Exploring parks is taking me well outside of the Orlando bubble, and recently it took me north to both Levy and Marion county.

The first stop was to Cedar Lakes Woods and Gardens. What now looks like a very tropical, outdoor, multi-level walking trail, started as a 100+ year old retired lime rock quarry. The man that founded it, Dr. Raymond Webber, spent years turning a swampy, polluted quarry into a beautiful botanical garden. He donated it to a non-profit and now you can visit and tour it yourself.

What to know before you go:

• Is it worth the 1 hour 45 minute drive from Orlando? Well, no. It’s fun to walk around, especially on the day we went it was really cold, so it was enjoyable. It’s also nice to see mini waterfalls, even if they are man-made. But we were planning on visiting another park, so we made a full day out of it. This is also very close to Devil’s Den, so you could hit up more than one natural attraction in one trip.

• What is the cost? For an adult it was $12 each.

• Is it handicap accessible? Not really. There are multi-level trails that include steps. You would be restricted to the upper levels.

• Is it dog-friendly? Yes, but they ask for a heads up as there is a dog on property.

• How long does it take to tour the grounds? We took our time, and we probably spent an hour and a half, stopping to take pictures along the way.

Silver Springs State Park

Silver Springs was about a thirty-five minute drive from Cedar Woods, so we headed there after hoping to see some manatees. Unfortunately, there were no canoe rentals for some reason, so if there were manatees they were out deeper in the water. However, the gorgeous water is still refreshing to look at from the shore. Silver Springs is known for their glass bottom boat rides, which I have done in the past, but we didn’t do on this visit due to no enforcement of mask wearing on the boats. We walked several of the trails, and went to the many overlooks that sit over the springs.

What to know before you go:

• The cost of admission is only $2.

• Normally you can canoe or kayak, but I’d call ahead and inquire before you go to ensure they are renting equipment that day (but you can bring your own and pay the launch fee of $4)

• No other amenities were open on the day we went.

• There are sitting/picnic areas so you could easily pack a lunch to bring.

• Is it dog-friendly if your dog is friendly.

• Hit up Haeorum Foods while you are there and thank me later.

Rainbow River Springs State Park

Rainbow Springs State Park is also about a half an hour from Cedar Woods and Lakes Garden, so if a trip to Silver Springs doesn’t interest you, you have rainbow Springs as another option to hit two parks in one day.

In the summer, Rainbow Springs is known as a popular tubing and canoeing destination. The water in the springs feels so nice at 72 degrees year-round. Even in the winter there is a small dedicated area for swimming/snorkeling. However, we went to walk the trails.

What to know before you go:

• The cost to enter the park is $2, but you are asked to have exact change.

• There are three trails marked by different colors, blue, white, and yellow. We chose the shortest trail and it kept putting us on another trail so we walked longer than expected. 😂 Bring water.

• The park has three “waterfalls”, but sometimes they are dry. They were flowing on our trip.

• There are plenty of picnic areas so bring snacks!

All entry to these parks was paid for personally, none of these places paid or sponsored me to write these posts. I am just continuing to look for fun, safe things to do during COVID.