Mackay Gardens and Lakeside Preserve — Attraction in Lake Alfred

I give MacKay Gardens five stars because it totally meets my expectations. I usually walk the trails two or three times when I'm visiting Lake Alfred each spring. It's a lovely walk along narrow winding sandy trails through a classic natural Florida landscape. There are cacti, yuccas, pretty flowers and loads of Spanish moss draped from the tree branches as well as an occasional vista of the lake. I do my 45 minute walk around 8:00 a.m. and it's very pleasant. I also stroll around the old house and peak through the windows. It's used as a wedding venue. People walk their dogs as evidenced by dog prints in the sand but I did not see any during my walk. In fact I only saw one person on the trail. It was a very peaceful walk. There's a parking lot and it's worth a 15...

They are EXTREMELY lax on their all dogs must be on a lead rule. Half a dozen times I've gone there someone is on the trail with their dogs running up on people and other dogs. Totally off a lead or cleverly running around with a lead on dragging behind them. For your safety, your children's and dog's safety if you have a small breed or young children that tend to wander off, don't bring them here. For a wildlife preservation area with endangered and protected species signs all over the trail you'd think they would enforce their rules for visitors and native wilderness. You have to constantly avoid bikes on the WALKING trails. The nature trails need a serious overhaul as far as...

Absolutely gorgeous venue for my October wedding, and the event coordinator Anaeli is so sweet and wonderful to work with! (However, we did have MULTIPLE random parties filter in and out of the venue the day of the wedding while we were trying to set up and my bridal party as well as myself had to ask them to leave, so there needs to be closed for private event signs put up at the front gate, or at least a closed to the public announcement on their social media pages upon event bookings!) But aside from that, BOOK THIS PLACE! There's no other venue in the general area with the same scenic beauty and classic,...