The 18 best free attractions in Ocala

I have been to this park a couple of times and it is a great place to walk, meditate, enjoy nature and just to have some quiet time. They have plenty of benches around the park if you need to take a break or if you just want to sit and enjoy nature or have some quiet time. I wish we had a park like this in GA!

Visited here after spending the most of the day elsewhere on a federal holiday, and found the visitor center closed. The fort itself was open and was a nice and quiet space to walk around and check out. The informational signs were plentiful and in great shape. According to available information, much more is available to participate in at other times during the week or of you have additional time to check out the trail, but not while we were there.

This is a fantastic place for kids and families. It features a scenic walking trail, a beautiful pond, and is perfect for walking your dog or enjoying a stroll. The park also includes a tennis court, basketball court, and a baseball field. Around the park, there’s a Discovery Center that offers even more to explore. It’s a great spot to visit with plenty of activities for everyone.

We visited the Veterans Memorial Park in February, 2025. I was pleasantly surprised on how well and inclusive of folks who served both directly in the military and in support roles. I spent time walking around and reading the tributes. All I can say is well done. The folks who built this park did a fine job that they can be proud of. I don’t think they left anybody out who deserves at least some recognition. Even the merchant marine folks were recognized for their contributions. They covered different wars, skirmishes and historical events that I found appropriate to be mentioned and recognized. I wish I had the time to read everything, but that wasn’t to be. The wife accompanied me there and also found it interesting and well done. Normally she isn’t overly enthusiastic about my historical parks and museum visits. But this was one of them that she truly enjoyed. That tells me something. I was there late morning and the sun did give me problems trying to take picture. Oh well. The only negative for me was some of the exhibits are having weather related damage that can make them hard to read. The sun made it worse, and blocking the sun did help. All in all, one of, if not the best Veterans park that I have been to. Well done.

Very good park. Football field is great and well lit for night games. The aquatic center is nice. The fields are all great. Nice paved running trail. Good park. Good courts. Parking in multiple spots around the park. Always great for a visit.

Very nice man made wetlands. See some alligators, great white egrets, great blue heron, little blue heron, several song birds, turtles, coots…. Wonderful educational stations. Cool educational tunnel with cool art. Boardwalks are super nice. Path is nice around the property. Beautiful tress and plants growing. Lots of pollinators. Wish I lived closer to visit more often. Super clean bathrooms and plenty of parking. Most importantly- free to visit.

Great local option for kids and adults. Each time I have been here with the kids everyone has been respectful. I hope there will be expansion as this is a really nice escape! The park is kept clean. There is the occasional train that goes by as well which the kids really enjoy! Plenty of seating for those that want to just come enjoy the peaceful area.

Love love LOVE this trail. It's off the beaten path a little, and I've never seen it crowded during the week. Lots beautiful flora and fauna. Our favorites to see are the deer and the Sherman fox squirrels. They have paved and dirt paths, and it intersects with the Florida Trail. People seem to be good about following leash laws for the most part here.

Magical. Simply magical. My husband and I had the most wonderful and relaxing time paddle boarding and kayaking here. It’s easy to book on their website (read all the instructions before you go) and super convenient. They supply the paddleboard and kayak and then even pick you and your equipment up downriver at the end of your journey to drive you back up to the parking lot. It’s a decent amount of time depending on how you pace it, for us at a super easy pace it was a bit over 3 hrs so definitely bring water! But man…what an amazing adventure. From the second you push off the rest of the world melts away and you are literally engulfed in Florida’s natural splendor. Beautifully shaped trees, crystal clear water, large fish and turtles swimming under you, gorgeous birds preening on tree stumps, diving for fish or soaring overhead and occasional crocodiles and even manatees! If you’re afraid of the heat, we went in August and it actually wasn’t so bad because there is so much shade on both sides all the way down the river to stay under. But for a half day adventure? Totally worth it! Just 3 hours of floating and relaxing and wondering at the beauty around you. Please, please, please. If you get the chance or are in the vicinity, stop and swing by. If you want to reserve a kayak or paddle board definitely do so on their website in advance. But either way, put this on your list. It’s so breathtaking and absolutely worth it 👍

Great park! Pet friendly- on a leash. Small board walk to the sink hole/spring. Very cool to see.

Went here for hiking. Started out on the FL Trail. Wasn't that much to see at first, but about 2 mi in, it got really interesting. The flat terrain changed to rolling hills, there was a large area for Frisbee golf, and then the Marshall Swamp Trail, which literally ends up going right thru the swamp. There were several bridges, and some muddy spots, but I really enjoyed it. I had to head back, as I had plans for later. Overall it was a 7.13 mi hike. I will be going back, only next time I'll start out on the Marshall Swamp Tr and go to the end (hopefully...).

A fantastic place for kids! Surrounded by nature, with beautiful walking paths that make every visit enjoyable. Definitely one of my favorite parks.

Beautifully done art park across from the main park. Nice walking path around. Plenty of green space, some parking here and street parking on the side.

I mean it’s a fair. The rides are shady, the food is overpriced, the lemonade is fresh squeezed…. it’s amazing. The food is GOOD but overpriced but the unlimited ride wrist band is worth it based on the price of tickets and how many tickets each ride costs. Plus it’s like stupid easy to get stuck trying to win a goldfish at the games.

Experienced, knowledgeable captain. Private fishing tour. Excellent company. Caught a few fish Jerry cleaned for us. The fishies made a great dinner and a grear ending to a really fun day. Highly recommend.

This is by far the best trails that I have ever been to. I used to live up North for a very long time in the mountains. And we still never had anything as big or as nice as this. Everything is also very well maintained. And they have something for every skill level, regardless of if you're a master, godlike man on the bike or just starting that day. They got spots for you to have a lunch. Sit down to eat at a table when you're done for the day riding your bike hard. They got a wash rack. You'd actually clean your bike down with a hose. And all kinds of little warm up/training tracks right by the parking lot. It's not many better ways to spend your day around Ocala than they hit up the trails here at Santos.

Excellent Park, very well maintained. Rover and I run around the perimeter there every day except Wednesday and Thursday when they are closed. Just watch out for the big dogs. A couple are aggressive, and if your dog is mauled, contact the park department immediately and make a report. Rover was mauled last year, and it took a while before the aggressive dog was banned, and the owner paid up.

The trail is beautiful, with many large, gorgeous trees. It's well marked and well maintained. We did the orange trail out to the landbridge and the blue trail back for a loop of around 3.3 miles. We added some by walking over the landbridge.