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Reported: October 2020

Mead Botanical Garden, Winter Park...

Walking/Hiking Trails, Boardwalk, Bike Trail Connector

Mead Botanical Garden, established in 1940, is a park in Winter Park FL. Though the paved bike trail is short (about 4/10 mile), it's well-used by bikers as a link between the Orlando Urban Trail and Winter Park Biking. Mead Botanical Garden's 48 acres include varied ecosystems from sandhill upland to wetland with natural areas including Howell Creek, Lake Lillian and Lake Lillian Marsh, and Alice's Pond. The park offers a variety of activities for nature lovers, including walking/hiking paths, boardwalk, butterfly garden, and more. Other than the paved bike trail and main road, most trails are better suited for walking and hiking. Part of the Great Florida Birding Trail, the park is also popular with birdwatchers. (Map and photos below).

Mead Garden-Winter Park Biking Map

Location: Orange County (Winter Park)
Mileage: Various
Surface: Paved multi-use path, dirt and grass trails, boardwalk
Trailheads/Parking: Mead Garden (See map)
Nearby Points of Interest: Park Avenue, Morse Museum of Art, Rollins College, Albin Polasek House and Gardens

Bike Shops / Bike Rentals:

Winter Park Cycles (Baldwin Park, Orlando; sales, service)
Ace Metric Cycles (Orlando, Baldwin Park; sales, service)

Support and Advocacy:

Friends of Mead Garden

Mead Botanical Garden, Winter Park, Florida... Comments and Photos

From the Park entrance at Denning Drive and Garden Drive, the bike trail is just inside to the right. A grassy parking area is to the left, or proceed straight to the main parking area at the Garden Club. Bikers can become hikers by using the entry gate off a Winter Park multi-use path along S. Pennsylvania Ave., leading to a sandy path following Howell Creek. Here, the path is narrow with many roots, not suited for biking, but a pleasant (when dry) short, shady walk, much creek side, until nearing the parking lot.

Bike Path at Mead Garden

The path winds through the south end of the garden, past the picnic pavilion and a Sandhill Restoration Area, passing near Alice's Pond. It exits onto Nottingham St. in Orlando, a street route link to Orlando Urban Trail.

Walking / Hiking Paths, Boardwalk

The walking/hiking paths wind through and around the park, about 1.5 miles total, including a boardwalk through the marsh - it's hard to remember you're in the middle of town, it's jungle-like! They interconnect but are not marked so sometimes you have to guess which way to go. The trails along the creek and in the marsh area can be wet and muddy with many roots.

Along Howell Creek

From the Pennsylvania Ave. gate (along Winter Park Bike Path) to Amphitheater

Gate off Pennsylvania

Along the trail

Howell Creek

Boardwalk

Homes along the creek

Howell Creek

Exiting to Amphitheater

Boardwalk through Marsh

A loop from the Amphitheater and return

Leaving amphitheater

Onto the boardwalk

On the boardwalk

View of wetlands

On the boardwalk

Onto walking path

Emerging from path

Alice's Pond

At the south end of park, return to park road

Path leaving bike trail

Walking path

Birdwatching

Alice's Pond

Heron at the pond

Fishing

Return to park road, picnic table

Public Facilities

The park offers parking, restrooms, and picnic facilities. It includes the Winter Park Garden Club, reception hall, an amphitheater, a performance pavilion, greenhouse, community garden and more. Many educational programs are offered for both children and adults. It's also a popular venue for weddings and other events.

Nearby Biking:

Winter Park Area Biking
Orlando Urban Trail

Related Resources:

City of Winter Park - Parks
Mead Botanical Garden website