Local Guides World
Best Ecological parks in United States
Top Rated Ecological parks
Cedar Meadows Wetland
West Chicago Prairie DuPage Forest Parking
Conestee Park
Brumley Nature Preserve
Broadlands Wetlands Preservation Area
Seabrook Beach
Pier 26 Tide Deck
Brighton Dam
Dells Zipline Adventures
Box Springs Mountain Reserve Park
Box Springs Mountain Reserve Park
Connetquot River State Park Preserve
Top Reviewed Ecological parks
Box Springs Mountain Reserve Park
Box Springs Mountain Reserve Park
Croc Encounters
Conestee Park
Connetquot River State Park Preserve
Connetquot River State Park Preserve
Brumley Nature Preserve
Seabrook Beach
Brighton Dam
Trinity River Trails Gateway Park South Observation Deck
Scottsdale Xeriscape Garden
Rio Grande Riverpark Trail System
Pier 26 Tide Deck
Nal Park
Conestee Park
Under the Palms Park
Box Springs Mountain Reserve Park
Box Springs Mountain Reserve Park
Brighton Dam
Connetquot River State Park Preserve
Green Haven
Brumley Nature Preserve
Croc Encounters
Coonnamessett River Restoration
Reviews
So much fun and some great education for myself and the kids. Our guide, Luxe, was very nice and informative. We enjoyed the animal encounters as well.
This place is definitely worth the visit!
Our tour guides name was Alexander and he was fantastic, knew so many interesting facts about the animals, in particular the alligators and crocodiles.
You take a short walk around the the enclosures where you can go in and feed the tortoises it was an amazing experience you can even feed the alligators which was fantastic you can interact with almost everything at no extra cost…definitely remember your bug spray!
Our tour guides name was Alexander and he was fantastic, knew so many interesting facts about the animals, in particular the alligators and crocodiles.
You take a short walk around the the enclosures where you can go in and feed the tortoises it was an amazing experience you can even feed the alligators which was fantastic you can interact with almost everything at no extra cost…definitely remember your bug spray!
Alexander was our tour guide today, great knowledge of all the exhibits, can answer any question you throw at him with confidence. Great way to end our trip to florida with a really exciting tour would recommend to anyone who's in the area 😀
I had an amazing experience at Croc Encounters. I would like to personally thank Alexander (the expert tour guy) for answering all my questions, my family's, and everyone else in the group. Thank you for making our experience so much fun and educational. We learned so much about these animals!
During the tour we got to hold a snake and a small alligator.
We also fed a lot of medium size alligators and interacted with big turtles!
This place is a local GEM! I would encourage anyone to go visit!
During the tour we got to hold a snake and a small alligator.
We also fed a lot of medium size alligators and interacted with big turtles!
This place is a local GEM! I would encourage anyone to go visit!
Extremely informative. Was a lot of fun feeding the tortoises and alligators ( pellets) and the kids had a great time! Only thing I would add would be some fans along the boardwalks were they stand and talk once they're able to. Support your local wildlife rescue and help them get there!
They do 4 tours a day.
They do 4 tours a day.
Was an amazing time! I enjoyed it just as much as the kids did. Our tour guide was so informational and amazing. I’d recommend this to any reptile lover. Such a great place! Keep up the great work!!!!
It’s small but worth it if you like a personal touch! We were skeptical when we first arrived but it all worked out perfectly. After tickets were purchased over the phone,Alexander was an excellent guide. He was passionate, friendly and very patient while my 4 year old ran around exploring. It’s not what I expected but it felt so intimate everyone in our family enjoyed it. We feed the tortoises and held the snake and baby alligator 🐊. Total time there 90 minutes. Bring water and use the bathroom before and you’ll have no worries. 👍🏽
Brumley is so beautiful. So much variety with ponds, creeks, mature forest, grassland and big rocks. So many wonderful trails for biking and hiking. Segregated trails for hiking so that conflict with bikes can be avoided if desired. I visit brumley multiple times a week.
I can only imagine that it's a nice park but have yet to see it. Have gone twice in the last few months to find it closes before 3:30 not 4 as indicated. Went today and was sent away because despite having bike paths, bikes are not allowed??? Shouldn't a public park be available to all??
Beautiful state park with several trails to choose from of all kinds of lengths. The trout hatchery they have along the way is a cool scenic attraction too that is very unique! They also do horse riding trails as well, if that happens to be something you might be interested in. The main building also offers events and tours that can be great for the whole family. Would definitely be glad to come back as the weather gets nicer and the foliage really starts to bloom.
