This is a small park with not much to it. There are a few benches and 1 picnic table available. Very limited parking as well. It's great for briefly escaping the hustle and bustle of the nearby Las Olas shops and restaurants. It's also great for watching the boats go by. read more

Colee Hammock Park - View from the park picnic table - Parks Near Me - Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Great little park right on the river. We watched the boat light show from here with great views. Will be back.

This is a small and cute spot to relax, be at one with nature and watch the boats go past. There are few mansions to study and admire as well. This is also another historical spot in Fort Lauderdale, see my Yelp friend's info below. read more

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1500 Brickell Dr Fort Lauderdale, FL 6 am -9 pm daily 954-828-7275 Lovely little park with many memories for me. I use to teach a class at the Presbyterian Church and would come afterward to the sun or eat lunch. This park has a few parking spots, no bathroom, comfy benches, and is right on the waterway. This park is also not far from Las Olas. My Nephew got married to his first wife 10 years ago and it was a beautiful place to get married. So if you want to rent the space it has beautiful trees and is shady. Today we came to chill at the park and take beautiful pictures. read more

This is a gorgeous 1.1 acre park on the south fork of the New River. It has lovely trees, benches, tables, and a stunning view of the river and the surrounding mansions that line it. There are only a few parking spots lining the outside of the park but there is a city pay lot a block up the street. On my visit while walking around I discovered a plaque placed by the Daughters of the American Revolution commemorating this park as the sight of the Colee Hammock Massacre. I knew about the event and always thought the location was across the river from the Broward Performing Arts Center. I was floored to find the marker and have my years of misconception corrected. William Cooley was one of the first pioneers of the New River Settlement now known as Ft. Lauderale. He became wealthy with an arrowroot plantation and he traded with Seminole and Creek nations nearby. In 1835 the white settlers killed a Creek chief named Alibama and were acquitted. The Creek blamed Cooley for this injustice and when he was away for business in Key West the Creek entered the plantation on January 6, 1836 and killed Cooley's wife, infant son, son, daughter,and a tutor. The house was set on fire. This started the Second Seminole War because the settlers couldn't distinguish between the Seminoles and the Creeks. The eventual outcome was the Indian Removal Act were the native people were forced out west on the Trail of Tears. The remaining Seminoles fled to the inner swampland where they can still be found today. Cooley fled Ft. Lauderdale but lived in Florida until his death. Upon further research I found that the plaque marking the massacre may have been put in the wrong spot as the event actually took place further up the river closer to Sailboat Bend but residents don't want it moved to the correct spot. This is not the only muddling of history at this spot. Residents were confused at the time of the naming of this park in 1934. They originally wanted to honor the Cooley family but there was some confusion about the name. James Louis Colee was also a resident of the New River Settlement but decades after Cooley. He set up a work camp at the site of this park where he worked on the construction of  the Intracoastal Waterway project. Through the years the names of Cooley and Colee have been mixed up. In 1982 the park was officially named Colee Hammock park to reflect James Lois Colee's work camp not the Cooley massacre. Today the park is used as a spot to take in the waterway, fish, and climb the trees. It can rented for weddings and it is also an ideal place to view the Winterfest Boat Parade. People come early to lay out their chairs and blankets to mark their spot. I found the park to be an ideal place to reflect on the history of Ft. Lauderdale which has grown from a small trading settlement on the river to a world class city. In the span of roughly 100 years from when it was incorporated into a city in 1911, Ft. Lauderdale has changed yet it was managed to hang onto it's charm in part because of places like this park. read more

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Colee Hammock Park is a small park that's ajacent to the river.  There's lots of shade available, and despite its nearness to a busy throughfare, when you visit here you'll feel like the city is a whole world away :-) This park is a good place to come if you want to sit by the water and read, and/or just sit and watch the boats pass by. Most of the time when you're here, you'll probably be almost all by yourself, which is a plus in my book! read more

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This little peaceful park is a nothingness in comparison to the big something for everyone parks, but more than any, it meets with the more classical definition of a peaceful, restful, natural green space. It hasn't any adornments to speak of, just a few benches, a nice lawn with plenty of shade trees. But above all, what it really has that other parks can't even come close to in comparison is a location on a bend of the New River with a stunning views of near unsurpassed beauty. If there is one park that exemplifies "Lovely Laudy," this is it. Bring a lawn chair, a blanket, your packed picnic basket, and enjoy the tranquility. read more

