Nathan Benderson Park started as a pretty but ordinary park with a large man-made lake in its center. It was great for a run, hike, a dog walk, or paddling a kayak or a paddleboard. Then rowers discovered it.
Apparently, this unique 600-acre park with its 400-acre lake has been declared as one of the few facilities in North America with all necessary natural attributes for a first class rowing facility.
As a result, the park started having regular regatta competitions, and it acquired a range of facilities necessary for this sport: racing lanes, coaching lanes, straight shorelines, wave attenuation, a boathouse, a training center, start and finish huts and towers, grand stands for spectators, and a modern boat maintenance facility.
Don’t worry, you can still take a spin around the lake on your bike or bring a picnic basket for a Sunday lunch on the grass.
5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota, FL 34235, Phone: 941-358-7275
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