Daggerwing Nature Center

"We almost didn't come here because my husband read that it was a very short walk. However, we are very glad we did. It was fun and memorable! We were immediately engaged by the stork walking around the lakefront by the parking lot. We actually didn't know what it was, but we found it later on inside the Center as one of the exhibits. After that, we immediately saw a whole bunch of turtles while looking over a footbridge. I'm not kidding you when I tell you we saw 10 turtles all at once. They kept swimming up to us and passing by. We were convinced they were looking for food, but We concluded that was not the case. The turtles were different from each other and were fascinating to watch. We spoke with some folks who had seen an alligator an hour before that. But, don't worry, you are well out of the way of the alligators. The walk was indeed short, less than a mile, but if you pay attention to the educational signs and look for the bits of nature that they describe, it is a fun and engaging time. We saw some cool native plants that grow in the trees and we learned about bald cypress trees and how they are deciduous and their roots pop up and are called knees. I've been around the block in these types of places, yet I've never known these little facts! The signs didn't talk about them, but I saw some spiders I've never seen before. I'm not a spider lover but I could not help but appreciate how amazing they were. After our walk we went inside the Exhibit Center and were pleasantly greated by a nice lady named Rona. From start to finish, we had a really great visit. As far as it being small, I kind of liked that fact. Sometimes you just want to have a little outing, perhaps with kids or perhaps you just want to get out of the house for a little while but not commit to a whole day. This is perfect."

"Free. Can’t beat that. Cool turtles and tortoises. Alligators. Nature boardwalk. Friendly and informative staff. Huge park."

"Love this little nature center inside the massive county park. We took elementary age kids and basically entertained them for free. My bargain hunting friends looking for daytime activities with kids will surely love this place. We spent just under two hours here. The indoor nature center has a few exhibits that were educational. A side room had story and picture books and crayons and pages to color. The nature walk in back of the building was the highlight tough, featuring an elevated boardwalk through the natural area. The boardwalk had viewing spots where we saw many turtles, fish, and birds. At the end, the boardwalk led to a three story observation tower that the kids loved to climb. The experience offered a glimpse of South Florida in its original natural state."

"Excellent place to spend time with the little ones and to know about our beautiful Florida ecosystems! We had a blast visiting the Exhibition Hall, reading books in the Book Nook corner, and then walking along the elevated deck along Trees and wild animals. We had the great surprise to see an alligator swimming along with snap turtles."

"This is a delightful park that has a little bit of something for everyone. The center itself is a fun and interactive place for kids and adults to experience a small,taste of florida nature up close and personal. Their exhibit room is stunning and informative. They also have daily animal feedings :-) my kids adore this place!"