It took me a few tries to figure out how to access this nature preserve. It is across the street…read morefrom Helene Klein Preserve and Saw Palmetto Natural Area but unlike those natural areas it does not have it's own dedicated parking lot. However you can clearly see it's sign from Hillsboro Blvd. I ended up going past the sign and making the first right I could into the parking lot that runs behind Duffy's. By following the preserve fence down the lot I was finally able to find the path that runs into the preserve. It was worth the search because the six foot wide path led across a very pretty 100 foot pedestrian bridge into a gazebo. Other amenities include benches, a bike rack, and informational signs. The preserve is a 7.43 acre tract that is important for migrating birds as well as providing a home for the birds that stay here year round. The vegetation consists of pine flatwoods, saw palmetto, and pineland grasses. Many kinds of birds, fish, and birds make their home here. On my visit I saw a beautiful bright red cardinal and a raccoon that was busy emptying Duffy"s dumpster. Neither was amicable to being photographed.

I love taking my evening walks here! So relaxing and makes me feel one with nature! It's not…read morecrowded but also not scarily deserted either. Also very shady so you don't over heat! Just make sure it make it out before sunset, there's no lights and it gets very dark!

6 Acre Wood Park opened in 2003 and is a quarter mile loop trail that travels through pine…read moreflatwoods. The trail is accessible from Hillsboro Boulevard and the Winners Circle Trail but there is no parking lot. Along the trail you will see signs identifying plant and animal life that are indigenous to the area. As you walk you can be on the lookout for the Carolina Wren, woodpeckers, beauty berry, bald cypress trees, and poison ivy. 6 Acre Wood Park connects to Covered Bridge Park via a trail that runs between the two parks. At the entrance to the trail there was a stand with insect repellent but both cans were empty. The park is located next to a body of water that breeds mosquitos so it is advisable to bring your own repellent when hiking.

Blazing Star is 26 acres of scrub pine with a mile loop running on top of sugar sand. It is…read moreadjacent to the much larger Sugar Sand Park. This area was once part of the Atlantic Coastal Ridge, ancient dunes that lined the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the trail runs along I-95 and in addition to the cars you may hear the occasional train racing past. Plants you might encounter include sand live oaks, myrtle oak, Chapman oak, saw palmetto, slash pine, sand pine, bromeliad, prickly pear cactus, marsh ferns and cinnamon ferns and the invasive Brazilian pepper. When I came upon the pink and yellow lantana growing in the back of the preserve it was covered in zebra longwing butterflies. If you want to see the blazing star (Liatris), with it's stalks of purple flowers that the area takes it's name from you will have to plan your visit for late summer and early fall. If you are lucky you will see protected gopher tortoises. All I came upon however was a burrow. As you make your way through the preserve you will be serenaded by cicadas and crickets. This is a pretty isolate spot, especially when you get to the back of the preserve. Unlike a lot of other preserves I have visited this one is not paved so it is not wheelchair accessible. It was actually quite hard to even walk in the back but when I came upon a hundred butterflies floating around the plants it made the muddy sneakers and trek worth it. You have to be slow and quiet to fully appreciate this area but once you focus in a lot of surprises await you.

I'd be lying if I said Blazing Star Nature Preserve is a bundle of fun…read more.. It's located adjacent to the east side of Sugar Sand Park separated by the Tri-Rail road road tracks. The entrance/parking area is small but there is always a spot to park; actually, it's rare to see any cars here at all. Theres a bench to sit and watch nothing... There is a bike rack... There is an informational board mounted on a tiny building; perhaps a storage shed or sorts)... And there is the entrance to the trails.... That's basically what the park offers... trails that meander through a protected 12 acre parcel of land... lots of cabbage palms and pine trees... And there is a bit of wildlife to ooh and ahh at (if you find them)... the wildlife includes all the typical South Florida wildlife but have heard fox are present but Ive never seen (and I'd imagine they'd leave the park and put themselves at risk with vehicular traffic and residential communities). One of the reasons I don't love the park (and it's not because they don't offer more amenities), is the lack of accessible paths. The trails through the park are sugar sand (just like the namesake of our neighboring park, Sugar Sand Park)... they get a sprinkle of pine needles that gives the trail a bit of stabilization but for the most part they are exposed sugar sand... just white, soft, unforgiving sugar sand that makes walking a bit of a challenge (like trying to take a jog on the dry part of the beach). It'd be great if the City of Boca Raton would add or mix some shell rock to the paths... it'd make the park considerably more user friendly... or maybe even covering the paths with mulch.