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Pros: Beautiful view of the river benches quiet free parking close to Las Olas shaded Cons: no jungle gym for kids no bathrooms only service animals allowed (some of you might think that is a Pro) This is a great park to visit on a winter afternoon. You watch the yachts go by and the tour boats. You can grab a snack along Las Olas and eat it here. read more

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Such a great park!! Beautiful and bucolic. The setting on the intracoastal can't be beat and I love the trees and oversized benches and seating. Usually not crowded. Bring your dog, they'll love it too!! read more

Colee Hammock Park was an impromptu stop during a few hour layover. I ended up getting tacos from a near by restaurant that had a 2 hour wait. I ended up ordering and walking the few blocks over to the park. It was relativity lit but also enjoyable later in the night. There's plenty of park benches and a few tables. There was a nice parking lot with plenty of spaces. I also appreciated the water scene. It was quite enjoyable. I hope to come back some day to be able to play some lawn games and enjoy some daylight. If you haven't been to this park yet, you should stop by and live it up! read more

This was a great location to view my first Winterfest Boat Parade! If you are looking for a public location for boat parade viewing this is it... but don't tell everyone! This small park is tucked in the residential area south of Las Olas and with that said, it does not have its own parking lot. The neighboring church has towing signs at the entrance so the search was on for parking. With this event, a walk was in order. On this comfy evening, that was perfect. The word is out on the nitch because it was crowded. We brought chairs and found a great spot to plant them as we awaiting the start. The view of the "mansion" across the water with its private party was pre-parade entertainment. Oh to be one of the "beautiful" people. lol If you want to save the inflated charges for a private viewing loction, this is a great option. See you next year! read more

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Nice little park to just sit by the water and watch the boats and the birds pass through. Great view of the homes that I can't afford, but very peaceful and quiet. read more

This little gem is awesome. We found this place because we needed to eat our lunch somewhere as the restaurant we wanted to eat had no inside service. Less than a mile from the food joint we found this urban paradise, a little park on the New River with picnic tables and benches spaced troughout the park. Great trees providing shade, the breeze off the river, it made for a magical afternoon. read more

I've found my park in Ft. Lauderdale. Hallelujah! I am a woman of simple needs. I just want trees, a place for me to lay my blanket so I can enjoy my books, journals and snacks, with some water to gaze upon. This tiny gem of a park satisfies all those needs, and more! Today I got to live out a moment that felt like my favorite scene from Sword in the Stone. Squirrels came up to me! They were so adorable and playful, and considering that they are my totem animal I took it as a sign of welcoming me 'home'. This park is just south of Las Olas but easy to miss if you aren't looking for it. A good amount of benches to sit on spread around the park, and a great deal of green trees to provide some wonderful fresh air and shady breezes. Love! read more

Colee Hammock Park - My squirrel buddy! - Parks Near Me - Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Came to see the annual Winterfest Boat Parade on the New River. Came early to get a good spot and found out that many people use a trick to hold waterfront spots before anyone else gets there. They place their folding chairs, folding tables and collapsible canopies under a tarp or plastic sheeting covering them with sticks, bricks and debris making it look like the park personnel did it. They then show up right before the boat parade and set-up camp. Their secret is out LOL. Come early and hide your stuff under a tarp, you can get the premium viewing spots that way! read more

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Spectacular park with great views in Ft. Lauderdale just off of Las Olas. Very relaxing, lots of shade, not crowded and peaceful. Possibly my favorite park in S. Florida. read more

Colee Hammock Park - Parks Near Me - Fort Lauderdale, Florida

This is the perfect spot for a picnic on a sunny South Florida day. Grab a Publix sub or something from Las Olas and head over to Colee Hammock to sit under the palms and watch fisherman trying to catch dinner and yachts cruising past obscenely large homes. Just think...if you visit this park, you get the same view for free that they paid $20 million for! The little lending library at the park entrance is a cute touch and ensures that if you're in the mood for reading but forgot a book, you're all set! Look up into the huge live oak trees in the late spring and you might get to see one of Florida's native orchids, Encyclia tampensis, the Tampa butterfly orchid in full bloom. The flowers aren't huge, but they are beautiful! read more

My little piece of Fort Laudy heaven... One of my favorite places in the world. :-) A small, quiet, usually not very crowded park where squirrels run around as you hear bells in the distance playing a familiar melody announcing the time. It's right by the river, so you can also watch people in boats every now and then navigating out to the sea. Great for reading or calming yourself after a bad day. There are a very few benches, lovely trees and plenty of grass inviting you to throw a blanket and do a little cat nap. :-) read more

