Parks & Recreation - Parks And Beaches

Greater Fort Lauderdale is blessed by nature, which is why people travel here from all over the world. The sun never stops shining with a warmth that soothes both body and soul. There’s a wide diversity of natural wonders and terrain, ranging from world-famous beaches to swampy marsh. The beaches, of course, were created by nature. But it was the foresight of human beings that capitalized on this diversity by creating wonderful parks in which you can build your body, soothe your mind, enjoy a picnic, play with your kids (or your inner child), and just explore the natural beauty. Or just kick back with a cooler and a good book.

All together, there are 24 county parks, along with scores of neighborhood and city parks in Greater Fort Lauderdale. The city parks range from neighborhood pocket parks (small, “pocket-size” parks) to large, multifaceted ones with a ton of facilities and fields. There’s a good chance that by the time you leave (if you leave), one of them will be “your” park.

Six of these county parks are considered “nature centers,” with habitats ranging from islands to forest to sand to pine scrub to highlands to cypress to swamp. All of them are teeming with interesting plant and animal life, and all are joys to wander through.

Then of course, there are those beaches, first made famous in Where the Boys Are 50 years ago. They were pristine and wide and beautiful then and they’re still the same today. Sink your toes into the soft sand. Let yourself float in the perennially warm waters. Smell the salt air. See the endless horizon of blue-green water flowing into soft blue sky. Feel the sea breeze. And feel, as well, the cares of everyday life slip away, if only for a few hours. Relax and enjoy. After all, you’re in paradise!

Parks & Recreation - Recreation

OK, let’s start with the obvious. The only skiing you’re going to be able to do around here is on water, not on snow. We’re not that big on dogsledding either, or snowboarding or ice-skating. But if you don’t need snow or ice to do it, you can do just about any other form of outdoor recreation here in Greater Fort Lauderdale. And you can do it just about any day of the year. Because—while we don’t have snow—we do have sunshine (tons of it!). We do have water . . . in lakes, rivers, the Intracoastal Waterway, and the Atlantic Ocean. And we do have the Everglades—which no one else in the world has.

In addition, we have tons of leagues, for folks just like you. So, whatever your favorite participant sport or form of outdoor recreation, you can do it here in Greater Fort Lauderdale.

In fact, you’ll run out of time long before you run out of things to do!