Stunson Nature trail opened on April 27, 2018. It was created in partnership with many community…read moregroups including the School Board of Broward County, Florida Sea Grant, and Florida Urban Community Forestry Grant. The nature trail is named for longtime city manager John Stunson who died in November of 2016. There is a dedication plaque at the entrance of the trail to him. The contractor on the project was MBR Construction. The created an educational walking trail with emphasis on environmental zones, an enhanced wetland area, new landscaping and irrigation, creation of earthen berms, and new fences and landscaping. $474,000 was spent on the walking trail and another $27,000 for the archway entrance to the trail. This trail is a welcome addition to Oakland Park. You can park at Royal Palm Park located next door and walk over. The natural ground trail is perfect for all fitness levels. Native plants line the trail as it winds around a lake and passes through six environmental zone. Once you finish walking here you can pick up the fitness trail at Royal Palm Park.

Stunson Nature Trail is named after John Stunson, a longtime city manager of Oakland Park. The…read morenature trail is a quarter mile loop that goes through different ecological zones such as seashore zone, hardwood zone and flat wood zone. There are benches along the loop. The loop is gravel and boardwalk and is easy to navigate. Stunson Nature Trail has participated with the Million Orchid Project in which native orchids are planted (I didn't see any) The trail was very well maintained. It is a nice walk if you are in the area. It is next to Royal Palm Park, that is where I parked.

AMAZING!!! I forgot about this park. I use to come here with mom, mama & Mason! A lot of great…read morememories. Haven't been back here since 2017. Saw it during my morning run and had to stop by. Didn't realize I could bring my board and jump in the intercoastal! I DID! Hahah!!! Great park to bring your dog too! Met the locals and will definitely be returning more often! A must stop by if you are in the area.

This park was gorgeous and just glorious on a bright sunny afternoon. As a long-time Pompano…read moreresident, I just wish I'd found this place earlier! It's listed as a city park but is actually leased to the city by the Florida Inland Navigation District. You can read the entry sign that I photographed for more info on this. In any case, you won't really care either way who owns it or when it was founded, etc. etc., as you will love this place. There is easy free parking right when you enter after passing through a residential area of town. And there are a lot of open well-groomed grassy areas as well as tree shaded sections. For the active folks, there are a series of exercise suggestions with instructions on signs all grouped in one area and another set of metal exercise enablers throughout the park along the trail. For the children there are swings, and a playground that is designated for those 12 and under. We also saw a lot of dog walkers (there's plastic bags for clean up). For those less energetic, you can enjoy sitting on a park bench and watching the squirrels or taking a leisure stroll along the paved path. There are benches to rest at that are spaced out on the path periodically. On the east end of park is the intracoastal waterway and a small beach. There are a couple benches nearby here as well. We came upon a group of spring breakers who were enjoying the sunshine, tossing a football around, and fishing. You can even enter the water at a shallow area here. We took a short stroll (it's a small beach) to look at the crabs and other sea life. A young gal and her mom were at the beach too -- she was making sand "snowballs"! Like I said the weather was glorious. Sunny but with low humidity and a slight breeze off the water. We watched the boats go up and down and the bridge and just enjoyed a moment of what South Florida does best. We had errands to do, but we just didn't want to leave. We will be back.

