Lake Baldwin Park — Attraction in Winter Park

This is a very large dog park which is well maintained. Most of the park is an oak hammock while the rest is a well manicured forest trail. There is open access to the lake if you wish to let your pup swim. There are bowls and fountains for your pup to drink.

This is real Florida, so don't expect expensive imported grass lawns kept alive with toxic fertilizers and pesticides. There is little to no grass, so your dog will get dirty. There is a wash station to clean them up after.

Facilities alone this would be an enthusiastic 5 star review, however, the dogs and owners who frequent the park are far more of a factor than the park itself, and in this way the park fails. If you visit this park I recommend doing so during off hours, for when the park is busy you will find it quite a different place.

I have been to the park a few times during these instances and it has always been a disaster. People bring their aggressive/unsocialized/fearful dogs to the park and allow them to wreak havoc, usually all the while excusing the dangerous behavior they exhibit, or, in some cases, encouraging it.

The last time we went we were met at the gate by a sweet golden lab with a profusely bleeding face. He explained what had happened, his dog was attacked, and pointed out the aggressors (a husky and goldendoodle, 2 breeds I've noticed to all too often have inept owners). The owners of the attacking dogs were still happily talking away and laughing as the lab's owner washed the blood off his mauled dog's face.

Soon after this incident, with those 2 aggressive dogs still in the park, there let loose through the park a bloodcurdling scream of a small dog. Holding my dog I looked over to see the small dog hurriedly being carried out of the water, a herd of excited dogs (including the husky) following behind. I can only guess what happened.

Although this is just one instance, it is representative of the tone of this park during busy hours. Just one attack can make your dog fearful or aggressive to other dogs for...

Baldwin Park Trail's a scenic 2.5 mile public loop around the lake of the same name that sews together several parks including running through Lake Baldwin's Harbor Park; where Lake Baldwin's village/city center opens up to the water front.

Among several other smaller parks, it also runs through a dog park (one of the area's best) and Orlando's Veterans' Memorial Park. It also connects to Blue Jacket Park by way of Upper and Lower Park Roads with a nice wide open common grassy space between them and connects with the Cady Way Trail as well.

Lots of people use the trail throughout the day for all sorts of reasons and it crowds up from time to time, especially weekends or during one of many events stemming out of Harbor Park. Not one of the friendliest trials, people tend to keep to themselves.

There's all manner of urban wildlife including birds and rabbits and such. Lots of ducks, doves, cardinals, scrub jays, egrets, gulls, herons, swamp turkeys, cormorants, and an occasional osprey or loose dog. Bats at dusk.

Baldwin's nothing short of an engineering marvel. While everything looks so nice and new and natural, Baldwin's actually a massive land reuse project re-engineering what was once our former Naval Training Center here into a mixed use master planned community. Over 200 buildings, 20 miles of roads, and 200 miles of underground utilities were raised and removed and cleaned up to remake the area into what it is today. There's a few really good articles out there if you look for them. Lots of historic aerial photography too.

Beware of aggressive Tour de France inspired cyclists cutting through pedestrian traffic like it's their own personal high speed velodrome - I've clocked some over 22...

BEWARE small dog owners! This is the Disney world of dog parks. However, on a Wed. afternoon @ 1 p.m. there were about 50 dog owners there. Probably 50 dif. breeds of dogs & mostly were large. I have 2 -10lb dogs.........they are 8 mons. My little boy loves the water. All we wanted was to see him swim w/out being on a leash. Today turn into a nightmare. A lot of big dogs swimming & playing w/ other dogs, lots of activity. We let our little dogs off leash to swim & we went to an area where no dogs were near. Within seconds some Huskies came up to my little girl. Then 1 sec. later other large dogs. My friend got very upset........they were not biting my little girl but she was screaming. My little boy also started to scream. Then more large dogs surrounded my little girl to the point that I had to literally dive into the center & get her. It was amping up as a pack.... As all this was going on, my little boy freaked & ran to the other end of the park. I had my friend w/ me & she got him. Thank God it's fenced in. We both ended up covered in dirt & mud. Baldwin Park does not separate. They need to. I feel they are discriminating. If you have small dogs, please be aware & also know that this all happened within seconds. Most owners didn't even realize what was going on......shame on them! The screams of my little dogs will haunt me. I won't be going back. This is a great place for big dogs. It's huge & everyone is swimming. There are many huge oak trees & wonderful trails. Please Baldwin Park, think about making a separate area so little dogs can also swim off leash...