Brumley is gorgeous! There are several loops of varying lengths. You share the narrow trails with bikes so stay aware.
Beautiful walk on the yellow and red trails. The paths were well maintained and it was a good hike with kids. It did seem like there were a lot of dead trees throughout, but it is still early in the spring season so perhaps they're still growing in. I'll definitely be going back to explore more.
Croc Encounters is a great little tour facility with lots of varieties of reptiles to observe. Tour guide Alexander was a wonderful facilitator and was very knowledgeable about every animal we encountered, he even had answers to every question that we had so he really knows his stuff. We got to hold Crocs and snakes which he demonstrated for us very well so there's nothing to fear. The facility itself is in a bit of disrepair and could be renovated a bit, but after taking the tour it's definitely a great place to donate to in its cause to preserving the wildlife of Florida. Would recommend for a relatively cheap activity for families, it's $45 per person and $99 total for groups of 3 or 4, so we got in for a good price and all had a great time!
Connetquot State Park is one of our favorite park in Long Island. My husband and I’ve been coming here over 30 years and every time it’s magical.
Lots of hiking trails and you can go for bird watching. In the main building, you can pick up a pamphlet with different kinds of birds listed . Trout fishing (with reservation and permit) is amazing! You can learn so much history. Perfect place for a family to walk and watch birds. You can truly enjoy the nature that God created.
Lots of hiking trails and you can go for bird watching. In the main building, you can pick up a pamphlet with different kinds of birds listed . Trout fishing (with reservation and permit) is amazing! You can learn so much history. Perfect place for a family to walk and watch birds. You can truly enjoy the nature that God created.
We came to hike in February, so we did not see the foliage on this trail. We loved the small lake and the bench in front of it. We saw three ducks. The day was beautiful; the sun percolated softly through the trees, and the trail went up and down, which was nice. The bikes were a nuisance, mainly because they acted like they had the right away. It is a pleasant trail but does not have enough diversity to give it a five.
Place has many trails with beautiful view. You can check out their trout ponds and rivers. Feels very quiet in there, trails are pretty long and go away from noisy highways and roads.
I don’t think it exists
Two trees trail was a great workout! Steep and gradual incline. Lots of donkey doodoo but great walk over all
Took the dogs out to the box springs trail-always a donkey sighting guarantee. Be cautious as lots of OTHER DOGS and being that this respiratory thing for them going around we came back to our youngest doing a bit of choke-couhging but nothing today. Unsure if all the dog or donkey doodie contributed to that but I know it's still a new thing.
Love thar this is close to our house and great views of Riverside from up above!
Love thar this is close to our house and great views of Riverside from up above!
It's a secret treasure on the island – absolutely stunning! Perfect for fly fishing and enjoying a day surrounded by nature. You can also feed the fish, which is really awesome.
Great park. I love the trails. I’ve even participated in a little bit of community effort to remove invasive plant a couple of weekends. The trails are really nice and they make a huge effort with the funding they have to keep them nice and accessible and they really are. The trails are beautiful. Great place to walk and bike. Awesome playground on site and a reasonably maintained dog park.
But, this isn’t the parks fault but people visiting: be aware that the dogs are the park are often not always well behaved and several people have dogs off leash (which is prohibited but people don’t follow the rule) that should not be. So be wary about that if you have a dog that’s new to interacting with dogs or not a big fan of other dogs or young kids around. Also there is a dog park, but if I were you I’d avoid it.
But, this isn’t the parks fault but people visiting: be aware that the dogs are the park are often not always well behaved and several people have dogs off leash (which is prohibited but people don’t follow the rule) that should not be. So be wary about that if you have a dog that’s new to interacting with dogs or not a big fan of other dogs or young kids around. Also there is a dog park, but if I were you I’d avoid it.
Very dog friendly and we had a great time doing a training session! Everyone was very nice and the park was nice and big!
Always enjoy this park, much more than I expect to. It is Forest and wetlands, and is a peaceful respite from everyday frenetic life. Such a beautiful place, and well maintained.
Like to see more shopping area and hotel besides the beautiful beach!
Absolutely love running and walking here! On this trip I also found several salamanders.
Tons of different topography and ecosystems in one preserve!
Tons of different topography and ecosystems in one preserve!
You will definitely feel it in your legs. Great hike. Take plenty of water, especially in the warmer days. Enjoy the view. It's wonderful 😊
It is the largest state park in Long Island with many miles of trails based on old network of roads and few footpath trails. Surprisingly, relatively few pitch pines present despite mostly sandy soil of the preserve. You can combine official trails (blue, yellow, red, white) with sandy roads to achieve hike of desired mileage.
