Orlando Wetlands

End where the city's water work becomes a landscape.Orlando bought 1,650 acres near Fort Christmas in 1986 and converted much of it into treatment wetlands, formally the Orlando Easterly Wetlands. Reclaimed water moves through managed cells where plants and soils remove nutrients before the water continues through the St. Johns River system. More than 18 miles of berm trails, the Cypress Boardwalk, a Visitor Center opened in 2025, and abundant birds make the process visible without changing its first job: water reclamation. The City's own history also acknowledges Timucua and Seminole relationships with this region and forced removal; the engineered marsh is not untouched land.Grounds open Tuesday–Sunday sunrise to sunset and close Monday. The 07:00–19:30 Builder hours are a conservative snapshot for August 26, 2026 and must move with daylight; the gate is automatic. The Visitor Center is Tuesday–Saturday 09:00–16:00. Admission and parking are free, though peak-season parking can fill. Bring water, sun protection, and closed-toe shoes; restrooms are only at the entrance. Pets are prohibited except ADA-defined service animals, wildlife must never be fed or touched, and children need close supervision around alligators. The boardwalk and visitor facilities are accessible; sand-shell berms are generally wheelchair accessible only in good, dry conditions. More

End where the city's water work becomes a landscape.Orlando bought 1,650 acres near Fort Christmas in 1986 and converted much of it into treatment wetlands, formally the Orlando Easterly Wetlands. Reclaimed water moves through managed cells where plants and soils remove nutrients before the water continues through the St. Johns River system. More than 18 miles of berm trails, the Cypress Boardwalk, a Visitor Center opened in 2025, and abundant birds make the process visible without changing its first job: water reclamation. The City's own history also acknowledges Timucua and Seminole relationships with this region and forced removal; the engineered marsh is not untouched land.Grounds open Tuesday–Sunday sunrise to sunset and close Monday. The 07:00–19:30 Builder hours are a conservative snapshot for August 26, 2026 and must move with daylight; the gate is automatic. The Visitor Center is Tuesday–Saturday 09:00–16:00. Admission and parking are free, though peak-season parking can fill. Bring water, sun protection, and closed-toe shoes; restrooms are only at the entrance. Pets are prohibited except ADA-defined service animals, wildlife must never be fed or touched, and children need close supervision around alligators. The boardwalk and visitor facilities are accessible; sand-shell berms are generally wheelchair accessible only in good, dry conditions. More