Between Hollywood's Broadwalk and the city lies one of the most surprising green spaces in South Florida: West Lake Park, a vast county park whose mangrove forest borders the Intracoastal Waterway, and its environmental hub, the Anne Kolb Nature Center. The centre is named for Anne Kolb, a former reporter who became the first woman elected to the Broward County Commission and led the 1970s fight to save this land from housing development. It has an exhibit hall with a modest separate fee, built around a 3,500-gallon aquarium and simulated mangroves, and from it boardwalks and trails wind through red, black and white mangroves where yellow-crowned night herons roost in plain view. The best way to experience the park is from the water: canoe and kayak rentals are available, marked paddling trails thread the tidal channels, and guided boat tours take visitors through the mangroves for those who would rather not paddle. Birders also scan the Intracoastal viewpoints for shorebirds, gulls and terns, watch for hawks in winter and find warblers in the trees during migration; manatees sometimes surface in the calmer water. Entry to the park carries a small admission fee, and both park and centre open daily from morning into the evening. The park sits on Sheridan Street, a few minutes from the beach, which makes it an easy morning plan before an afternoon on the sand.
Mangroves are the coast's nursery and storm barrier, and few places near Fort Lauderdale let you get among them so easily. The paddling trails here are sheltered from wind and waves, suitable for beginners, and full of life: crabs on the roots, fish darting in the channels, and wading birds stalking the shallows at low tide.
The quieter early hours bring the most activity. The scale is the surprise: West Lake Park covers more than 1,500 acres, the last large undeveloped tract in eastern Broward, which the county finally acquired in 1985 after an eleven-year campaign.
The nature centre's 68-foot observation tower, with an elevator for those who would rather not climb, looks over the whole estuary to the Intracoastal and the Atlantic, and the park is a stop on the Great Florida Birding Trail.
How to plan
Rent a kayak, canoe or paddleboard for an hour or two on a calm morning from the West Lake Park recreation area across Sheridan Street, where rentals run on set days, mostly around the weekend, so check before you go. Marked trails of roughly one mile thread the mangroves, and the narrowest stretches are easiest near high tide.
Alternatively, join a guided boat tour if you want a naturalist's commentary. Then walk the boardwalks to the night-heron roosts and spend a few minutes in the exhibit hall, which explains the mangrove ecosystem and Broward's coastal history. Bring insect repellent, sun protection and water; summer heat builds quickly.
Pair it with the Hollywood Beach Broadwalk for lunch and an afternoon on the sand, or combine with Mizell-Johnson State Park's Whiskey Creek for a full day of mangrove paddling. For families who want wildlife without the drive to the Everglades, this is the closest substitute.
What to expect
The experience
A large county park on the Intracoastal with mangrove boardwalks, kayak and canoe rentals, guided boat tours and a nature-centre exhibit hall.
Best time
Calm early mornings for paddling and birding; winter for raptors, spring and autumn for migrating warblers.
How long
Two to three hours with a paddle.
Tips
Rent a kayak early before the wind rises. Bring insect repellent and water. Check the boardwalks for roosting night herons.
Quick picks
- Best for
- Mangrove wildlife a few minutes from the beach.
- Families
- Sheltered paddling and easy boardwalks suit children.
- Couples
- A quiet morning tandem kayak before lunch on the Broadwalk.
- Pair with
- Hollywood Beach Broadwalk, a short drive east.
- Time needed
- A morning.
Good questions
Where is it?+
On Sheridan Street in Hollywood, between the city and the beach, bordering the Intracoastal Waterway. The park covers more than 1,500 acres, and the nature centre's 68-foot observation tower has an elevator.
Is there a fee?+
The park charges a small admission fee and the nature-centre exhibit hall has a separate modest fee. Budget extra for kayak or canoe rentals, which are charged by the hour with a refundable deposit.
Can I rent kayaks?+
Yes. Canoe, kayak and paddleboard rentals run from the West Lake Park recreation area on set days, mostly around the weekend, with the last boats going out by early afternoon. Three marked trails of roughly one mile each wind through the mangroves.
What wildlife will I see?+
Yellow-crowned night herons on the boardwalks, shorebirds and terns from the Intracoastal viewpoints, hawks in winter and occasionally manatees. Bring binoculars up the observation tower to scan the flats for wading birds.
Are there guided tours?+
Yes. Guided boat tours of the mangroves are offered for visitors who prefer not to paddle.
