Broward County parks offer year-round nature, recreation and education across 50 sites
Broward’s parks system spans more than 50 sites and nearly 6,500 acres, with naturalists, low-cost classes and urban wilderness areas tucked into Hollywood, Davie, Dania Beach and Coconut Creek.
Across more than 50 regional parks, nature centers, neighborhood parks and natural areas, Broward County operates nearly 6,500 acres under a simple mission: “Recreation. Preservation. Education.”
Staff naturalists lead year-round nature hikes, natural area tours, educational classes, environmental workdays and special programs, making the system a countywide outdoor network for families, birders, walkers, paddlers, scouts and anyone looking for low-cost recreation close to home.
What the county already covers
Broward County’s nature centers open onto habitats that include freshwater wetlands and mangrove forests, and some sites also include playgrounds, picnic facilities, camping, canoeing and sports programs, giving the system broad reach across age groups and interests.
As the county puts it, “You don't have to travel to exotic places to discover nature - countless opportunities for exploration are available in the familiar territory of your nearby Broward County regional parks, nature centers, and natural areas.” It puts learning, wildlife viewing and outdoor exercise inside the county line, often in neighborhoods where open space is otherwise scarce.
Where to go by age and interest
For young children and school groups, Anne Kolb Nature Center in Hollywood is one of the clearest entry points. The center is at 751 Sheridan St., and the exhibit hall is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Its STEAM and environmental education programming costs $3 per student per hour, which makes it one of the county’s most accessible classroom-style outings.
The Anne Kolb lineup includes Mangrove Masterpiece for grades K-5, a three-part program that explores the plants and animals of the mangrove estuary. Students board a U.S. Coast Guard-inspected covered boat for a narrated tour of the tidal creeks and open waters of West Lake, subject to boat availability.
Families with mixed ages have several other options across the system. Some sites offer playgrounds and picnic areas, while a July 2024 parks operations update showed Paradise Cove, Castaway Island, Tropical Splash and Splash Adventure had drawn 260,770 visitors and generated $2,521,307.62 in revenue as of July 30. Aquatic staff at those facilities received an EXCEEDS rating on a second 2024 audit by Jeff Ellis and Associates.
For walkers, birders and paddlers, West Lake Park and Anne Kolb Nature Center in Hollywood deliver a concentrated slice of the county’s mangrove landscape. West Lake Park consists of the nature center to the north and the recreation area to the south along Sheridan Street, with north and south basins west of the Intracoastal Waterway. Short trails, mangrove boardwalks and water access make it one of Broward’s most versatile outdoor stops.
Long Key Natural Area and Nature Center in Davie is another option for people who want a quieter, more natural setting. It is at 3501 S.W. 130th Ave., Davie, FL 33330, and the phone number is 954-357-8797.
Secret Woods Nature Center in Dania Beach is another option. It is at 2701 W. State Rd. 84, Dania Beach, FL 33312, and the site is also one of the designated Urban Wilderness Areas in Broward’s park inventory at 35.70 acres.
Urban wilderness inside a developed county
Broward’s park history makes the current system easier to understand. The first train reached the New River on February 22, 1896, after Henry M. Flagler extended the Florida East Coast railroad south from Palm Beach. Broward County was established in 1915, formed from a portion of Palm Beach County. In a region shaped by rail, drainage and development, parks and natural areas became one of the few ways to preserve open land at county scale.
That preservation role is visible in the county’s Urban Wilderness Areas map and list, updated on September 22, 2017. It identifies Fern Forest Nature Center in Coconut Creek at 247.70 acres and Secret Woods Nature Center in Dania Beach at 35.70 acres. A December 1, 2023 Parks Advisory Board handout lists Fern Forest as a 243.44-acre wilderness site with 10 plant communities and remnants of the historical Cypress Creek Floodway visible from the trails.
How the system is managed and how to reach it
The Parks and Recreation Division is accredited by the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies, and Director Dan West was elected to the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration in 2019. That same year, Woofing Waters Dog Park at Quiet Waters Park won a National Association of Counties Achievement Award.
If you need a specific park, class or program, Broward County Parks’ Public Communications and Outreach Group can be reached at 954-357-8117 or ParksMarketing@Broward.org. Parks contact information identifies Cyndy Baker as the Public Information Officer and Group Manager.
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