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The Top 5 Playgrounds or Parks in Lake County

By Alysa Hritzik, North Lake Macaroni Kid Editor January 8, 2019

Lake County is lucky to have so many great parks and playgrounds for kids. My kids have swung, spun, and raced through many of them ... and definitely have their favorites!


Here’s a list of our family’s top five favorite parks and playgrounds and the reasons we love them:

Lake Idamere Park

12335 CR 448 in Tavares

Features: 

The 45 acres of Lake Idamere Park offer a variety of things to do from a leisurely canoe or kayak around Lake Idamere, a relaxing 2 mile hike on the nature trail, to a shaded picnic while children of any ability play on the playground. 

The park also features a dog park with areas for different size dogs, pavilions with grills and tables for a cookout or picnic, and a fishing pier. It is also the site of Lake County's first Miracle League Field. Miracle League Field has a special surface that allows persons of all abilities to enjoy sports like baseball and track & field. The Miracle Field & Track are open daily from 10:00a.m.-2:00p.m.

What my kids love: Both of my children love the sand pit area of the playground where a variety of ride-on digging toys exist and play tables / tunnels. My daughter had one of her birthday parties here and it was perfect with the party pavilions directly adjacent to the play areas.

What I love: The shade!! There is nothing worse than a hot playground / park without shade trees! The large oaks and pines covering this park, combined with the nearly constant breeze from Lake Idamere, make it my favorite park in the area for any time of year.



North Lake Community Park

40730 Roger Giles Rd. in Umatilla

Features: 

North Lake Community Park is the largest recreational complex in Lake County. It features an expansive playground area, picnic pavilions, restroom facilities, basketball courts, tennis courts, sand volleyball courts, baseball fields, little league fields, softball fields, soccer fields, multi-use fields, concession stands, a perimeter trail loop for walking or exercise and a number of exercise stations for working out 

What my kids love: The playground features many tall and twisty slides that appeal to even older children. My kids love to play games of tag and hide and seek in this area because it is quite large.

What I love: The workout trail and sidewalks are my favorite features of this park.  My kids can play within easy sight and earshot while I get some exercise! The sports facilities are wonderful and my son took tennis lessons at these courts which are very well maintained.



Ferran Park

250 Ferran Park Dr. in Eustis

Features: 

This jewel of the downtown Eustis area is ideally located on the shores of beautiful Lake Eustis. This area is beautifully landscaped, with walking paths and benches throughout the park. Other facilities include a playground area, two gazebos, and picnic tables. Immediately adjacent to the park, lies the city's aquatic center and the ever-popular Eustis Lake Walk with 1/4 mile of sidewalk.

What my kids love: The playground is like a giant spider web with slides. They like to challenge each other Ninja Warrior -style and see how many tricks they can do.

What I love: The waterfront location is really beautiful and perfect for a late afternoon playdate. We usually go to the ice cream shop adjacent to the playground or walk two blocks downtown to dinner at one of the adorable Eustis restaurants.



Wooton Park

100 E. Ruby St. in Tavares

Features: 

Wooton Park is located in the downtown Tavares area on the shores of Lake Dora. Features include: picnic pavilions, playground, boat ramp, restrooms, splash pad, kayak rentals, seaplane rentals, barbecue grills, walking paths along the lake and a fishing pier.

What my kids love: The splash pad was their favorite until they reached about First Grade. Now, they love to go out on the docks and feed the fish and ducks or watch the seaplanes take off and land. There is also a cute ice cream shop a block from the park which they love to frequent on a hot day. Do you notice a trend here?

What I love: The variety of things to do and again, the shade, are what I love about this park. Parking can be tricky on weekends but otherwise, it is one of our go-to destinations for outdoor play.


Venetian Gardens Park &  Rogers Park

201 E. Dixie Ave. in Leesburg

Features: 

Venetian Gardens is comprised of 7 beautifully landscaped islands connected by adorable wooden bridges! Picnic pavilions and walking trails are the main features along with gorgeous views of Lake Harris which is accessible at Ski Beach. Immediately adjacent to the gardens is Rogers Park which features a splash pad and playground.

What my kids love: Walking the trails and feeding the ducks or playing freeze tag between the islands are definitely their favorites!

What I love: It is a truly unique park with plenty to do outside in the fresh air for kids and adults. We like taking a picnic during the spring and visiting this park during the holidays at night to see the beautiful lights throughout.


That’s our family’s top 5 list for favorite parks and playgrounds in Lake County, but I bet your kids have their own favorites! Let me know what’s on your family’s list for town's best parks and playgrounds by leaving me a note on Facebook or emailing me at AlysaH@macaronikid.com. I’ll be doing more Lake County playground and park reviews in the future, so I would love to have your input!