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There are so many parks in Oviedo, Winter Springs, Geneva and Chuluota that OCN wanted to create a guide to help our readers more easily find and enjoy them.
Get details on each park, including whether or not there’s a playground or picnic tables, bathroom availability, whether the park is pet friendly and (very important in Florida) whether you can expect to find shade. The guide provides know-before-you-go information so you can explore with ease. Each listing has the park’s address, operating hours and website.
Audubon Park
- Address: 434 Sheoah Blvd. in Winter Springs
- Website:https://www.mapquest.com/us/florida/audubon-park-304717509
- Playground: yes
- Bathrooms: yes
- Picnic pavilions: yes
Audubon Park is a great spot for fishing, to have a picnic, or to bring kids to play on the playground. The park borders a large lake where alligators can be spotted.
A small pavilion with picnic tables offers shade and a place to eat. The playground is surrounded by sand and features a swing set, jungle gym, and slides.
The park has restrooms and a grill for visitors.
Bear Creek Nature Trail
- Address: 1555 Winter Springs Blvd. in Winter Springs
- Website
- Playground: no
- Bathrooms: no
- Picnic pavilions: yes
Bear Creek Nature Trail is a great place to explore nature. The trail is a mile-long loop through shady trees that is easy to follow.
Visitors can spot wildlife, lush landscaping that includes flowers and berries, all while listening to the babbling creek. There are several picnic tables along the trail for visitors to take a break or eat a packed meal.
Boston Hill Park
- Address: 777 S. Central Ave. in Oviedo
- Website
- Playground: yes
- Bathrooms: yes
- Picnic pavilions: yes
Boston Hill Park is a popular place for kids or adults to play sports. The park features a youth baseball field, horseshoe pits, and basketball courts.
The blue and green playground is suitable for younger kids with small slides and cushy rubber turf. Kids can climb and play on nearby oak trees. Restrooms and picnic tables are available to visitors.
Center Lake Park
- Address: 299 Center Lake Lane in Oviedo
- Website
- Playground: yes
- Bathrooms: yes
- Picnic pavilions: yes
Center Lake Park is the heart of Oviedo on the Park. The park features a large outdoor amphitheater for live music with plenty of space for events. By the surrounding lake is a small stage and event lawn. Visitors can rent swan paddle boats from $5-$10 on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at the boat house. A boardwalk surrounds the lake and public restrooms are available.
The park also features a splash pad for kids to cool off and a gated dog park, both of which are open daily. An outdoor chess-themed lounge is set with chairs for visitors to relax.
At the large children’s playground, kids can run around on rubber turf with a view of the lake. The concession stand offers ice cream, snacks and drinks.
Central Winds Park
- Address: 1000 Central Winds Drive in Winter Springs
- Website: www.winterspringsfl.org/parksrec/page/central-winds-park
- Playground: yes
- Bathrooms: no
- Picnic pavilions: yes
Central Winds Park is a sports-themed park with large fields for sports games. The playground was designed to promote inclusive play and recreation. The main playground features ramps on all structures.
The playground is dog friendly with a dog park and a 0.6-mile nature trail. Visitors can relax at several picnic pavilions and under shady oak trees. The park also offers a pier for fishing.
For athletes, the park contains baseball and softball fields, soccer fields, basketball courts, and volleyball courts.
Friendship Park
- Address: 200 W. Broadway Street, Oviedo
- Website
- Playground: yes
- Bathrooms: yes
- Picnic pavilions: yes
Friendship Park is a family favorite because of its towering playground, swing set and well-shaded, expansive picnic area. There’s a smaller playground for younger children.
Geneva Wilderness Area
- Address: 3485 County Road 426 in Geneva
- Website
- Playground: no
- Bathrooms: yes
- Picnic pavilions: yes
The Geneva Wilderness Area features a 1.6-mile-long trail. The trail takes about half an hour to complete. Visitors can walk or bike the trail. The occasional wildlife can be spotted along the quiet trail, such as the gopher tortoise. The Geneva Wilderness area is open year-round and is kid and dog friendly.
Lake Jesup Conservation Area
- Address: 3251 Elm St. in Oviedo
- Website
- Playground: no
- Bathrooms: no
- Picnic pavilions: yes
There are three tracts of land included in the Lake Jesup Conservation Area, which hug the shore of Lake Jesup.
There are several highlights in the area. The St. Johns River Water Management Distract Observation Tower can be found by walking the two-mile Lake Jesup Conservation East Tract Trailhead, 3205 Elm St. in Oviedo. The trail takes about half an hour to walk and will take you in a loop. The tower is a quiet destination where visitors can get a view of Lake Jesup. Various wildlife species can be spotted along the trail. The trail is open to visitors year-round.
