Backpacking Myakka River State Park
With 39 miles in four loops, the Myakka Hiking Trail at Myakka River State Park in Sarasota is one of the state's finest destinations for a weekend or long weekend holiday hike.
Big Slough Preserve
North Port 1.0 milesAdjoining Carlton Reserve, Myakka River State Park, and Walton Reserve, Big Slough Preserve provides a vast space for wildlife to roam north of North Port.
Carlton Reserve Hiking Trails
Venice 2.0 milesExplore open prairies, wetlands, and pine flatwoods on a series of nested loop trails within the vast expanse of Carlton Reserve north of Venice.
Celery Fields
Sarasota 3.2 milesA historic agricultural area transformed into a haven for birders, Celery Fields offers easy walking, running, and biking on paved and unpaved trails built around restored wetlands.
Conservatory Park
Bradenton 0.7 milesA place for nature play, Conservatory Park is a 55 acre family-friendly patch of wild in the thick of suburbia along the Bradenton-Sarasota border with an accessible loop hike.
Floating in Florida
Drifting across placid waters, find your bliss with the perfect adventure on Florida's hidden waters, with Lucy Tobias your guide.
Florida’s Best Urban Parks
When you live in a tightly packed space, you need somewhere green as your go-to place nearby. These are our top picks for parks in Florida's urban areas, chosen for their diversity of outdoor activities and/or their unique green spaces.
Historic Spanish Point
Osprey 1.2 milesA prominent peninsula in Little Sarasota Bay at Osprey, Historic Spanish Point fascinates with its layer cake of Florida’s past, both human and floral.
Joan M. Durante Community Park
Longboat Key 1.2 milesA bayfront park on Longboat Key with boardwalks meandering through mangrove forests plus wide shell paths traversing a native upland hammock.
Lake Manatee Gopher Trail
Bradenton 3.4 milesOn the east side of Lake Manatee State Park, the Gopher Trail system offers scenic views of the lake among a variety of natural habitats.
Lake Manatee State Park
Bradenton 5.9 milesWith a natural lakefront stretching three miles along the edge of Lake Manatee, this state park outside Bradenton is a quiet place to camp, fish, and hike