Lake Ella Park — Attraction in Tallahassee

Pleasant area for exercise, relaxation, or just to enjoy. Wonderful surrounding local businesses.

This park has been the scene of many unforgettable memories with friends, family, myself, and even a few dates. I've had a wonderful experience every time I've come here. It's a very calming area of town with a few interesting locations. When I was much younger and my parents took me here, I remember I used to climb a beautiful low-hanging tree at the entrance (admittedly, I still do). As I got older, the lake became a much more frequent visit of mine. The location was very close to where I lived, so I used to walk there a lot to deal with some of the personal issues I was dealing with at the time. It's become a great place to relax that's very near to my heart. The local businesses here are amazing. Would highly recommend Barb's Brittles for you sweeties out there and Black Dog Cafe for good food and a place to relax indoors and play games. Occasionally you'll find sponsored events taking place and live music being performed around there. For outdoor relaxation, I'd recommend sitting at one of the many benches situated around the lake, or try the gazebo if it's not too busy. They're great to read at or watch the roaming turtles and ducks that inhabit the area. You could also bring a blanket and have a picnic in the green area before the gazebo if it's available. Maybe consider bringing food to feed the ducks there too! They're an infinite source of entertainment. I'd also suggest this place if you're looking to exercise. The whole route around the lake is very scenic and refreshing. The lake is also a popular location for Pokémon Go fans. To my recollection, it has many Poké Stops, a gym, and access to water type pokémon. It's a popular location for the homeless too. I've personally never had any problem with them, but they are very present, and I have seen multiple reviews of people being harassed by them. Their situation is very common though and doesn't detract from the overall experience for me. Other than that, I have noticed that there is some filth in the water at times. The city does it's best to keep it clean, but it tends to still be present due to inconsiderate or particularly forgetful individuals. Parking can sometimes be an issue. There's very limited space in the available lots and the surrounding area, but one could easily park across the street and cross over North Monroe to get here.

Lovely place, lovely time. You'll enjoy it...

I have to be honest and say I have a love-hate relationship with Lake Ella Park. I truly love the park, it is my favorite place to go for a walk, especially when it is hot outside because it's very shady. A walk around the lake is the perfect distance when I have my children with me. There's a really cool, huge tree trunk there that my son loves to climb, and lots of pretty areas where you can stop and sit down if you like. I have noticed a lot of homeless or transient people at the park, but they have always been friendly when I talk to them, or keep to themselves. They are in no way a nuisance, but they are present. I've noticed there are maybe some groups that provide outreach or assistance of some sort at the park for disadvantaged or homeless people, so that may be why they are more present. I don't mean to be at all offensive regarding this, I just wanted to mention it. My only real issue with the park is that it is honestly pretty disgusting sometimes. There's a huge overpopulation of ducks and geese and they make a huge mess. In the wet weather it was kind of gross because everything was damp and there is duck poop everywhere and it just smelled really bad. I also noticed a decline in the general upkeep of the lake around the same time. So not only were there Ducks everywhere and poop everywhere but there was also a lot of trash on the ground. I really wish the city would do something about the duck problem, or at least just try to keep the place cleaner. The wildlife is part of the appeal of the park, but it was just too much. I was there around mating season and while it is fun to see the baby ducks and geese, it is kind of ridiculous how great their numbers were. I wouldn't suggest going there for lunch that time of year because the geese can be quite pushy. My son sat down with a grilled cheese sandwich one time and we were surrounded within minutes and one of the geese actually started hissing at us. I think Lake Ella is gem of Tallahassee. I see a lot of people there on a regular basis, so I must not be the only one who thinks that. I wish the city would take better care of it, like the beautiful Cascades...

It's a beautiful place and I've been going for years. Love all the little shops, the cafe, walking around the lake with friends and fam...the gazebo....

I will say please have situational awareness bc I have seen some unsettling situations over the years and yesterday when I was there sitting in my car with the window down a sweet elderly woman approached me asking way too many detailed and personal questions about myself, and my kids...wanting to know their genders, exact ages, grades, school, teachers and more.... obviously I told her I'm not providing that info for their safety and she told me she's taught at a handful of schools in Tallahassee trying to get me to trust her with this info....but I just politely excused myself from the convo. Human trafficking happens everywhere world wide ...please know the signs and don't give out personal info OR leave your kids school car tags up in the windows. The closer you are to interstates...the higher the chances of people lurking for victims.

We still go here and love this place but keep our wits about us when it comes to keeping our distance from strangers.

It is right next to the police station but there's still a lot that has happened here. Years ago I believe there was also a shooting ...but again that can happen literally anywhere...so just have situational...