Bonnet Springs Park — Attraction in Lakeland

Bonnets Springs is such a treasure and brilliant addition to Lakeland and Polk County. It's a gorgeous park full of walking paths and activities for all ages that I think most locals didn't realize we needed.

It's crazy how a few years ago this use to be a random rail yard with mountains of dirt and waste- when they started constructing the park I remember driving by thinking, what in the world could they even do with this area? And I never imagined it could turn into such a gem and staple activity for Lakeland.

This is a place I love to meet up with friends or family and walk around. You could come here everyday for weeks and walk a different route and still probably never take the same route twice. There are so many paths, both sidewalk and boardwalks to take, and things to see it's so refreshing and fun.

If you have kids, this is a dream place to take them to burn off energy while getting fresh air and Vitamin D. They have at least 4-5 playground areas that are all different from each other. This is also one of the rare places in Florida that has a little of incline & hills- there are a few slides on the hills and the kids literally go crazy for them.

Along with this, there are some indoor activities here as well. They have the Florida Children's Museum in the middle of the park where the main building is. There's also a nature center by the wetlands where you can learn about the wildlife found in the area. And, they have a cute little butterfly pavilion that you can walk through- this is on the far end of the park so it's easy to miss.

You can really make a visit here a whole day affair, as they also have food options. There's a cute coffee shop in the building at the front where they serve Starbucks coffee. The Depot cafe, right next to the Children's Museum, is a cafeteria style place that has dozens of good food & dessert options. There's even a rooftop bar for the adults to enjoy.

The park is so big they also have a tram service running most days. There are signs out intermittently for where they stop and drop off.

If you haven't been to Bonnet Springs I am so serious you are missing out! I hope most cities can have a place like this eventually, it's...

Bonnie Spring Park is an absolute haven for nature and outdoor lovers. We fell in love with it from the first time we visited it. As soon as you step foot inside, you’re embraced by a sense of tranquility and fresh clean air that’s hard to find with the crazy summer Florida heat. We were just so amazed with this place that we can’t say enough, our search for a great hiking/picnic/outdoor/family-outings place around the area after many years is done, this is exactly what we’ve been looking for and more. Rest stops and restrooms are everywhere, clean and well maintenance. Perfect place for family picnic or just a quick outdoor fun. There’s so many things to do, observe and learn: playgrounds, slides, big beautiful lawn, small springs for children to play with water, coffee shops, picnic house, workout areas, outdoor instruments area, butterflies house, green house, veggie garden, animal education building… so many cool things to see. And the modern wooden architecture of all the buildings around is so charming. There’re shuttles that take you around the park that runs around 5 mins interval for FREE, you can just hop on and get off from and to anywhere you want on the route. We were just amazed and also very appreciated for those who have helped created this park for the community. It is such an absolute gem. There’s also the Florida Children’s Museum that you have to pay ticket to get into but there were just so many things to do outdoor that we didn’t even have a chance to visit. Definitely some day when we go enough trips to this park and done our exploration around, we’ll visit the children museum too.

What’s particularly admirable about Bonnie Spring Park is its commitment to preserving the environment. They’ve put effort into maintaining clean and well-marked trails, providing recycling bins, and offering educational resources to help visitors understand and appreciate the ecosystem. It’s a place where you can not only enjoy nature but also learn how to protect it.

Bonnie Spring Park is an unspoiled and enhanced natural treasure that deserves a visit from anyone looking to escape the daily grind and embrace the...

This park is fantastic. I honestly think going here healed my inner child. From the built-in hill slides, to the massive climbing trees, to the giant owl play structure, this place is amazing. It is a HUGE, sprawling property, so I would recommend planning a whole day here. There are plenty of shaded areas and benches throughout, however, it is a lot of walking and a significant part of that is in the sun. If you aren’t a lunch-packing ‘picnic mom’, there are three different food options on site, as well as carts that sell snacks/chips, ice cream, and drinks. I would definitely recommend bringing your own water, sunscreen, & maybe a few snacks either way. We didn’t utilize them, but there are even free shuttle tram rides to take you around.

The entire park is beautiful, well-kept, and all the staff members we encountered were polite and helpful. We stopped at a cart for popsicles for the kids and drinks for dad and me, and the young lady at the cart asked me for my ID, which was in the car and they wouldn’t accept a picture. No big deal, at least they’re doing their due diligence, but I am 33 and had 3 kids with me. It just wasn’t worth walking a mile to the car to get my physical ID. Totally my fault for not bringing it, but to be fair, this was the first time I’ve been ‘carded’ in YEARS lol.

Highlights for me: HILLS! beautiful grass, climbing trees, ice cream/21+ drink carts, clean facilities, so much space, the little creek/stream

Highlights for the kids: climbing trees, slides, butterflies, interacting with other kids, splash pad, popsicles, running up/down hills

Parking seems like it can be very tight. We got lucky with a spot pretty quickly, but I could see it taking a while to find one. Worth the drive from Tampa and worth a parking hassle. I honestly thought about not reviewing this place, so it won’t be overrun, lol, but I can’t gatekeep - it’s freaking great.

Can’t wait to get back here and go to the children’s museum and rooftop bar. Totally bringing towels & bathing suits next time, so the kids can spend more time playing...