They're doing maintenance at the dam cleaning out silt accumulation right now in July/Aug 2023, so the water level is way down in the reservoir. Thank goodness the porta potty arrived at the barge for the workers!
This place is like heaven. I biked southward from midtown along the west side highway’s protected bike lanes and stopped at this gem to take a break and watch the sun set over New Jersey. Wonderful pier with greenery, swings, deck on the water, and sports court. Also, no one was smoking when I visited which was nice.
It's a great place to walk and there are not as many people that go there
Beautiful place for walk. Breathtaking views. Nice nature. Birds are singing. A small peace of land with a lot of character.
4th of July spectacular view and beautiful sunset with fireworks after .
Love this spot free to enter 5 dollars to fish or picnic
Park is right of sunrise hwy in Oakdale. They close at 6 so just be aware of that. Lots of beautiful scenery and three hiking trails. Red trail is the shortest, next is green with than the last is blue which is about an 8 mile hike. Not so crowded which was amazing. They do have rest rooms by the entrance to use before starting your walk . Just beware, ticks are high here, so I would recommend stopping every 20 min or so too check yourself.
Great place to get out for a nice hike, run or bike. Very well maintained and preserved. This one of our favorite local spot to go to here in the Upstate. Very easy to moderate terrain with a lot of beautiful scenery and views.
Beautiful deck and swings, with little garden and easy walkways.
I love going here and hiking the different trails. There are asphalt trails, there are dirt trails, there are boardwalk over swamp trails. There's tons of wildlife and birds and things. The trails are well maintained and somewhat easy to navigate (follow the blaze). There is a bamboo forest type of thing. They hold lots of events here all the time. It's very much worth contributing to the park. I mean they have a beer tasting festival every year, wine trail hikes, night time, dinner and wine events and then all kinds of other events throughout the rest of the year. There are baseball parks and stuff as well. Very nice!
Not Really For Running—I was in the area and wanted to get a run in. A quick search turned up this trail, which I'd been on before but forgotten. For running, unless you're doing A LOT of hill work, this is not going to be an easy jog. But as a hiking trailing, it's very nice, with great scenery and views. It's rugged, and the maintenance is light, but consistent. The trail is in good shape, and even beginner hikers shouldn't have much trouble.
Lovely swampy boardwalk stroll. Was fun to see even on this chilly autumn day. The nearby park has lots of picnic tables under a large pavilion, as well as a playground and a dog park. Really nice area.
found this place on accident and ended up hanging out for a couple hours. walked up along a not too strenuous trail, that lead us to the top of the mountain. where we had an awesome view of our sun setting and the lights of the city below that began to illuminate the night time sky. oh, and were alot of burros.
Cute spot to take a run, walk your dog or just use the upper circle to spot some wildlife. The entrance at 100 gets you to the semicircle overlook, 58 is a second parking lot which much more parking.
Love this park. It's like a buy one get two free deal. Walking area ✓,playground ✓ bathroom ✓, lots of parking ✓. May see some cool animals/bugs. Beautiful sunsets and meet lots of pups ✓.
Lots of trails to walk on, ranging from small distances to i believe just over 2 miles.
Lots of trails to walk on, ranging from small distances to i believe just over 2 miles.
New pier with a beautiful view, nice sunset, lounge chairs, soccer / ball field, very good bar with multiple levels terraces. Quiet place in general. Busy after work. Great place to read a book and chill for a while.
If you enjoy nature trails, you will be thrilled upon visiting the various loops here! Note: I recommend you take a picture of the map located at Parking. Anyway, I explored Wood Duck Way, Walnut Grove, Flat Tail, Grand Oak Loop and just a scratch of Springhouse. My favorite was Flat Trail in addition to the first half of Wood Duck (assuming you begin counterclockwise from parking off New Hope Church Rd.). My least favorite was Grand Oak (see video in which I’m making my way through a ton of tall plants). Anyway, my preferred trails offer great scenery: bird houses, a pond, multiple bridges, picnic tables, a multitude of vibrantly colored flying species (birds, butterflies, insects) and overall a ton of green life! Things I appreciate? There are trail-loop signs that guide you as you make your way through the forest, color-coded even. There are also informative signs regarding forest life. You can also find a few benches scattered throughout your walk (or cycle; majority were cycling) incase you need to take a break. Ha! One last note? I was disappointed to have found a couple portable potties- locked.
