A mile and a half of gravel along the green edge of Laureate Park, built for the people who live there. Here is where it actually starts, and why your map app will send you somewhere else.
The Laureate Park Nature Trail is a gravel walking path that runs north to south along the east side of the Laureate Park neighborhood in Lake Nona, Orlando. Its southern trailhead is at 9291 Laureate Blvd, and it ends at the neighborhood's northeastern edge, just east of a large pond. It is about 1.5 miles one way and is not a loop. It crosses Tavistock Lakes Blvd and Nemours Parkway, with sidewalk connections into the neighborhood and posted trail rules at every street crossing. The address map apps list as the trailhead, 12764 Bovet Ave, is a separate short path in the northwest corner of Laureate Park. There is no designated parking at any access point.
Search for this trail and you will be sent to 12764 Bovet Ave. Travel guides call it a 1.5-mile loop that starts there. Older write-ups, including our own first version of this post, described an unmarked entrance off Narcoossee Road and benches along the way. None of that is right.
The real trail runs along the other side of the neighborhood, has no Narcoossee Road entrance, no benches, and no loop. What it does have is a mile and a half of quiet gravel between the homes of Laureate Park and the wetlands east of them. This guide is written from walking it.
Where is the Laureate Park Nature Trail?
The trail runs along the east side of Laureate Park, from a southern trailhead at 9291 Laureate Blvd north to the neighborhood's northeastern edge, just east of a large pond.
Walking south to north: start at 9291 Laureate Blvd and follow the gravel north to Tavistock Lakes Blvd. Cross, turn left onto a paved path, and shortly after turn north again onto the gravel. That stretch carries you up to Nemours Parkway. Cross Nemours and the trail continues to its end at the northeastern corner of Laureate Park. It is a dead end there, so the only way back is the way you came or out through the neighborhood.
Tavistock Lakes Blvd and Nemours Parkway are both through roads, not neighborhood lanes. Treat the two crossings the way you would any busy street, especially with children or a dog.
Why do map apps send you to Bovet Avenue?
Because the online listing called Laureate Park Nature Trailhead sits at 12764 Bovet Ave, which is a different, much shorter gravel path in the northwest corner of Laureate Park that does not connect to the main trail.
The Bovet Avenue path runs through a patch of woods between a small park and one of the newer phases of the neighborhood. It is pleasant, and it is short. It is also the place most online reviews are describing, which is why some of them call the trail a brief walk behind a playground that they would not drive across town for. They are reviewing the wrong trail.
Some travel guides then combine the two: the Bovet Avenue address with the main trail's length, described as a loop. If you want the walk this post is about, ignore the pin and head for Laureate Blvd on the east side of the neighborhood.
How long is the Laureate Park trail, and is it a loop?
The trail is about 1.5 miles one way and is not a loop, so walking to the northern end and back is roughly 3 miles.
That 1.5-mile figure is our estimate, not an official measurement, and it includes the short paved connection at the Tavistock Lakes Blvd crossing. No official Lake Nona source publishes a length for this trail.
Some travel guides call it a loop. The gravel trail does not loop around the neighborhood. You can make your own circuit by walking back through Laureate Park on the sidewalks, but that half is pavement past houses, not trail. Laureate Park also has other short gravel paths, including the one on Bovet Avenue, that are not connected to this one.
You do not have to walk the whole thing. Every street the trail crosses has paved sidewalks or wider paved paths running back into the neighborhood, so residents can join at the nearest crossing and turn around whenever they like.
| Southern trailhead | 9291 Laureate Blvd, Orlando, FL |
|---|---|
| Northern end | Northeastern edge of Laureate Park, just east of a large pond (dead end) |
| Length | About 1.5 miles one way (estimated); about 3 miles out and back |
| Street crossings | Tavistock Lakes Blvd and Nemours Parkway, each with posted trail rules |
| Surface | Gravel, with a short paved section at Tavistock Lakes Blvd |
| Best for | Walking and running; difficult with a stroller |
| Seating and water | None on the trail; a small park at the Tavistock Lakes Blvd crossing has benches and a water fountain |
| Lighting | None; daylight use only |
| Traffic | Light |
| Parking | No designated parking at any access point |
| Land owner | Lake Nona Land Company |
How do you get to the trail from Narcoossee Road?
