Vista View Park
Notice: The park's weekend and holiday gate admission of $1.50 per person (everyone over age five) is now charged to everyone whether arriving in a vehicle, on a bike, on a horse, or walking through the gate.| Calendar of Events |
Weather at the Park |
Maps and Directions |
For Your Safety |
Fee Schedule |
At 272 acres of green rolling hills and meadows, Vista View offers a wide range of activities. Eight different picnic shelters offer plenty of room for family picnicking. Other amenities include 2 playgrounds, basketball courts, boat rentals, equestrian corral, an airstrip for electric radio-controlled plane and glider pilots, fishing docks and an area for primitive group camping.
In addition, outdoor enthusiasts have been attracted to the park for its athletic challenges. The hills and fitness trail have become a training ground for many sporting activities.
Picnic Shelters
Vista View Park offers two different picnic shelters complete with picnic tables, a grill, and electric outlets. Reservations are required and payment must be made when reserved. Click on the appropriate link to see a layout of each shelter.
• Shelter 1 (Small Shelter – Capacity 40 people)
• Shelter 2 (Small Shelter – Capacity 40 people)
• Shelter 3 (Medium Shelter – Capacity 60 people)
• Shelter 4 (Large Shelter – Capacity 90 people)
• Shelter 5 (Small Shelter – Capacity 40 people)
• Shelter 6 (Medium Shelter – Capacity 60 people)
• Shelter 7 (Small Shelter – Capacity 40 people)
• Shelter 8 (Large Shelter – Capacity 90 people)
Other picnic areas located in the park without shelters are on a first come first served basis.
Playgrounds
Vista View Park offers two separate playgrounds. Both playgrounds are covered with shade canopies and offer many different types of play apparatus. The larger playground is a Universal Access playground which can be utilized by all different levels of ability. The playground, named Caitlyn’s Corral, is in memory of Caitlyn Munson and dedicated to all children who play there.
Playground Update:
Caitlyn's Corral Playground at Vista View Park has been awarded certification from Boundless Playgrounds. The facility received the award for exceeding the minimum requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and standards of the playground industry. The group Boundless Playgrounds is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping communities create extraordinary playgrounds where children, with and without disabilities, can develop essential skills for life as they learn together through play. Caitlyn's Corral joins the more than 140 Boundless playgrounds in 26 states and Canada, with dozens more in development. Universal design practices and child development theories are incorporated into Boundless' standards, along with additional recommended best practices and enhancements.
Paved Pathways
Enjoy walking, running, rollerblading, or recreational cycling on the paved pathways. Pets are welcome, but must be on a leash no longer than 6 ft.
Fitness Trail.
A 1/2 mile loop trail offers several different fitness stations that may be used. Fitness stations include a balance station, lower body warm-up, bench stepper, torso stability station, upper body warm-up, standing push-up, forearm rolls, upper body strengthening station, and lower body stretching station.
Horse Trail
A 2.1-mile horse trail loops around the park which connects to the trails that have been established throughout the Town of Davie. Please view the rules - Horse Trail Do's and Don'ts.
Airfield and Paragliding
The airfield is home to the Vista View Flyers, Inc. electric powered plane club. All users must be registered with the park and hold a current AMA card, which must be posted while flying. For more details, contact the park office at 954-327-8797.
Vista View Park is also home to the ParaGator Paragliding club. All users must be registered with the park and carry insurance. For more details, contact the park office at 954-327-8797.
Special Events
Vista View Park is home to many special events. The Park’s hills make it the perfect place for cycling or running events which may not be able to be held anywhere else in South Florida. The flat areas are a great place to hold concerts, festivals, etc. For information about holding an event at Vista View, please call the Park Manager at 954-327-8797 ext. 18371.
Primitive Camping
Vista View offers primitive camping for use by nonprofit organizations. All organizations requesting its use must apply for and be issued a Specific Use Permit one week prior to the date of use. A fee will be charged per day/night -- $1 per child and $2 per adult. Youth-to-adult ratio must be no more than 10 youngsters to two adults, and overnight security may be required. Only tent camping is permitted in this area.
Fishing
Fishing is permitted along the shoreline and from the fishing piers. Catch and release is encouraged. A Fishing license is required (ages 16 and up) and all State of Florida and Federal fishing regulations apply.
Boat Rentals
Row boats may be rented at the park office for use in the lake. Renters must be over 18 years of age and show proof of age. Fee and security deposit will apply.
Film and Photo Access
The County allows the use of the Long Key Nature Center and Natural Area for film, television commercials, and photography locations, based upon certain criteria. To discuss the use and availability of the grounds for film or photography, please contact 954-327-8797, ext. 18371.
Volunteer Opportunities
Vista View Park offers many opportunities to volunteer. Please view our volunteer page for more information. We also welcome aspiring Eagle Scouts to approach us with their project ideas. Contact the park's Volunteer Site Coordinator at 954-327-8797 to learn how you can be a part of this unique park.
A little history of the park… Vista View was not always a park. For decades the spot where you now stand was used as cattle pasture. In the 1950s, for instance, you would have found yourself surrounded by grazing cows instead of playgrounds, picnic shelters, and horse trails. For almost 40 years, The Pownall Family owned and operated Imagination Farms, which was once one of the State’s largest independent dairy farms. From 1964 to 1987, the property to the north served as a county landfill.
By 2003 the entire Vista View property was purchased to be transformed into a park with all the amenities visitors enjoy today. That famous phrase from the movies refers not just to the visitors who make the park a recreational haven but to the wildlife that will eventually coexist here as well. Prior to the park’s construction, natural communities were largely absent because of the site’s history as described above.
During the design phase, however, pockets of three different “re-created” natural communities were incorporated into the plans. These habitats – Dry Prairie, Mesic Flatwoods, and Hammock – were created by landscaping with some of the plants native to the communities, and as they grow and mature, it is anticipated that some of the animals naturally found in these respective communities will also make Vista View their home.
| Calendar of Events |
Weather at the Park |
Maps and Directions |
For Your Safety |
Fee Schedule |
For more information, contact:
Vista View Park
4001 S.W. 142nd Ave.
Davie, FL 33330
Phone: 954-357-8898
Fax: 954-357-8897
e-mail: VistaViewPark@broward.org