I look forward to returning (likely on bike) to take on the larger loops! :-)
I look forward to returning (likely on bike) to take on the larger loops! :-)
Wonderful place, great walks along several trails in the Preserve, with some sections paved, some having boardwalks and others – natural surface. Beautiful trees, plenty of aquatic plants, wildflowers, various birds, butterflies (but beware of snakes – we saw a young copperhead in the middle of the paved path!). Birds chirping, toads croaking, even roosters crowing in a distance – nature lover’s dream place! Can be accessed (free) at several places, but Conestee Park area adjacent to the Preserve is probably the most convenient one: ample parking, playgrounds, pavilions, restrooms, water fountains and trailheads of a number of trails going into the Preserve.
We had a great time. Went on a Friday afternoon and had the entire park to ourselves. Was easily hundreds of donkeys. We were going to hike the Skyline trail but there were so many donks on that side of the park that we hiked the Edison trail instead and took a side trail to a ridge top that overlooks UC Riverside. The views of the valley are just amazing up here. Right now the wildflowers and grass is all dead and shriveled up but I'd imagine in the spring this place is overflowing with wildflowers. A few suggestions:
1. Make sure to plan your hike around the weather, it's very exposed and higher elevation so you can easily get caught out - though I'd think it's pretty cool when foggy or cloudy up here.
2. Well maintained trails though it's easy to get lost Because there are hundreds of donkey trails and unmarked trails. Also very few signs. REI has a free app called "hiking project" that has the trails on it. I could see clouds rolling in and getting lost very easily.
3. Bring water, snacks, sunscreen, and first aid. The trails are sandy and some very steep and all are exposed. It doesn't seem that popular so your chances of a good Samaritan walking by and helping you back to safety are minimal at best.
4. Take some cash to put in the money box at the parking lot. I hear they use it throw a big annual party for the donkeys so they stick around.
1. Make sure to plan your hike around the weather, it's very exposed and higher elevation so you can easily get caught out - though I'd think it's pretty cool when foggy or cloudy up here.
2. Well maintained trails though it's easy to get lost Because there are hundreds of donkey trails and unmarked trails. Also very few signs. REI has a free app called "hiking project" that has the trails on it. I could see clouds rolling in and getting lost very easily.
3. Bring water, snacks, sunscreen, and first aid. The trails are sandy and some very steep and all are exposed. It doesn't seem that popular so your chances of a good Samaritan walking by and helping you back to safety are minimal at best.
4. Take some cash to put in the money box at the parking lot. I hear they use it throw a big annual party for the donkeys so they stick around.
Nice little park to walk or bring your dog.
I went to this place so many times while I was in New York. While you are there you completely forget about the hectic city and you can just relax. It’s wonderful during the day but even more stunning during the night!!
Beautiful nature preserve with miles of both hiking and biking trails. Dedicated to restoring and preserving the natural order of the forest and keeping water ways clean. My family and I only did the first 4 trails, but the beaver dam and wetland area was the best spot to just relax and enjoy the view. Diverse makeup of wildlife and a quiet atmosphere made for a beautiful walk in the woods. Highly recommend the drive into the old north state countryside forest
Attended the ribbon cutting of this long-term project. Wonderful bridges and walkways though former cranberry bogs that have been transformed to their original natural state. Great place to bring kids and walk the easy trails.
Gorgeous, fantastic job saving the wetland. I was also excited to see active trail maintenance to make the area accessible while saving the vulnerable areas
Had a great time fishing this morning, water was a bit murky due to recent rains. Very nice place for nature photography as well.
Stunning design. A place to sit, reflect and relax.
Great walking trails (sandy). Very peaceful. The birds and bullfrogs love it. Several parking areas available.
This garden is absolutely beautiful. I love azaleas and this place took my breath away. So many colors and different paths to walk up and down. And it's right next to the water which is so pretty. Very calming. And the smell from all the flowers is amazing.
Had so much fun exploring the natural habitat in our community; At first when I saw it evolving I was highly disappointed that what I always known to be cranberry bogs was turning into more of a animal sanctuary just due to the fact that we have multiple of those areas and our bodies are diminishing into extinct, however as a natural animal lover and exploring the area my perception and has definitely changed and enjoy taking my son for a walk in the beautiful area
It was a nice break from a motorcycle ride from Columbia. The park is very clean and well kept. A nice gazebo made of brick to have your grilled or prepared food. I seen tennis courts I believe and a small playground. All and all a nice spot to relax and take a load off, or go there to have some bbq with family. I also was a few feet from the duck/geese in front of me. Didn't even know it was there taking pics of the dam lol
Not much to do here. Very short trail to see the azaleas and the lake. Across the road is grassy area with playground and picnic benches. Looks nice for a quiet gathering. Lots of maintenance areas with park seeming like afterthought. It's just ok.