This is a small park with calm and peaceful energy. When you walk into the park, it's small but you feel like it has its own space. It feels very cozy. I organized some free meditation class at this park while I was staying here and plan to come back every year to provide free meditation class. read more

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Lovely, quiet park, beautiful views (you can certainly enjoy dreaming about owning the amazing boats that go by), several benches, nice grassy area. A perfect place to relax and unwind - I would bring a blanket or some chairs. read more

Colee Hammock Park - Beautiful day at the park - Parks Near Me - Fort Lauderdale, Florida

I'm not sure it's appropriate to say that if I were homeless I would spend a lot of time in Colee Hammock Park, but it is such a cozy yet spacious park somehow secluded and yet prominently located on the main canal just off off Las Olas. This park is the perfect spot to lounge after brunching hard at a downtown locale. Interesting people and boat watching as many small and large watercraft head out to sea or explore Fort Lauderdale's amazing canal mazes. The houses around her are opulent and charming and there are numerous giant trees under which to take a nap as well as a few benches to watch all the water traffic. If you time it right you can spot numerous manatees looking for warm waters as well. There are often vagrants hanging out in the park along with some large gatherings for a church meeting, theatrical performance or other group, but to me I enjoy random meeting places that are beautiful and attract a diverse crowd. More often than not though there will be as many iguanas and manatees as others in your vicinity. There are few places that allow such direct access to a beautiful neighborhood on the water and Colee Hammock is a treasure precisely for that reason. read more

Such a beautiful little sanctuary just steps off las olas. If you weren't looking for it, you'd probably never come across this awesome patch of green space right in front of billion dollar homes and mega yachts passing by. Lots of nice big trees for shade and canopy and with the benches and the breeze from intercoastal it's a great place to bring a book. read more

It's a small park, but it's really peaceful. I loved sitting on a bench and just watching the boats pass by. read more

Colee Hammock Park - Parks Near Me - Fort Lauderdale, Florida

You'll drive past this park a million times before you know it's there. A few blocks away form Las Olas, you'll find this peaceful swatch of land perched right on the river. Bring your picnic basket and get ready to see some amazing yachts sailing by. Free Parking lasts for two hours, so plan accordingly. read more

Best Park off Las Olas to watch the toys of the 1% float by. Billionaire Huizenga's house is directly across the river. You can frequently see him watch you look at him. read more

Colee Hammock Park - Yacht - Parks Near Me - Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Cool little park just south of Las Olas where you can relax and stare at yachts and houses you can't afford. Give Wayne a wave while you're there, too. read more

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So happy I decided to come to this park. Such a beautiful little gem on the water. The entrance of the park has a bookcase with books that you can borrow and return upon leaving. I put my hammock up in the trees and watched the boats go by. Amazingly wonderful Saturday afternoon. read more

Colee Hammock Park - Relaxing on my hammock watching the boats go by - Parks Near Me - Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Beautiful, peaceful park on the intracoastal. Perfect place for a picnic.

Looking around for venues, Colee Hammock was just around the corner so we checked it out. Glad we did, not only is the neighborhood wealthy, clean, and friendly, but its open. This is a small park, don't expect a ton of acreage here. However, I describe it as a peaceful corner near downtown Fort Lauderdale. The area is guarded by police, if you are worried about rowdiness and cleanliness. There is no bathrooms here and no dogs allowed so you do have to be prepared. read more

I wanted to go for a run outside today but I had to be at the Fort Lauderdale airport later today so I decided to come to a park near the area. I looked up on Yelp and well this park came up with nice reviews. Funny thing is that it is quiet small and not convenient for a run. But it is a very nice small park to bring kids or a dog to walk. It is in front of of the river. It has such a beautiful view. I saw a few old couples just sitting and enjoy their day. There are a couple of benches to sit. There is no public restroom in the area. There are a couple of parking spaces on the side of the street. If you are in the mood to enjoy a beautiful day with a loved one or even alone go to this park. I would recommend it for like a picnic date or just to watch the boats go bye. I did see two men fishing while I was there. Overall, I think its a beautiful spot to just sit in the busy day at Fort Lauderdale. read more

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This is such a relaxing, quaint, peaceful place. I once saw a bunch of wild green parrots in the trees here. Good place to free park and walk to the shops/restaurants on Las Olas, if you're OK hiking a few blocks. read more

Very pretty park for a quiet relaxing day. A lot of shaded areas. Nice view of the water and several boats passing by. No pets allowed. Perfect for a picnic or lazy day of reading a book under the shade. read more