A community park centered on Round Lake, Round Lake Park has traditional recreation facilities amid wooded surroundings proving a buffer from adjacent neighborhoods.
Its shape suggests its a water-filled sinkhole, and indeed, the lake is about 46 feet deep according to a sign at the fishing pier.
With CR 419 running alongside it on one edge, it’s not a swimming hole, nor does the park’s pathways fully circle the lake.
But it’s large enough for a mile round-trip from the recreation complex with its playgrounds and ball courts to the far end of its boardwalk and back.
The boardwalk itself is a half-mile round-trip, but it feels longer. Narrow and with lots of zigzags and landings, it invites a slow pace.
From it, expect to see birds. We’ve watched limpkins and anhinga in its waters, and osprey soaring above. Turtles crowd on fallen logs and hawks screech overhead.
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Overview
Length: 1 mile round-trip
Trailhead: 28.67147, -81.19431
Address: 891 E Broadway St, Oviedo
Fees: Free
Restroom: At the trailhead
Land manager: City of Oviedo
Phone: 407-971-5565
Open dawn to 7 PM. Leashed dogs permitted. Picnic pavilions available for rental. The park tends to be busy on weekends. Additional parking is farther along the park road that parallels this path.
Directions
From SR 417 at Red Bug Lake Rd in Oviedo, drive one block east to CR 419. Turn left. Drive towards downtown Oviedo, the intersection of CR 434 and CR 419. Continue 0.9 mile. Turn left at the park entrance on Louise Street. Keep right to enter the park. If you’re here strictly for the boardwalk, follow the park entrance road to the back of the park.
Hike
In the deep shade at the parking area in the front of the park, a small memorial garden commemorates Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Behind the garden is a Little Free Library and a community building with restrooms at the far end facing the basketball courts.
Cross the park entrance road to start the hike by following the sidewalk past a large canopied playground towards the lake.
Curving to follow the lakeshore, it reaches a fishing pier extending into Round Lake. The pier offers a commanding panorama of the lake and the forest surrounding it.
Follow the sidewalk along the wooded edge of the lake, passing the tennis / pickleball courts and a second canopied play area adjoined by additional parking.
The path enters a wooded area with a clearing for a picnic shelter. Paralleling this path, the park road is nicely canopied by live oaks.
Curving with the shoreline of the lake, the sidewalk comes within sight of a large picnic pavilion under a canopy of moss-draped oaks.
Approach the start of the boardwalk at a half mile. It branches off to the right from the sidewalk, which ends at the back entrance of the park.
A faded Florida Trail Gateway Community sign adjoins the boardwalk. This is a Florida Trail Association program to foster relationships between trail users and local residents.
The trail followed this boardwalk until recently. Beneath the shade of loblolly bay trees, the boardwalk guides you to the edge of the lake.
At the first left jog in the boardwalk, an observation deck on the right provides a sweeping view of the entire lakeshore. Lilies dot shallower water.
Only the fishing pier and the sounds of vehicles break the illusion of being surrounded by forest instead of a city.
Thread your way through the trees. In the summer, the loblolly bay trees sport white blooms.
The boardwalk zigzags back and forth around the larger trees along the shoreline. A small bumpout is a clear observation spot, good for birding.
After a long straightaway along the edge of the lake, the boardwalk turns and enters a shaded corridor under the pines. Streamers of Spanish moss sway in the breeze.
The next overlook is along a grassy shallows, where ferns attempt to march into the water. It’s in this spot we’ve seen limpkins.
Climbing uphill a little, the boardwalk comes to a junction. A ramp leads left to a bench and garbage can adjoining the sidewalk along Reed Avenue.
That’s where the Florida Trail formerly entered Round Lake Park. It’s since been rerouted past the park. The boardwalk hasn’t ended, however.
Instead of leaving the park for the adjoining neighborhood, continue along the boardwalk.
Still tracing the edge of the lake, it enters an open area with more views back towards the pier and grassy area near the front entrance of the park.
Another large osprey nest is visible in the tallest of the trees up ahead. Curving to the south shore of the lake, the boardwalk comes to a conclusion near CR 419.
The final platform offers a panorama across the water a half mile into your walk. Turn around and retrace your route back to the trailhead to complete a full mile.
Trail Map
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Video
A walk through Round Lake Park
Slideshow
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