Lake Wailes Park
Downtown · 1.15-mi paved loop
Anchor park on Lake Wailes. Playground, pavilions, fishing pier, farmers-market lawn.
§ 5C · Parks · Lakes · Preserves
The Ridge is a wilderness in miniature.
The Lake Wales Ridge holds some of the oldest and rarest scrub habitat in North America — more endemic species per acre than almost anywhere in Florida. City parks anchor daily life; state parks and preserves anchor the weekends.
Parks & preserves
Kiwanis Park
Downtown
Basketball, tennis, and the city's community pool complex.
Crystal Lake Park
Central
Shaded neighborhood park with a small lake and picnic shelters.
Northwest / MLK Park
Northwest neighborhood
Community programming, basketball courts, open field.
Bok Tower Gardens
1151 Tower Blvd
250-acre Olmsted Jr. landscape. National Historic Landmark. Reservations recommended.
Lake Kissimmee State Park
14248 Camp Mack Rd (~15 mi E)
5,930 acres. 1876-era cow camp, hiking, paddling, primitive camping.
Catfish Creek Preserve
Off Firetower Rd (~10 mi SE)
8,000 acres of Lake Wales Ridge scrub — one of the rarest ecosystems in North America.
Tiger Creek Preserve
TNC · ~8 mi SE
Longleaf pine, blackwater creek, boardwalk trail. Free.
Lakes of the Ridge
Lake Wailes
170 acres · downtown
The city's namesake. Bass, bluegill, city-managed pier.
Crooked Lake
4,247 acres · Babson Park
Rare Outstanding Florida Water designation. Clear sand-bottom.
Lake Pierce
3,752 acres · NE
Bass fishing; several small marinas.
Lake Weohyakapka (Walk-in-the-Water)
7,528 acres · E
Bass and crappie destination; east-shore boat ramp.
Lake Kissimmee
34,948 acres · E
Trophy bass on the Kissimmee chain.