Reviews on this city park varied so we decided to discover it for ourselves. We drove by the first day when we saw the full parking lot with cars waiting for another to pull out. We later learned that there is overflow parking on another road. We returned at 8 a.m. on a weekday expecting fewer cars but finding the parking lot nearly full already. We squeezed into an available space and began our walk.
The paved, multi-use trail lived up to the multi-use. Walkers, runners, bicyclists, and many people walking dogs meandered, ran, trotted or whizzed by. The small town feel of Dunnellon became apparent with so many of the people calling out hellos or quick comments to others, or gathering in groups for longer conversations. Of course modernization showed its face even in this remote looking area as several people walked by themselves, eyes straight ahead and carrying on a normal voice conversation on their Bluetooth (as far as we know). Nearly everyone greeted us with a nod or hello as we passed them, making it the friendliest park we know.
In those moments when we found ourselves alone on the trail the surrounding trees and swamp made us feel miles away from civilization. The park is beautiful, remote feeling, and well used by those living nearby. A park cannot get a higher recommendation than that.
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