Fort Lauderdale

Exploring Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale may not be somewhere you’ve thought of hiking, biking, or paddling, but you’ll be surprised what Broward County has to offer.

Most of the hiking trails are short nature walks, but some immerse you in habitats you won’t easily see anywhere else in such an urban setting, including pond apple swamps and sawgrass prairies.

Fort Lauderdale is home to two state parks and a robust number of county parks with hiking trails.

While the oceanfront is heavily populated, you can find quieter strands at Hugh Taylor Birch State Park and Mizell-Johnson State Park, as well as the at the Hillsborough Lighthouse Park.

Most of the surrounding communities – including Coral Springs, Dania, Davie, Deerfield Beach, Hollywood, Miramar, Plantation, Pompano Beach, Pembroke Pines, Sunrise, Tamarac – have at least one or more parks and natural areas off of major roads.

Continue west on Interstate 75 to US 27, and you’ll find the Everglades stretching off to the horizon, with Sawgrass Recreational Park one of several gateways into it.

Trails and Parks around Fort Lauderdale

Best Fort Lauderdale Area Trails

Anne Kolb Nature Center Whether it's from the top of a five-level observation tower or at ground level with the land crabs, Anne Kolb Nature Center focuses on the urban mangrove forest that it protects and interprets.

Fern Forest Nature Center A bounty of ferns awaits at Fern Forest Nature Center, where more than two miles of trails introduce you to a slice of Florida's past, a tropical forest surrounding the original floodplain of Cypress Creek

Hugh Taylor Birch State Park Amid a tropical forest near the Atlantic Ocean, Hugh Taylor Birch State Park is the former estate of Chicago attorney Hugh Taylor Birch, stretching to the Intracoastal Waterway.

Secret Woods Nature Center Designated the first “urban wilderness area” in Florida in 1978, Secret Woods protects a 56-acre floodplain of cypress strand and mangroves with uplands of tropical hammock.

Best Fort Lauderdale Natural Attractions

Bonnet House Surrounded by 35 acres of tropical forest, the Bonnet House was a gift from industrialist Hugh Taylor Birch to his daughter Helen and son-in-law Fredric Clay Bartlett.

Butterfly World While butterflies are the main attraction at this complex of natural wonders inside Tradewinds Park, a series of gardens also put on quite a show.

Flamingo Gardens A nonprofit botanical garden with its roots in a citrus grove, Flamingo Gardens began with tropical trees planted in 1928, now giants among the thematic gardens across 60 acres of Davie.

More Fort Lauderdale Parks and Trails

Anne Kolb Nature Center Whether it's from the top of a five-level observation tower or at ground level with the land crabs, Anne Kolb Nature Center focuses on the urban mangrove forest that it protects and interprets.

Barrier Island Nature Trail At Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park, the Barrier Island Nature Trail gets you away from the busy beach and into a patch of wilds along a slender barrier island.

Coastal Hammock Trail In the southern corner of Hugh Taylor Birch State Park, the Coastal Hammock Trail traverses a maritime hammock dense with sea grapes, myrsine, gumbo limbo, and stopper.

Colohatchee Park An interpretive boardwalk along the South Fork of the Middle River leads you on an exploration of a mangrove forest in Colohatchee Park north of Fort Lauderdale.

Crystal Lake Sand Pine Scrub Natural Area Winding through a diminutive forest of sand live oak, gopher apple, and sand pines, the accessible 0.4-mile trail through Crystal Lake Natural Area celebrates scrub.

Doris Davis Foreman Wilderness A pretty patch of tropical hammock hides amid the bustle of suburbia in Parkland in Broward County on the half-mile loop through Doris Davis Foreman Wilderness Preserve.

Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park With its shores dwarfed at times by the giant cruise ships steaming in and out of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park is well-known as a great nearshore dive spot.

Easterlin Park A designated urban wilderness area just north of Fort Lauderdale, Easterlin Park immerses you in a dense tropical forest on its 0.9-mile loop trail.

Exotic Trail Running down the middle of Hugh Taylor Birch State Park, the Exotic Trail traces a path through the exotic gardens of the former estate of Hugh Taylor Birch, Terramar.

Fern Forest Nature Center A bounty of ferns awaits at Fern Forest Nature Center, where more than two miles of trails introduce you to a slice of Florida's past, a tropical forest surrounding the original floodplain of Cypress Creek

Florida Trail, Big Cypress North 8.0 miles. An easy ramble from the I-75 rest area north along Nobles Grade, this wildlife-rich segment of the Florida Trail offers several loop options for day hikers and backpackers.

Florida Trail, Seminole Stretching 56.2 miles from the Big Cypress Seminole Reservation to Lake Okeechobee, the Seminole section crosses a vast agricultural region, with hiking on roads and levees.

Helene Klein Pineland Preserve In just 13 acres, Helene Klein Pineland Preserve packs in a nice walk through a variety of habitats within an urban forest along busy Hillsboro Blvd.

Hillsboro Pineland Natural Area A 44 acre remnant of forest that once spanned between the Atlantic Coastal Ridge and the Everglades, Hillsboro Pineland Natural Area offers gentle nature trails less than a mile long.

Hugh Taylor Birch State Park Amid a tropical forest near the Atlantic Ocean, Hugh Taylor Birch State Park is the former estate of Chicago attorney Hugh Taylor Birch, stretching to the Intracoastal Waterway.

Markham Park Along the eastern edge of the Everglades in Sunrise, Markham Park has an impressive variety of outdoor recreation opportunities, trail connectivity, and a full-service campground for overnight stays.

Pine Island Ridge Natural Area At the highest natural elevation in Broward County, this pine-topped ridge speaks to the history of those who lived here in the past, in a village that Mikasuki medicine chief Abiaka called home.

Pondhawk Natural Area Pondhawk Natural Area protects 79 acres of scrub habitats and wetlands, including a relict pond apple slough with some of the tallest pond apple trees in Florida.

Secret Woods Nature Center Designated the first “urban wilderness area” in Florida in 1978, Secret Woods protects a 56-acre floodplain of cypress strand and mangroves with uplands of tropical hammock.

Snake Warriors Island Natural Area Walk a gentle accessible half-mile loop while learning about the oldest documented settlement in the eastern Everglades at Snake Warrior's Island in Miramar.

Tall Cypress Natural Area Protecting 66 acres of natural habitats in Coral Springs, Tall Cypress Natural Area offers a wonderland of ferns along its loop trail through a cypress slough.

Tradewinds Park One of the largest parks near Fort Lauderdale, Tradewinds Park provides a surprising variety of activities, from farm animals and butterflies to miles of trails.

Tree Tops Park Climb into the forest canopy to browse among the bromeliads amid the ancient live oaks at Tree Tops Park.

West Lake Park Explore both the wild and mild sides of an urban mangrove jungle at West Lake Park by hiking, biking, or paddling this outstanding Florida Water.

Woodmont Natural Area A designated urban wilderness area, Woodmont Natural Area in Tamarac is one of the rare islands of nature left in western Broward County.

Recent Articles

Florida’s Best Urban Parks (10/27/2016) When you live in a tightly packed space, you need somewhere green as your go-to place nearby. These are our top picks for parks in Florida's urban areas, chosen for their diversity of outdoor activities and/or their unique green spaces.

The Barefoot Mailman (2/18/2016) Hiking barefoot in Florida isn't new. Back in the 1880s, it was part of your job description if you delivered mail between Palm Beach and Miami. Learn more at the Hillsboro Lighthouse in Pompano Beach.