Pinecraft Park
Sarasota 1.1 milesAlong the east side of Phillippi Creek within the historic Amish enclave of Pinecraft in Sarasota, Pinecraft Park blends nature and recreation.

Outdoor Recreation Destinations on public lands in Florida

Along the east side of Phillippi Creek within the historic Amish enclave of Pinecraft in Sarasota, Pinecraft Park blends nature and recreation.

Established in the 1930s as a tropical tourist attraction, Parrot Jungle, this tropical forest in Pinecrest has deep roots, if you will, showcasing both native and exotic tropical species.

Near the outskirts of Venice, a county preserve presents an easy loop trail meandering through South Florida pine flatwoods habitat.

A paved ribbon stretching the length of Pinellas County from St. Petersburg to Tarpon Springs, the Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail provides nearly 38 miles of low-stress cruising.

Amid mangrove swamps along an old pioneer route in Kings Park, the Pioneer Paddling Trail offers an intimate look at a forgotten wild corridor on Merritt Island.

A surprisingly scenic walk along the Peace River and through its floodplain, the loop trail at Pioneer Park starts and ends near the Cracker Trail Museum at Zolfo Springs.

Distinctly different in nature, massive Pitt Spring and burbling Sylvan Springs make up a popular swimming and launch area along Econfina Creek.

Adjoining Founders Park on Plantation Key, Plantation Hammocks Preserve showcases some of the Florida Keys most interesting flowers under a generous canopy of well-established tropical trees.

At Platt Branch, Florida scrub-jays perch along trails through scrub, sandhills, and the southernmost longleaf pine forests where observation platforms overlook grassy prairie ponds.

At Poe Springs Park, the Poe Springs Nature Trail carries you across a landscape shaped by water acting on limestone, where surface rock is obvious and studded with fossils.

Protecting the upland watersheds of the Coastal Dune Lakes along the South Walton coastline, Point Washington State Forest offers extensive offroad biking and hiking trails.

A city park with dramatic sunsets over a beach on Charlotte Harbor, Ponce De Leon Park is a delight for birders and paddlers, too.
