Parks & Beaches
around
Hollywood
In Hollywood, over 1,500 acres of wilderness and mangrove wetlands await
visitors at West Lake Park and at the Ann Kolb Nature Center. Visitors
can enjoy a variety of activities including hiking, jogging, biking, canoeing,
fishing, tennis and raquetball.
Anne Kolb Nature Center and Westlake Park
Directions: 751 Sheridan St., Hollywood, FL 33019. 954-926-2480. From I-95
head east on Sheridan Street past Federal Highway. West Lake Park’s entrance
will be on the south (right) side; the Anne Kolb Nature Center is a half-mile
east of West Lake’s entrance on the north (left) side.
Facilities: Exhibit hall, assembly hall, fishing pier, amphitheater, observation
tower, nature hiking, boat launching ramp (no fossil fuels permitted),
picnic shelters, manatee theme play area, and tennis/racquetball/volleyball
courts.
Description: West Lake Park’s 1,500+ acres of coastal mangrove wetlands
is one of the largest urban parks in Florida and is rich in native vegetation
and wildlife, including many threatened and endangered species. The site
is significant tor the protected habitat it creates, for its input to the
marine food chain, and for the opportunities it provides for public environmental
education, exploration, and recreation.
Hiking: Mud Flat Observation Trail, a 1,552-foot nature trail.
Fishing Pier Trail, a 870-foot pier on the Intracoastal Waterway.
Lake Observation Trail, a 1,374-foot wheelchair-accessible nature trail.
Boating: Five boat trails offer access to West Lake and the mangrove wetlands
for fishing and sightseeing.
Boater’s Park
Directions: Located on the north side of the Dania Cutoff Canal, west of
Ravenswood Road/Anglers Avenue, in Dania Beach. The park is accessible
only by boat. Call T.Y. Park for information: (954) 985-1980.
Facilities: The park has three shelters, two restroom facilities, sidewalks,
and aluminum docks. Fishing is permitted from piers during daylight hours.
Description: Boaters Park was created as a place where boats under 30 feet
in length could go as a destination for picnics. This concept was approved
by the Broward Urban River Trails Committee and adopted as its first project
for recreational use of the Intracoastal Waterway, Dania Cutoff Canal,
and the New River loop. Currently there are only two public boating destination
parks in Broward County with access for the 44,000 locally registered boats.
C.B. Smith Park
Directions: 900 N. Flamingo Rd., Pembroke Pines, FL 33028. 954-437-2650.
From I-95 head west on Hollywood Boulevard. (Hollywood Boulevard turns
into Pines Boulevard.) Head north (right) at Flamingo Road. The entrance
to the park will be on the west (left). The park is accessible off Broward
County Mass Transit bus route #3.
Facilities: playground, picnic areas, meeting cabin, amphitheater, athletic
field, lighted tennis and racquetball complex with pro shop, areas for
volleyball and basketball. Bike and sports equipment rentals available,
and there’s a path for biking and jogging. Canoes, paddle boats, and aqua
cycles are available for rent. Showers, laundry, handicap-accessible restrooms
in the campground area and a camp store.
Description: 320 acre park and a five-acre island.
Camping: 60 RV sites along the lake, all with electricity, water, and sewer
hookups. Eleven additional sites are designated for tent camping. All sites
include grills. Primitive group camping, for children and adults, is also
available.
Dania Beach
Directions: Route A1A via Oak Street.
Facilities: Restrooms, showers.
Description: This half-mile stretch of beach with clear water is less hectic
than Hollywood Beach. Nicely landscaped with palm trees and vegetation.
Hallandale Beach
Directions: Route A1A south of Route 824.
Facilities: Picnic areas, restrooms, showers, lifeguards, concession stands.
Description: This municipal beach is small and easily overcrowded.
Hollywood Beach
Directions: A1A, from Greenbriar Street to Sherman Street.
Facilities: Picnic areas, restrooms, showers, lifeguards, concession stands.
Description: 5-mile beach sprinkled with palm trees. It is bordered by
Broadwalk, which is closed to automobile traffic.
Hollywood North Beach Park
Directions: 3501 N. Ocean Dr., Hollywood, FL 33019. 954-926-2444. From
I-95 head east on Sheridan Street. The entrance to the park will be at
the end of Sheridan at A1A. The park is accessible off Broward County Mass
Transit bus route #7.
Facilities: Picnic areas, play areas, rest- rooms, lifeguards, concession
stands, 60- foot observation tower, bicycle and hiking paths, sports equipment
rental, volleyball court.
Description: 56-acre park planted with 500 species of vegetation, including
oak trees and broad-leafed sea grapes. To protect the dunes, several crossovers
have been built along the park’s mile-long beach access area. You can jog
or walk along the broadwalk, the 2.2-mile walkway that extends from Georgia
Street to Simms Street, which lies within park territory. A pleasant change
from most coastal parks, North Beach also operates a protection and relocation
program for sea turtles, which can sometimes be observed in holding tanks.
John U. Lloyd Recreation Area
Directions: North of the intersection of Dania Beach Boulevard and North
Ocean Drive. 954-923-2833.
Facilities: Picnic areas, restrooms, showers, barbecue grills, lifeguards,
canoe rentals, concession stands; restaurants and grocery stores a short
drive away.
Description: Within these 244 acres is a self-guided nature trail meandering
through a semitropical coastal hammock that takes about 45 minutes. Bird
life is abundant, and manatees can often be spotted in the shallows of
Whiskey Creek.
Topeekeegee Park (T.Y. Park)
Directions: 3300 N. Park Rd., Hollywood, FL 33021. 954-985-1979. From I-95
head west on Sheridan Street. Go north (right) on North Park Road. The
park’s entrance will be on the east (right) side. The park is accessible
off Broward County Mass Transit bus routes #12 and #17.
Facilities: Tennis and basketball courts, volleyball areas, fitness trail,
and biking-jogging path, playgrounds and picnic areas. Boats, bikes and
sports equipment for rent.
Description: 150-acre park, lake for fishing.
Camping: 60 campsites —- 12 for tents (no utilities), and 48 RV sites with
electricity and water, all with grills and picnic tables. The restroom
building also includes showers and laundry facilities, an a nearby camp
store has limited supplies for sale.
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