Construction at Horizon West Regional Park (HWRP) is nearing completion!

The playground and restrooms have been finished and beautifully landscaped, featuring a large play structure covered by overhead shade sails. Family-friendly restroom facilities include separate sections for men, women, and a family restroom, along with drinking fountains and a bottle filler.

Currently, construction crews are connecting the park’s water and sewer lines to the mains at Hamlin Groves Trail. The new east entrance sidewalk near the intersection of Tiny Road and Bridgewater Crossings Blvd. has been built, and will soon be landscaped. Driveways, parking areas, sidewalks, and light poles are in place, creating a welcoming neighborhood hub ready to greet its first visitors. Horizon West resident, Jerry Blank, has been an enthusiastic and dedicated advocate of the parks in our community for many years. He has mapped trails, catalogued wildlife, and shared planning and construction updates so that residents can enjoy the location to the fullest throughout each phase of development!

Photos Courtesy of Jerry Blank.

Horizon West Regional Park Info

Horizon West Regional Park, located between New Independence Parkway and Bridgewater Middle School, spans an impressive 200 acres, making it one of Orange County’s largest urban parks. The main entrance is accessible via Hamlin Groves Trail. By late 2025, HWRP will offer a range of amenities that reflect the needs of the community, encompassing various unique Florida ecosystems.

The groundwork for the park’s improvements began in 2019, when our District 1 Commissioner collaborated with Orange County Parks staff to host public meetings and gather input on development plans. This level of grassroots participation in the planning process has been essential to creating a space that truly serves the community.

Construction Plans and Phases

With Phase 1A construction currently underway, HWRP is set to introduce urban-style facilities, including restrooms, a playground, picnic areas, an event pavilion, and parking lots. The future Orange County Library Branch for Horizon West will also be integrated into the park.

Phase 1A is providing basic infrastructure, paved access, utilities, signage, landscaping, and the following amenities:

• Two paved parking lots (165 parking spaces total), with adjacent overflow grass parking space
• Pedestrian / bicycle sidewalk access from Hamlin Groves Trail, and from the intersection of Bridgewater Crossings Blvd. and Tiny Road
• Restroom facilities (including a third “family” restroom), with water fountains and a bottle filler
• A large playground, equipped with shade sails
• A small picnic shelter with one picnic table
• A larger southeast event pavilion with eight picnic tables, two charcoal grills, a bicycle rack, and water fountains
• Many of the unpaved multi-use trails that existed prior to Phase 1A construction are expected to be usable when the park reopens. Some routes were eliminated during park construction. A few trails were closed or re-routed in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton.

Completion of Phase 1A is expected this year. After that, Orange County Parks and Recreation will begin the bidding process for Phase 1B.

Phase 1B — Future amenities, subject to change:

• Expansions of both of the Phase 1A paved parking areas, with additional landscaping, to accommodate farmer’s markets and public events
• An open-air “green space” for events, on the south side of the new central traffic roundabout
• Additional sidewalks will connect both parking areas to the roundabout and “green space”
• A third picnic shelter / pavilion with a paved parking area, west of the playground
• A splash pad, located east of the restroom building and playground
• A floating dock / kayak launch at Lake Hartley, about 500 feet south of the newly-completed southeast pavilion

Phase 2 and Beyond:

The continued development of HWRP will take place over the coming years, as funding becomes available.

The park’s master plan outlines possible amenities for future phases, including:

• Community center and performing arts stage, adjacent to the open-air “green space” envisioned for Phase 1B
• A dog park
• Baseball / softball fields
• Pickleball and tennis courts
• Basketball courts
• Multi-purpose fields
• Disc golf course
• Outdoor exercise stations
• Botanical garden
• Landscape restoration

Visiting Horizon West Regional Park

Currently Closed for Construction
HWRP is closed for Phase 1A construction, with completion anticipated by mid-to-late 2025. Over the past decade, residents have enjoyed recreational activities such as cycling, horseback riding, hiking, and dog-walking within the park’s undeveloped areas. The decision by Orange County Parks and Recreation to maintain about five miles of grass trails has generated public interest and increased visitation.

As constructions progress, residents look forward to witnessing diverse flora and fauna, including native wildflowers and local wildlife, enhancing the natural beauty of the park.