There is no trail entrance on Narcoossee Road; the nearest access is on foot, by the sidewalks around AdventHealth Lab Lake Nona and the Lake Nona Pillar at Narcoossee Road and Tavistock Lakes Blvd.
AdventHealth Lab Lake Nona is a medical office building facing Narcoossee Road. Sidewalks from it wrap around one of the Lake Nona Pillars at the corner of Narcoossee Road and Tavistock Lakes Blvd and lead to the trail. That is a walking route, not a parking plan: the building's lot serves its patients.
Everyone else reaches the trail from inside Laureate Park, using the sidewalk and path connections at each street crossing.
Can the public use the trail, and where do you park?
This part of Laureate Park is not gated, so the trail is physically open, but there is no designated parking at any access point, which suggests it was built mainly for residents walking in from home.
The land belongs to the Lake Nona Land Company, the Tavistock-affiliated company behind Lake Nona. Rules are posted on signs at every street crossing; read them before you set out, because they are the only published guidance on who may use the trail and how. We have not been able to confirm the rules for visitors from outside the neighborhood.
If you do not live in Laureate Park, the honest advice is that this trail is not set up for you to drive to. Lake Nona has better options for visitors, covered below.
What is the trail like to walk?
It is a gravel path with homes on one side and green space and wetland on the other, with tree shade at some times of day and full sun at others.
The eastern side of the trail is mostly undeveloped green space and wetland. That is where the trees are, and it is why the shade comes and goes: depending on the time of day, parts of the trail are covered and parts are in full sun. In summer, plan on the sun and treat any shade as a bonus.
There are no benches on the trail itself. The one place to sit is the small park beside the trail at the Tavistock Lakes Blvd crossing, which has benches and a water fountain. It is one of the many unnamed pocket parks scattered through Laureate Park, and it is the natural halfway stop.
Gravel is fine for walking and running and hard work for a stroller. It would suit a mountain bike, but check the posted rules before riding.
Expect the wildlife you would find along any stretch of wetland and conservation land in a Central Florida suburb. We are not going to promise particular species. Wetland also means water: keep dogs leashed and away from the edge, since any Central Florida pond or wetland can hold an alligator. Bring insect repellent, especially near dawn and dusk.
The trail is lightly used, so you will often have long stretches to yourself. It is also unlit. Plan to be off it by dark.
How does the trail fit into Lake Nona's wider trail network?
The Laureate Park trail is one piece of a community network that Lake Nona's developer says totals over 40 miles of paved and unpaved trails and paths.
You will see 44 miles quoted almost everywhere, including on real estate sites. That number came from older marketing. The developer's own trails page still carries it in the web address, but the page text now says over 40 miles. Use the lower figure; it is the one the source currently stands behind.
If you want a trail built for visitors, or a longer outing, these are the better picks, all covered in our Lake Nona parks and trails hub:
- Lake Nona's trail network for linking neighborhood paths into a longer walk or ride.
- The paved Orlando Southeast Trail, which trailheads at Heroes Community Park. Better for road bikes and strollers.
- Split Oak Forest, for real hiking in protected land south of Lake Nona.
- Moss Park, the Orange County regional park on Lake Hart and Lake Mary Jane, whose trails connect into Split Oak.
Does the trail matter if you are buying in Laureate Park?
It is a real daily-use amenity for homes on the east side of Laureate Park, but not a reason on its own to choose the neighborhood or to pay more for a particular house.
Buyers pick Laureate Park for its layout, its schools, the Village Center with its pool and fitness center, and its position next to Medical City. The trail adds something most Lake Nona neighborhoods do not have: a long unpaved path you can reach on foot without crossing into another community.
Some homes back directly onto the trail. For those houses, the question is not distance but trade-offs, and it is worth walking the trail behind a specific house before you decide. On one side of the ledger: green space and wetland rather than another back yard, and a trail that stays quiet most of the day. On the other: walkers and runners passing behind the fence, and no lighting on the trail after dark. How much privacy the fence and landscaping give you varies house by house.
How much it matters depends on where the house is. On the east side, the trail is close at hand. From the northwest corner, the nearest thing is the short Bovet Avenue path. If a daily walk on gravel matters to you, check which side of the neighborhood a house is on, and then walk from it to the nearest crossing before you write an offer.
