dog friendly park

Lakeland Highlands Scrub

Overview: Lakeland Highlands Scrub is rated 4.6/5 from 280 Google reviews. Visitors say this park has great trails for walking and hiking, and is a safe place to walk dogs. Amenities: Reviewers often mention shade and tree cover and poop bags, seating, and other park extras.

4.6Google rating
280reviews
6photos
Overview

What stands out here

Open now
4.6(280 reviews)

Overview: Lakeland Highlands Scrub is rated 4.6/5 from 280 Google reviews. Visitors say this park has great trails for walking and hiking, and is a safe place to walk dogs. Amenities: Reviewers often mention shade and tree cover and poop bags, seating, and other park extras.

Visitors say this park has great trails for walking and hiking, and is a safe place to walk dogs. They also highlight the abundance of gopher tortoises, which are a unique and interesting feature of the park.

Best for

owners who want shade, seating, and water accesslonger visits with useful park amenities

Quick facts

Address6998 Lakeland Highlands Rd, Lakeland, FL 33813, USA
Phone(863) 534-7377
City pageLakeland
Imported fromLakeland, FL

Useful details

These tags come from the imported Google export and help visitors scan the park vibe quickly.

owners who want shade, seating, and water accesslonger visits with useful park amenitiesparktourist attraction6 Google photos280 reviewsOpen now

Park photos

Real photo coverage helps visitors judge size, atmosphere, and maintenance before they head out.

Recent Google review highlights

Showing the actual texture of owner feedback makes the park page much more useful than a bare directory card.

Jordan Costelic2 months ago

I love the scrub, i havnt been there in nearly 5 years and the last time i was there there wasnt as much homes built up on the entrance road! The city is lucky to have auch a magnificent preserved area, would be cool to see it expand and have more wilderness walking areas.

Cassie4 years ago

Beautiful secluded and well kept up trails. We got to see Gopher tortoises, a black racer, lizards, squirrels, and a Terrapin turtle! Very nice hike, we didn't do the full loop, we crossed over the middle trail and cut our hike in half.

Melinda Clark4 years ago

Love walking here with my dog. Having an unseen handicap and unable to tolerate the direct sunlight and heat of the day for long periods of time, the shaded trails are wonderful in allowing me to still get out and enjoy nature. This is one of my favorite trails in Polk County.

Dave D3 years ago

Great place to walk in nature. The boardwalk has a gazebo so you can take a break in the shade. There are several covered picnic tables with grills and a chemical toilet.

Melanie Gilliland8 years ago

We love hiking here and it's only 10 mins from our home. It's so important to preserve Florida's scrub habitats. This Reserve is located on the Lakeland Highlands Ridge. A short trail winds through an oak hammock. The longer trail goes through the scrub habitat. There's also a boardwalk with a covered hut with benches that crosses a small pond/wetlands area. Some of the wildlife we have seen here includes the endangered Gopher Tortoise, rabbits, snakes (including a small coral snake), bull frogs, small gators in the pond, a bobcat, and 2 Great-Horned owls. There used to be a colony of endangered Florida Scrub Jays there, but sadly they are no longer there. Give yourself a couple hours at least to enjoy the longer trail. There's a small parking lot and one or two handicapped spots. Two covered picnic tables are at the trial-head, as well as a Porta-potty. There are no other facilities. It is a minimally maintained Fl State Reserve, and kept as natural as possible. Dogs are welcome on a leash.

Opening hours

When Google exported structured hours, they’re surfaced here instead of being buried in the raw payload.

  • Monday: 6:00 AM – 6:30 PM
  • Tuesday: 6:00 AM – 6:30 PM
  • Wednesday: 6:00 AM – 6:30 PM
  • Thursday: 6:00 AM – 6:30 PM
  • Friday: 6:00 AM – 6:30 PM
  • Saturday: 6:00 AM – 6:30 PM
  • Sunday: 6:00 AM – 6:30 PM

Google map

Embedded map view for quick orientation before visitors head out.

Keep exploring

Helpful links to compare this park with the wider area and plan your next outing.

More parks in Lakeland

Browse the full city page to compare nearby parks, local reviews, photos, and park types.

Florida state hub

Explore nearby city pages across Florida when you want more park options in the region.

Sponsored

Sponsored placement