Visit the Hernando Lake Park and playground for a quick, peaceful, family excursion.
What we loved:
- The view! It's beautiful here.
- The shady trees
- The fence
- The ducks
What we would have liked:
- Higher rails on the boardwalk gazebo (little one's like to climb)
- Updated equipment
- Seating inside the playground area
Lake Hernando Park Address: 3699 E Orange Dr, Hernando, FL 34442
The Lake Hernando Park Playground: Offering lake views, basic play, and peaceful nature.
The Lake Hernando Playground is a fenced-in pocket playground located next to the beautiful Hernando Beach. This 3-acre park was well worth the visit and kept me and my little ones entertained for a solid hour (and we didn't even swim).
I loved the monkey rings!" Liam, age 3.
The Lake Hernando Park Playground features a small play structure equipped with
- a short ladder
- a double slide
- a single slide
- a circular climbing ladder
- stairs
- gymnastic inspired monkey rings
Although there isn't a canopy above this Hernando playground, visitors appreciate the two massive trees overhead offering shade under leaves and Spanish moss.
A short green fence surrounds the mulch-based playground - perfect for containing wandering little ones!
Inside the fence, is a black bumper my 5-year-old used as a balance beam.
To the side of the tot play structure, visitors will find a swing set with two traditional swings.
And good news for parents of babies and tots: the Hernando Park Playground also sports two-bucket swings.
Directly outside of the fence, you'll find a trash can and a bench facing the lake.
Also, the Hernando Lake Park features numerous canopied picnic tables to the right of the playground, so seating is abundant at the park.
However, it would be nice to have a bench or two inside the actual playground. (Perhaps in the future.)
Park Conveniences: There is a free parking lot with ample parking and a cement walkway that leads to the public restrooms.
To the left of the playground, you'll discover a boat dock, where we saw a jet ski, motorboat, and sailboarder, so there's no short of lake activities.
While you're there, visit Hernando Beach, which offers swimming.
However, due to the various signs saying "No LifeGuard on Duty" and "Swim at Your Own Risk" - with snake and alligator pictures - let's just say we sat that out.
(Give me some slack, I grew up in Vermont.)
Still, we had a blast playing in the sand, identifying the animal footprints, and watching the waddling ducks.
To the side, you'll find a boardwalk leading to a gazebo structure on stilts.
We enjoyed the lake view, but the short railing in front of two active boys who like to climb, made me nervous, so we left the boardwalk after only five minutes.
On our way back to the car, we also saw swimmers jumping out of the gazebo, a couple playing frisbee in the green space, and a few visitors sitting in fold-up chairs taking it all in.
The lowdown
Overall, the Lake Hernando Park and Playground offered a quiet, reflective place for kids and adults alike with lots of nature.
The playground, although small, got the job done, and the lake view and sandy shore would have been worth the trip alone.
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