Visiting Hammock Park, a Nature Sanctuary in Dunedin, Florida

Hammock Park is one of Dunedin, Florida’s hidden gems, a 96-acre natural sanctuary in the midst of a residential neighborhood, and one of several great city parks in Dunedin. It’s known among locals as a place to walk the dog, immerse yourself in nature along one of the dirt nature trails, and even as a connector between neighborhoods. In this blog post, learn more about Hammock Park through the eyes of one of those locals – me!

Though the nearby state parks – Honeymoon Island State Park and Caladesi Island State Park – find favor with visitors and tourists, Hammock Park holds a special place in the hearts of locals. It’s a large park for this city and offers so many fun activities. And because it’s located in a residential area and has several small entrances, it’s a good connector between neighborhoods.

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Hammock Park is a mixed-hardwood forest with quite a bit of wetlands and a creek called Cedar Creek which eventually empties into St. Joseph Sound. In fact, an early survey of Dunedin calls the area where the park sits “wet swamp” and notes refer to it as “a hammock”. According to Friends of the Hammock, a not-for-profit organization which supports education, conservation, and beautification of the park, there are 300 native species of trees, shrubs, ferns, wildflowers and small animals and over 100 species of birds in the park. The latter is one reason why this small city park is on the Great Florida Birding Trail.

History of Hammock Park in Dunedin

In 2012, Friends of the Hammock prepared a 30 page history of the land where Hammock Park now sits. I won’t go into the entire thing here, but it’s worth a read if you love history, especially this kind of obscure history that often doesn’t make it to government websites and Wikipedia.

Hammock Park’s history as a city-owned parcel began in 1965 when local attorney, Ken Kerr, sold 85 acres to the city. The property had been platted in the 1920s for development, including digging “mosquito ditches”. Kerr had purchased the property some time after 1931 with the intention of continuing the development plans. Instead, he fell in love with its natural state and aimed to preserve that by selling it to the city.

FUN FACT: In the 1920s, mosquito ditches were seen as a solution to a mosquito problem. Land developers believed that digging ditches across areas of wetland would float the mosquito larvae out to sea. Of course, that didn’t fix the problem. It left ugly scars on the land still seen on aerial maps today. Many of these ditches, like those at Weedon Island Nature Preserve, are now used as kayak trails through the mangroves. 

In 1972, the Dunedin Historical Society began actions to have the Hammock placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Though the park itself is not listed on the Register, Andrews Memorial Chapel which occupies a corner of the park has been listed since 1972.

1974 was a busy year for the Hammock. The Hammock Advisory Committee was created to maintain the park and develop a management plan. In the same year, the Dunedin Garden Club created the first self-guide nature trail on Sugarberry Trail West. The Club also carried out in-depth studies and identification of the plants and animals in the park, preparing for the “State of Florida Natural Feature” designation. It became Florida’s first “State of Florida Natural Feature” in 1976.

In 1994, Friends of the Hammock was created with the mission to “help provide support for education, beautification, management, and charitable programs associated with the Hammock Park located in Dunedin, Florida.” The Friends is instrumental in organizing clean-up events for trash and invasive plants, educational programs, and facilitating ongoing research and studies at Hammock Park.

Such research identified in the late 1990s that the park was drying out and affecting the growth and health of many of the Hammock’s oldest trees. From 2002 through 2009, a drainage and hydration project was put into place to restore the length of time water has to soak back into the soil. Studies showed it was running off too quickly into Cedar Creek and not providing the soil and hydrology an historically wet ecosystem needs to thrive.

Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, additional facilities and amenities were added to the park, such as more nature trails, a boardwalk, improving existing bridges, a butterfly garden, and a playground. In 2016, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, which sits adjacent to the Hammock, offered to sell a little over seven acres of land to the city. The city declined so the church began talks with a local developer who planned to build 14 townhomes on the property. After quite a bit of public outcry, the city finally purchased the land and, in 2022, finished all of the rezoning needed to make sure those seven acres cannot be sold or developed in the future without a public referendum.

Things to Do at Hammock Park

For nature lovers, Hammock Park is a quiet spot in an ocean of development. For local residents, it’s a place to reset, find quiet contemplation, let the kids play, walk the dogs, and get some exercise. Despite its reputation as a natural sanctuary, there are a lot of things to do in Hammock Park and visiting is considered one of the best things to do in Dunedin.

Nature Trails

The main reason to visit Hammock Park is to get outdoors and enjoy the area’s natural beauty. More than five miles of mostly unpaved trails wind through the driest parts of the park. Boardwalks provide dry walking trails in the wetter parts of the park. Along the nature trails, one can see birds, rabbits, gopher tortoises, and a variety of native plant life. One of the most unique features of this park are the century-old trees, many standing 80 to 90 feet tall and more than 3 feet in circumference. The Hammock provides the perfect “low hardwood and palm hammock” ecosystem for unique trees to grow, such as Sweetbays, a wetland-loving member of the magnolia family.

Playground

A treehouse-themed playground sits in a shady spot near the main entrance parking lot and is a favorite among area kids. My own son loved to come here to climb to the top of the spider net and boulders. The playground also includes slides and swings. Benches and covered picnic tables provide places to sit, read, or watch your kids play.

Butterfly Garden

The Butterfly Garden located near the the main entrance and adjacent to Andrews Memorial Chapel is a project of the Friends of the Hammock. It was started in 2010 and includes 12 flower beds with various native flowering plants to attract butterflies. Plants include dune sunflower, blazing star, tickseed, and milkweed. Many of the plants and trees on the grounds are also larval host plants.

Disc Golf

The northwest part of Hammock Park features the Osprey Loop, a paved walking path, and the Disc Golf Course around the loop. Some of the holes are found within cleared areas surrounded by bushes and trees to add to the difficulty of the course. 

Kayaking

Cedar Creek leads from Hammock Park beneath Alternate 19 and out to St. Joseph’s Sound. A kayak launch near the main entrance provides a place where kayakers can access the mouth of the creek and the open waters beyond. If you have a SUP, you can launch from here but will need to navigate low bridges so won’t be able to stand on your board. Though I’m an avid kayaker, I’ve never launched from Hammock Park. There are far better places to launch a kayak in Dunedin.

Andrews Memorial Chapel

Andrews Memorial Chapel is one of the oldest churches in Dunedin. Built in 1888, it originally stood where the First Presbyterian Church now stands at the corner of Scotland and Highland. The Dunedin Historical Society purchased the chapel in 1971 and moved it to its present location in Hammock Park. It’s open Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays to see the exquisite interior. Though worship services are not held here, it’s available to rent for weddings, photo shoots, and other special events.

Tips for Visiting Dunedin’s Hammock Park

Hammock Park is located in the heart of Dunedin, a little more than a mile north of downtown Dunedin. It’s located beside the Pinellas Trail with signage to the park so is an easy and fun stop if you’re walking, jogging, or cycling on the Trail.

• Main entrance: 1900 San Mateo Drive
• Hours: sunrise to sunset (I do not recommend being in the park after dark as a pack of coyotes lives there.)
• Free entry and parking
• Being water and snacks – there are no concessions at the park

Wrapping It Up: Hammock Park

Hammock Park is a jewel in the Dunedin park system crown, a hidden gem which is favored by locals. With miles of trails, natural ecosystems, a butterfly, playground, and other amenities, it’s a great place to spend a morning. Whether you visit to commune with nature, to walk the dogs, or to let the kids get some energy out, Hammock Park delivers an exceptional experience that keeps visitors coming back week after week, month after month, and year after year.