Greenways are green spaces that have been closed to motorized vehicles in order to provide people a…read moresafe place to travel and exercise. With no cars, they are typically a great place to enjoy nature and spot wildlife. The Cypress Creek Greenway is 16.5 miles from the everglades to the ocean. The trail was mainly constructed between 2009 and 2012 and it is the longest stretch of paved recreational path in Broward County. The segment closest to where I live runs from Fern Forest Nature Center to 441. The entirety of the trail runs between Lyons Rd. and Sanibel Dr., just east of Sawgrass Expressway. The trail is asphalt and concrete making it ideal for walking, running, and biking. For three miles of the trail it parallels Southgate Boulevard on one side and the C-14 Canal on the other. While walking the greenway today I spotted wading birds and an Osprey diving for fish. The trail used to end at Fern forest but another segment was recently added that takes it to the Atlantic Ocean. Unfortunately the new segment of the trail is not directly linked to the old section. Instead you have to travel along the bike lane on Lyons Road 1.6 miles to McNab road before reconnecting to the Cypress Creek Greenway. Bike travel on Lyons road can be potentially dangerous. On the western end of the trail parking is available in Tamarac at Tephford Park Playground and the Gary B. Jones Park for People and Pups. On the east end of the trail parking is available at the end of Atlantic Boulevard in Pompano Beach. There is also parking at Fern Forest nature Center. One thing to note is that the greenway does not have any shade so it is best in the cooler months. There are a few benches along the way and it passes the Margate Boat Ramp. I had an enjoyable time looking for birds and walking off some of the turkey day dinner today. With the dip in temperature, this is a a fun trail to come out and explore.

Drove by this the other day on the way to another location and planned to come back. Brought my…read morehusband with me for a morning walk. The trail is nicely shaded and the path is wide and stable - might be a nice short running route. It links to some other local trails! The trail offers some side of the road parking, which seems to be underutilized. The park offers free bug spray at the entrance, which is spectacular because I can imagine it may get buggy in all that glorious shade. I love finding spaces like these, and look forward to coming back with the kids.

This pristine natural area is nestled in the heart of the City of Parkland and is named for Doris…read moreDavis Forman, wife of Hamilton Forman and mother of Collins and Austin. Cooperative efforts between the Forman family, City of Parkland Mayor and City Commissioners, Broward County Board of County Commissioners, and Riverglades Elementary PTA have enabled this once endangered native land to be planned, restored, and opened to the public under the 1989 Environmentally Sensitive Lands (ESL) Bond Program. In order to further a common goal and protect this uniquely diverse 20-acre site for public enjoyment and education, Broward County voters, on March 14, 1989, approved a $75 million bond issue referendum to acquire this and several other sites across the county. In turn, to provide public access, site amenities were designed, including a 5' wide, 900' long pedestrian trail traveling through pine woods and a 1,550' boardwalk meandering through cypress wetlands and past a breathtaking oak hammock. Two seating and observation areas along with a pavilion area are located along the trail. The public is encouraged to view this wondrous natural resource, to absorb its beauty, and to learn the importance of its preservation for future generations' quality of life. This is a nice, quiet place to go for a short walk. I saw hardly any people. It was kind of attached to a school with a fence which I guess is nice but didn't want people to think I was creeping about so I stayed away from it. Lol. There is no official parking so you kind of have to park on the street. I wasn't towed so I guess it was ok. I would return.

This park is really nice, on Seacrest in Boynton with limited parking. Saw gopher tortoises through…read morethe fence just walking up. The paths are not long, but the perfect length for a short but mostly shady walk through the woods. The sandy path is not particularly well-marked, but doable! We saw several gopher tortoise holes along the paths here. This park is managed by Environmental Resources Management, and at the front is the usual signage with maps and also large pictures of the wildlife and plants you might see here. These parks are all over the County and especially in more urban areas, which I appreciate.

It's a nice walk but not on a hot day! There is limited shade and not much to see beside the one…read moretortoise, although he made our day. Easy parking, take lots of water with you, I finished my water bottle and was still dying of thirst before we were done. Ladies, it's not somewhere I felt safe alone. Hardly anyone there, was a little scary in certain parts, I didn't realize it was so isolated. The day I went I didn't see anyone there except when I was leaving a group of three was coming in.