This pier has been a long time coming. Many fits and starts and changes to the original design and its lack (for now) of a new home for the River Project, all led me to think it would be a big disappointment. I'm glad to say I was wrong. Strictly as an open space and one new for the city, a city very much in need of them, it succeeds and then some. I visited the manmade estuarine environment several weeks ago on my paddle board but could not get a very good view of it as it was high tide at the time. Seeing it from above, however, I can see its potential. It will provide New Yorkers with a tiny sense of just what much of our island's coastline looked like in the distant past, that is if the native seagrasses are able to survive their first winter and start to look more natural. It will be a real shame if the ramp down to within a few feet of the water is not open regularly. In closing, I have to say that the raised view looking south toward the Battery and Staten Island at the end of the pier is now one of my favorites in the city.
Beautiful place to go and spend time with family and friends. Large area by the base of the dam with lots of trees and shade. Had a playground for the kids to play on also. My family and I really enjoyed this place. They did a great job with it.
Excellent trails, so many different options! It's so beautiful to see the seasons change and such a privilege to access the Preserve!
My only complaint is about the ungrateful pet walkers and people who leave trash. Just wish lazy pet owners would pick up after their pet or properly dispose of their pet's waste bags. You probably drove there, so put the poop bag in your trunk and throw it away when you get to a trash can. If you can't do that, leave your pet at home or maybe you should stay home too. Quit ruining the privilege of freedom and positive experiences.
My only complaint is about the ungrateful pet walkers and people who leave trash. Just wish lazy pet owners would pick up after their pet or properly dispose of their pet's waste bags. You probably drove there, so put the poop bag in your trunk and throw it away when you get to a trash can. If you can't do that, leave your pet at home or maybe you should stay home too. Quit ruining the privilege of freedom and positive experiences.
always come here when i need to relax and just look at the view or when i feel like hiking. the place is full with beautiful mules and the sunsets here are amazing ! it’s just nice to be around a view as pretty as this one although i don’t think cars are allowed up here anymore :( other than that it’s a beautiful place with very pretty sights
Fun, FAST trails with a little something for every skill level. Pure beginners can build their off-road confidence with easy flowing trails and open sight lines while the more experienced among us can really open up the throttle and rip through the trails as fast as is safe.
Not much foliage left like this Norway maple ,but still wonderous to see the bog returning to its natural state.New boardwalk over the herring run is such a good addition. Bring the dogs( with poop bags to take home) and kids
What a great job the countless volunteers have done! Thousands of hours of effort have created a spectacular place for everyone to enjoy.
Always a great time go check it out you'll have a blast..
Great equipment for the kids to play on an overcast day but on a sunny day the slides and everything is so hot my girls can't even play on them
A very interesting place to walk and be alone! Good breath of nature. I went with my family and could witness the water calm and good energy. Very entertaining and peaceful.
Went around 5PM. Not crowded at all. Nice views of the surrounding cities. Road was dirt to get to the parking lot atop the hill. Be careful of the donkeys roaming the road. They don't seem to be fenced in anywhere.
We were here for the hurricane clean up 🧽 really good people here. The beach will be beautiful in time.😊
Jacksonville Fire Dept has set up a shower truck here. That is their sole reason for being here, but in addition to doing their job, they have set up a small distribution center to take care of folks in the neighborhood. In their limited down time, they have even helped some folks out with their recovery efforts. Can't say enough about what these guys are doing.
Great place for a workout choose your courses difficulty. Even if you dont go for a workout, the scenery is amazing for a nice stroll. Its $5 dollars to park that's reasonable I think. The park is clean bathroom is clean, Picnic area shaded trees. I had an great time cant wait to take all routes.
Beautiful little park. Love that it is also a community garden. It's not been busy when I've gone by, but I have been told that there might be some group or club meetings. I'm not sure about that. There are public restrooms available, which is nice. There is not a dog park here, which I wish they had. All in all, it's a beautiful piece of property in the middle of paradise.
Quaint little park with a decent walking track. Could use more lights for nighttime.
Have some nice trials. You can see Riverside city on the west side with a nice view. Also, a nice view on the south side for Moreno Valley too. Watch out for snake and mountain lion. I met two hikers who had experience with mountain lion encounter over there.