Top Rides in Southeast Florida

Length/configuration: A 1.5-mile paved loop and a 2-mile (total) out-and-back.

Aerobic difficulty: Low; mostly flat terrain.

Technical difficulty: Easy; one spot where exposed roots require some maneuvering and concentration.

Scenery: High tree canopies, Australian pines, views of the intracoastal water.

General location: Hugh Taylor Birch State Recreation Area is located in Fort Lauderdale.

Elevation change: No elevation change of consequence, except in an overgrown area of the forest on the northern end, near the picnic pavilions. Off to the left—just after beginning a section of double-track—you can see a bank that rises to the size of a fairly tall dune.

Season: This all-season trail occasionally gets some standing water in places.

Services: This is a recreation area with all the attendant facilities. No camping is permitted except by groups. Other services can be found in Florida's Atlantic coastal communities.

Hazards: Traffic shares the paved portions of the service road.

Rescue index: This trail can be the site of a quick rescue.

Land status: This is part of Florida's state park system.

Maps: The park entrance station has copies of the map for Hugh Taylor Birch State Recreation Area, although the nature trails and existing double-track are not indicated completely. I made notes on the trails and used these to make the additions to the map in this guide.

Source of additional information:
Hugh Taylor Birch State Recreation Area
3109 East Sunrise Boulevard
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33304
(954) 468-2791

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