Heritage Nature Conservancy — Attraction in Ocala

This quiet little park is easy to miss if you’re just driving by, but it’s a hidden gem. I bring my kid here a few times a month in the evenings to get some fresh air, stretch our legs, and enjoy the wildlife. The park features a small variety of exercise stations and kid-friendly obstacles. Our favorites are the rope pyramid for climbing and the merry-go-round.

Though small, the park has a concrete trail that loops around and lets you see everything. Toward the back, there’s a large bat house that’s home to several species of bats. A few times, we’ve been lucky enough to spot owls perched in the trees, likely waiting for the bats to emerge at dusk.

Be prepared for some strange smells near the bat house during the summer, but it’s a unique feature you won’t find in most parks. On the opposite side, there’s a beautifully designed man-made creek made of natural stone—it’s definitely worth checking out.

The park is always clean, with minimal litter, and there’s usually a park employee around keeping an eye on things. It’s a peaceful, well-kept spot for a casual evening outing with a bit of nature and fun...

Wants get away in the middle of Ocala ? This is a very nice quiet park in the middle of a neighborhood right off Silver Springs Blvd back behind Ace Hardware, 2 streets over. All kinds of cute things to see and climb, they have swings , a jungle gym, ponds, as I mentioned before things to climb on, beautiful plants with butterflies and bees buzzing around them ( be careful with the little ones) Nice little walking trail past all of these attractions lol, they even have a BAT HOUSE!!! Like in Gainesville, you can here the bats making noise in the daytime and if you are there at dusk you can see them fly out to hunt for bugs but be careful as when they come out a lot of them do # 1 ( pee pee) and if you are under them ? Well, you will get peed on and smell like pee ! Bring an UMBRELLA ☔. ENJOY. Maybe even bring a blanket and...

This was a surprising little gem that we stumbled upon accidentally. The whole place feels a lot bigger than it is because it is spread out by a winding trail and plenty of shade/tree coverage. There is playground equipment all throughout to accommodate varying age levels. Mostly geared for slightly older kids, (5-12) though little ones can still find a fair amount to do. The bat house in the center (towards the back) was an unexpected treat. They were squeaking noisily around 10 AM but got a little stinky I’d you were downwind at noon. A lot of people seem to come here to walk their dogs and in my experience, were careful about leashing them whenever kids...