The Marl Bed Flats Tract has two loop trails, one is a .8-mile trail and the second is a .5-mile trail. Both trails are accessible at the trailhead, located at 1725 Oakway in Sanford.
Lake Mills Park
- Address:1301 Tropical Ave. in Chuluota
- Website
- Playground: yes
- Bathrooms: yes
- Picnic pavilions: yes
Lake Mills Park has something for everybody with pavilions, playgrounds, exercise equipment, and a campground. The park has many tall cypress trees, which provide plenty of shade for visitors. The large lakefront provides an opportunity to go boating, fish or have picnics by the water.
Visitors can walk along the trails or exercise on the various workout equipment available such as a vault bar. The park has two playgrounds, one for small kids and one for bigger kids. The playgrounds feature tall slides, swing sets, and monkey bars. Restrooms are available to visitors along with pavilions and picnic tables.
Lake Proctor Wilderness Area
- Address: 920 S.R. 46 in Geneva
- Website
- Playground: no
- Bathrooms: no
- Picnic pavilions: yes
The Lake Proctor Wilderness Area offers a variety of hiking trails. The Blue Trail, Orange Trail, Red Trail, and Yellow trail are approximately six miles in total. The trails will take you by sand pine scrub and offer a view of Lake Proctor. Hikers may spot wildlife such as the gopher tortoise, white-tailed deer, dusky pigmy rattlesnake, and bald eagle.
The park opens at sunrise and closes at sunset daily. Picnic tables are available to visitors.
Little Big Econ State Forest
- Address: 1350 Snow Hill Road in Geneva
- Website
- Playground: no
- Bathrooms: no
- Picnic pavilions: yes
The Little Big Econ State Forest is approximately 10,336 acres and is located in the eastern portion of Seminole County in Geneva with multiple entrances.
The winding Econlockhatchee River flows 17 miles long through the forest. The forest supports a variety of wildlife species. The forest is open for visitors to enjoy the 11.8 miles of sandy hiking trails and 12.4 miles of bicycle trails for a chance to see wildlife.
Long Lake Park
- Address: 1350 Carolyn Dr. in Oviedo
- Website
- Playground: yes
- Bathrooms: yes
- Picnic pavilions: yes
Long Lake Park is a great place for sports games. The park features a large football field and soccer fields with bleachers for guests to watch games. A basketball court is also available. Visitors can also find a walking path to exercise at their own pace.
The blue and green playground offers slides, monkey bars, and climbing walls. Next to the park is a small pavilion where visitors can sit at picnic tables under the shade, sip water from the water fountain or use the restrooms.
Moss Park
- Address: 314 S. Moss Road in Winter Springs
- Website
- Playground: yes
- Bathrooms: yes
- Picnic pavilions: yes
Moss park is a popular place for kids to play on a sunny day. Visitors enter the park by walking over a small bridge above a creek where you can spot small minnows.
The park features a colorful blue and green basketball court and a matching playground. The playground has coverings to provide shade and features multiple slides and a unique jungle gym for climbing.
There is a small pavilion with a picnic table and restrooms. Kids can also run in the large grass field behind the pavilion.
Mount Trotwood Park
- Address: 701 Northern Way in Winter Springs
- Website
- Playground: yes
- Bathrooms: yes
- Picnic pavilions: yes
Mount Trotwood Park is a large park that features playgrounds, a splash pad, and courts for various sports.
The playground has large wooden playing structures, swing sets, green slides, and jungle gyms. The park has many trees that provide shade for kids while playing.
Oviedo residents Julia Leboeuf and Fernanda Kuhns take their children to Mount Trotwood Park about once a month. They said they like the splash pad and nearby pond.
“We like this one because there’s more shade with the trees,” Kuhns said.
The park is a great spot for anyone who likes to play sports. There is a baseball diamond, tennis court, basketball court, batting cage, and a pickleball court. Next to the playground is a fishing pier on nearby lake. Large wooden pavilions are a common place for picnics and yoga classes. Ellipticals and other workout equipment are available to any adults that would like to exercise in the shade. Restrooms and water fountains are available.
Overlook Park
- Address: 1988 Spring Ave., in Oviedo
- Website
- Playground: no
- Bathrooms: no
- Picnic pavilions: yes
Overlook Park is located on the south shore of Lake Jesup. This secluded park has a beautiful view of the lake. The long boardwalk overlooks the lake and is a popular place for visitors to fish.
