Blue Jacket Park

Blue Jacket Park is nestled in Baldwin Park, one of Orlando's most attractive and walkable neighborhoods — and it reflects the quality of its surroundings. This is a large, well-maintained city park that offers a lot more than a basic playground, making it worth the trip even for visitors staying in other parts of the city.

The park features a solid playground for kids in the 2-12 range, wide-open green lawns that are perfect for running and ball games, a dedicated dog park, and direct access to the trails around Lake Baldwin. The combination of playground plus open space plus water views is hard to beat for a free public park in Central Florida.

A few things distinguish Blue Jacket Park from the average Orlando municipal park. First, the neighborhood quality: Baldwin Park was designed as a walkable new urbanist community, so the park connects naturally to a village center with coffee shops, restaurants, and a grocery store — making it easy to combine a morning park visit with breakfast or lunch. Second, the lake access: the paved paths around Lake Baldwin extend the outing considerably for families with bikes, scooters, or kids who just like to walk.

The dog park is a hit even for families without dogs — kids who love animals will spend time watching the action at the fence, and it adds a social energy to the park that you don't get at quieter municipal spaces.

Timingwise, early mornings and late afternoons are the sweet spots to avoid Florida heat. The park opens at 6am, which is actually a practical option for families staying near downtown Orlando who want a morning activity before the heat sets in. Weekday mornings are noticeably quieter than weekend afternoons.