine, & the stillness of nature, this is a great place to hike, although "hike" sounds as though effort was needed. The trails are quite easy here.

This is not open!!! The walkway is closed off!!' Only picnic tables available. And they were…read moreworking in the bathrooms that left a chemical smell for the whole area Lots of parking at the top

This park was the site of a 460 acre open-pit phosphate mine until the early 1980s. The land was…read moredonated to the Polk County Parks and recreation Division in 1984. The park borders the Peace River floodplain. This park is south of Kissingen Spring, which was once one of Florida's major springs pumping more than 20 million gallons a day. It stopped flowing in 1950 as a result of the flow of the Peace River dropping due to the increase of phosphate mining in the area from mines like this one. The park has a peaceful one mile elevated boardwalk that winds through the shady floodplain forest out to the Peace River. Along the way interpretive signs give background information on the 1,800-square-mile Peace River basin. There is an additional 7.5 miles of multi use trails for hiking and horseback riding through wetlands and scrub in the reclaimed mine lands to the west. The parking lot is at the top of the hill and there is a restroom and picnic pavilion in the park. The park is known as a great place to bird watch. Birds that have been sighted here include limpkins, winter ducks, green-winged and blue-winged teal, hooded merganser, gray catbird, blue-headed vireo, American white pelican, and eastern meadowlark. Raptors that have been recorded here are the Red-tailed Hawk, Northern Harrier, Sharp-shinned Hawk and Swallow-tailed Kite. More than 25 wood-warblers have been found in the park like the Louisiana Waterthrush and the Chestnut-sided Warbler. Peace river Mosaic Park is open 7 AM to dusk. Admission is free. This is a great place to get your steps in and take in the natural beauty of Polk County.

This is a quaint little spot with primarily boardwalk trails around the Peace River. Consider it a…read moresnapshot of the Florida wetlands ecosystem. The key to really enjoying this park is being quiet. Yep, it is the truth. I have seen more wildlife on weekdays when the park is empty on my own, rather than on weekends with howling children and drunk kayakers floating by. People are always incredibly noisy, which scare the grey foxes, snakes, bobcats, deer and multitude of birds. Most people probably would not want to make the trip out; it's not the most interactive park for those that like to set their youngsters loose to play and such. It's really just a place to quietly walk and meditate, and perhaps catch the wild pig or alligator. I doubt kids younger than 12 would really enjoy it anyway.

We went to Promised Land for our long awaited glamping experience only to be told that our…read morereservation had been cancelled. we were told that Timberline sent notification of such in an April email. Funny thing is.... we never received this email but lo and behold when we contacted them they were able to find our email and phone number. hmmmmm! Their irresponsible attitude leaves us bewildered. We will never have anything to do with Timberline again!,,

This was an easy jaunt from Tampa for the weekend. The "glampsites" are located in the Hillsborough…read moreState Park among all the regular camp sites. The accommodations are beyond comfortable- a/c, fan, fridge, coffee maker, outlets to charge devices, and a comfortable bed. We basically had the comforts of a hotel room while being on a camping trip. The esthetics and convenient set up ensures we'll definitely be back!

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.

This preserve was a nice surprise. I never knew that a fresh spring lake was in this area and…read moreavailable for a dip. The water looked crystal clear and I'm sure it's the most refreshing during these hot summer months. Gorgeous beach area to kick back and enjoy the fresh air and water. There were a few trails available along a creek and the kids really enjoyed the scenic walks, views and definitely was interested in visiting again to take a dip in the spring. $2 for entry and they take credit cards if someone is available to take payment. If you plan in advance you can purchase tickets on their online website. Camping, fishing, canoeing, kayaking , hiking , swimming , playground and sight seeing. This is place is a hidden gem

This place is closed for good. We just drove there since we move To Tampa and wanted to explore…read moremore but sadly the place looks abandoned and it's closed.

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!