A small pavilion with picnic tables and a grill is available to visitors. Large oak trees scatter the park providing plenty of shade. Visitors can walk along the sandy shore of Lake Jesup and spot alligators or birds. The parking lot is small with a limited number of spaces and amenities are not offered.
Casselberry resident Jason Kirby and his 7-year-old daughter Spencer visit Overlook Park to pick up trash and work to replant the shoreline of Lake Jesup with the Seminole Education, Restoration & Volunteer Program.
Photo courtesy of Xavier Moss.
Round Lake Park
- Address: 891 E. Broadway Street in Oviedo
- Website
- Playground: yes
- Bathrooms: yes
- Picnic pavilions: yes
Round Lake Park is a place with lots to see and explore, including a tree shaded boardwalk with an overlook on Round Lake, a pier that hangs over Round Lake where many people fish and a mural. It also offers a lot of recreation, with lighted basketball and tennis courts and a racquetball court. There’s a large field and a large playground and swing set with a canopy shade.
Sam Smith Memorial Park
- Address: 1562 Winter Springs Blvd. in Winter Springs
- Website
- Playground: yes
- Bathrooms: yes
- Picnic pavilions: yes
Sam Smith Memorial Park is a great place for families to have a picnic, play, and fish. The park features a large pavilion with several picnic tables where families can eat or host parties. A BBQ grill, water fountain, and restrooms are available to visitors.
The playground offers shade, jungle gyms, and swing sets for kids. Many smaller pavilions with benches can be found by the lake. The dock is a popular spot for fishing in the nearby lake and benches can be found to sit and enjoy the view.
Shane Kelly Park
- Address: 1555 N. County Road 426 in Oviedo
- Website
- Playground: yes
- Bathrooms: yes
- Picnic pavilions: yes
Shane Kelly Park is a large park that wraps around the lake. Visitors will drive down a gravel road following a circle to arrive at the dog park or playground. The dog park is a fenced area with an obstacle course, including colorful tires, for dogs to play. Trash bins are provided around the park for pet owners.
Oviedo Resident Brooke Larkin began taking her dog Harley to Shane Kelly Park as a puppy.
“It’s just really nice for the dogs to have a place to socialize and be able to be off leash, but it’s also nice for the dog owners to socialize because you meet lots of interesting people who you wouldn’t meet otherwise,” Larkin said.
Behind the dog park is a large soccer field. The park also features a sunny playground with swing sets, slides, and a jungle gym. Workout equipment such as ellipticals can be found around the perimeter of the lake. The park offers shaded picnic tables and restrooms.
Solary Park
- Address: 239 Geneva Drive in Oviedo
- Website
- Playground: no
- Bathrooms: yes
- Picnic pavilions: yes
Solary Park is a new park in the Oviedo Historic Downtown Area that features boardwalks and educational information on local wildlife and plant species. Around the lake is a paved boardwalk where visitors can walk in a continuous loop around the lake.
Boards are found around the park with information on watersheds and plant species in the area.
The park also provides access to the Florida National Scenic Trail.
Visitors can take a break at the benches or escape the sun at one of the picnic tables under the pavilion. Restrooms and water fountains are available and the park is ADA accessible.
Sunshine Park
- Address: 400 N. Edgemon Ave. in Winter Springs
- Website
- Playground: yes
- Bathrooms: yes
- Picnic pavilions: yes
This park is located by the Winter Springs Senior Center, and is a great place for anyone who loves to play sports or soak in the sunshine. The park features a baseball field, horseshoe pit, pickleball, and a large basketball court.
Visitors can escape the sun under one of the shaded pavilions or have a picnic at one of the tables. A small pavilion is located by the lake where visitors can enjoy a water view . Large mushrooms can be found in the surrounding fields. The park offers restrooms and a water fountain.
Torcaso Park
- Address: 104 N. Moss Road. in Winter Springs
- Website
- Playground: yes
- Bathrooms: yes
- Picnic pavilions: yes
Torcaso Park features a large splash playground for kids to cool off during the hot summer months. The sea-themed playground has cushy rubber flooring with a large tower, slides, and swing sets. Children can play on the large whale model and small rescue boat.
Near the playground, children can play in the sand alongside a wooden pirate and seahorse. For those interested in sports, the park offers a soccer field, football field, and basketball court.
Visitors are sometimes greeted by one of the many ducks that roam the park during your visit. Near the park is a small lake where visitors can spend their time fishing or sit on the dock.
Families can sit down and enjoy a meal at picnic tables under the shaded pavilion with a view of the park and nearby lake. The park also offers other amenities such as water fountains and restrooms.
