When you first pull in, you can either go straight or to the left. You'll want to go both ways eventually, to explore all the park has to offer. (No entrance fee, by the way, and plenty of parking.) Drive past the boat ramp and park by the restrooms. You'll see plenty of picnic tables with grills for use. From here, take the Peggy Park trail, an easy mile-long trail on boardwalk and ground, next to gorgeous Lake Tarpon and then Brooker Creek. I took a friend of mine who has lived in Florida for many years, and she said, "Wow, this is the most Florida-looking trail I've ever seen!" That's because the saw grass palms are everywhere, with the water reflecting all the greenery.

Once you're done with this trail, walk over toward the boat ramp, to enjoy the boardwalk over the lake. You can climb the observation tower for a great view of Lake Tarpon. You'll find little picnic shelters right out over the water - fantastic.

Once you're done here, you can drive over to the other end of the park, where you are almost guaranteed to find alligators for viewing. After you drive over the small bridge, park on the left, and you'll see a large canal with footbridges over it. This is where you will most likely see a gator. You should be cautious and don't stand on the water's edge, but you can go over the footbridges with no problem. This is where we take friends who want to see a gator - we've never been disappointed.

On the right side of the road, there's a larger lake with swinging benches to relax in, and lots of wildlife (including gators) in the lake. Sit and swing a while - you'll spot turtles, gators, egrets, and herons of all types.