It also fits a pattern. Laureate Park puts much of its outdoor life in small, walkable pieces: pocket parks like the one at the Tavistock Lakes crossing, the community green that hosts Yoga Nona, and this trail. None of them is a destination by itself. Together they are why people walk here more than in most Orlando suburbs.
What is the honest read on the Laureate Park trail?
For Laureate Park residents it is one of the neighborhood's best everyday amenities; for everyone else it is hard to reach and not set up for visitors.
Pros
- About 1.5 miles of gravel each way, long enough for a real 3-mile walk or run.
- Green space and wetland along the whole east side, rather than back fences on both sides.
- Lightly used, so it stays quiet.
- Paved connections at every street crossing, so residents can join and leave anywhere.
- A pocket park with benches and a water fountain at the halfway crossing.
Cons
- Map apps and most online listings send you to the wrong path.
- No designated parking anywhere, and visitor rules we could not confirm.
- Two crossings of through roads, Tavistock Lakes Blvd and Nemours Parkway.
- Not a loop, no benches on the trail itself, and gravel that is hard going with a stroller.
- Shade depends on the time of day; summer sun is part of the deal.
- No lighting, so it is a daylight trail only.
Our take: If you live on the east side of Laureate Park, this trail is worth building a morning routine around. If you are house-hunting in Laureate Park, it is a fair reason to favor the east side, not to stretch on price. If you live elsewhere and want a nature walk, go to Split Oak Forest or Moss Park, which are built for visitors, and save this one for when you live here.
What the Neighbors Know
The first thing locals know is that the trail everyone online is describing is not this one. The Bovet Avenue path in the northwest corner is a short walk through the woods; the trail that runs the length of the east side is the one residents mean.
The second is how it is meant to be used. There is no trailhead parking because it was never meant to be driven to. It is threaded into the neighborhood at every cross street, so it works as a backyard for the east side of Laureate Park: out the door, down the sidewalk, onto the gravel, and back before work. On most mornings you will pass only a handful of people. If you are weighing a house here, that is the test worth running. Walk from the front door to the nearest crossing and see how it feels.
Official sources
The inclusion of businesses, individuals, groups, associations, and links on this site does not imply endorsement by the site owner.
Looking at Laureate Park and want to know which streets put you closest to the trail, the Village Center or the schools? Call/Text David Myers at 407.801.3286 or use the contact form.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the Laureate Park Nature Trail start and end?
The southern trailhead is at 9291 Laureate Blvd. The trail runs north along the east side of Laureate Park, crosses Tavistock Lakes Blvd and Nemours Parkway, and ends at the northeastern edge of the neighborhood just east of a large pond.
How long is the Laureate Park Nature Trail?
About 1.5 miles one way, by our estimate, including a short paved section at the Tavistock Lakes Blvd crossing. It is a point-to-point trail, not a loop, so walking to the end and back is roughly 3 miles.
Is 12764 Bovet Ave the Laureate Park trailhead?
No. Map apps and review sites list 12764 Bovet Ave as the Laureate Park Nature Trailhead, but that address is a separate, short gravel path through the woods between a small park and a newer phase in the northwest corner of Laureate Park. It is not connected to the main trail on the east side.
Can the public use the Laureate Park trail, and where do you park?
The trail sits on land owned by the Lake Nona Land Company, and this part of Laureate Park is not gated. There is no designated parking at any access point, which suggests it is intended mainly for residents walking in from the neighborhood. Trail rules are posted on signs at each street crossing.
Is the Laureate Park trail paved, and can you use a stroller or bike?
Most of it is gravel, with a short paved section at the Tavistock Lakes Blvd crossing. It suits walking and running; gravel is hard going with a stroller. Mountain bikes can handle the surface, but read the posted trail rules before riding.
Do homes back onto the Laureate Park Nature Trail?
Yes. Some homes on the east side of Laureate Park back directly onto the trail. It is lightly used and unlit at night, with green space and wetland on the opposite side, so walk the trail behind a specific house to judge privacy before buying.
How many miles of trails does Lake Nona have?
Lake Nona's developer currently says the community has over 40 miles of paved and unpaved trails and paths. The widely repeated 44-mile figure comes from older marketing; the official page still uses it in its web address but no longer in its text.
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