|
Florida Circumnavigational Saltwater Paddling Trail
Segment 17
Hollywood/Ft. Lauderdale
Emergency contact information:
-
911
-
Miami-Dade Police Department:
305-4-POLICE
-
Broward County Sheriff’s Department:
954-831-8900, 954-765-4321
-
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission 24-hour wildlife emergency/boating under the influence
hotline: 1-888-404-3922
Begin: Oleta River
State Park
End: Hugh Taylor
Birch State Park
Distance: 16 miles
Special Considerations:
Given the narrow Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), lengthy stretches of
seawalls, and sometimes heavy boat traffic, this is a challenging
segment and recommended for paddlers who have sufficient expertise in
paddling over large and high energy wakes that often rebound off sea
walls. Boat traffic is higher on weekends and holidays and should be
avoided if possible. Paddlers should take special precautions in passing
large ships moving and docking at Port Everglades.
During
favorable weather, paddlers may opt to paddle along the Atlantic, with
rest stops at area beaches. Both routes are included in this guide and
on the maps.
After the
primitive campsite at Oleta River State Park, there is no camping in
this segment, so advance motel reservations are recommended in Fort
Lauderdale or Lauderdale-By-The-Sea.
Introduction
From a quiet
area where Tequesta Indians lived for thousands of years, the
Miami-Dade/Broward County region began its boom in 1896 when Henry
Flagler’s East Coast Railroad reached Miami. New towns and cities sprung
up, quickly encompassing the small settler towns of Coconut Grove and
Lemon City. From an 1890 population of about 2,000 people in Miami-Dade
County, which then included most of Broward County, today’s combined
population for the two counties is around four million.
Even
though this is a short and urbanized segment, paddlers will enjoy
several scenic state and local parks. State parks include Oleta River,
John U. Lloyd and Hugh Taylor Birch. For more information on these
parks, log onto
www.floridastateparks.org. In addition, Oleta River and John U.
Lloyd have visitor services providers that rent canoes and kayaks and
offer restaurant food. Hugh Taylor Birch State Park rents canoes on an
interior lagoon.
A highlight of
the segment is the West Lake Park/Anne Kolb Nature Center, among other
Broward County parks. For more information, log onto
www.broward.org/parks.
1. Oleta River State Park
to Holland Park, 7 miles
If choosing
the ICW route, proceed north from Oleta River. Seawalls may prevent
opportunities for rest breaks until you reach Hollywood, where there are
places to land near the Hollywood Marina and at Holland Park. Holland
Park would make for the better lunch break since it has picnic shelters
and a viewing tower that offers impressive views of the area.
One luxurious overnight stop in
Hollywood is The Westin Diplomat on the ICW. The high-rise motel has a
floating dock and storage space for paddlers. To learn more, click on
http://www.diplomatresort.com/.
An option to
taking the ICW is to paddle along the Atlantic shore, but only in good
weather with mild winds. To reach the Atlantic from Oleta River State
Park, you’ll need to backtrack to the Baker’s Haulover Canal, then
proceed north. Your next opportunity to reenter the Intracoastal
Waterway is the busy entrance to Port Everglades.
Several
city and county beaches along the Atlantic offer opportunities for
restroom breaks and picnicking. You can land anywhere at the Hallandale
City Beach, but be watchful of swimmers. There, you can witness
Italian-Americans playing their traditional bocce ball games. At
Hollywood Beach, you must land or launch at the east end of Meade Street
(see map for coordinates) and remain 100 yards offshore when traveling
north or south.
2. Holland Park to John U.
Lloyd State Park boat ramp, 4.5 miles
A must stop is
the Ann Kolb Nature Center. Here, you can land at the canoe/kayak rental
area, parking your boat to the side so it won’t be confused with the
rental craft. You can’t launch a boat here, but kayaking visitors are
welcome to land. For a $1 dollar admission, you can tour the exhibit
center, viewing displays of art, sculptures, marine ecology and
aquariums. Several trails and boardwalks run through the park, and you
can climb a three-story viewing tower.
Proceeding
north, you have the option of taking scenic Whiskey Creek through John
U. Lloyd State Park, a quiet refuge for birds, manatees and paddlers.
The tidal creek was believed to have figured prominently in “Prohibition
Era” liquor running from the Bahamas. Some shallow areas in the creek
may not be navigable at low tide, however.
The
park’s 2.5 mile beach was part of the 68-mile route of the “Barefoot
Mailman,” named for the carriers who walked barefoot at water’s edge
from 1885 to 1892. The almost week-long route consisted of 28 miles by
small boat and 40 miles by beach from Palm Beach to Miami. Prior to
1885, a letter from Palm Beach to Miami would first make its way to New
York and then Cuba, for a total of 3,000 miles and up to two months. The
barefoot service was discontinued in 1892 when a rock road was completed
from Jupiter to Miami.
3. John U. Lloyd State
Park boat ramp to Hugh Taylor Birch State Park, 4.5 miles
Take special
care when proceeding past Port Everglades, where gargantuan cruise ships
and other boats frequently dock. Fort Lauderdale boasts of being the
“Yacht Capital of the World,” and if you’re paddling on a weekend or
holiday, you might realize why. Be wary of large ships in the ICW and
their wakes.
A good rest
stop is the Fort Lauderdale South Beach Park. The kayak launch spot is
located at the northern end of the park across from the Oasis Restaurant
(see map).
A point of interest just
south of the park is the Bonnet House Museum and Gardens, the former
home of artists Frederic and Evelyn Bartlett. For a fee, you can tour
this 1920s era oceanfront estate with its elaborate architecture, art
collections and 35-acre green oasis. A quote from Evelyn Birch Bartlett
reveals how much the surrounding area has changed: “When I first came to
Fort Lauderdale in 1931, it wasn’t a town, just a village. When we drove
up the long driveway to Bonnet House, we might see a wildcat,
raccoons,...even a panther was seen on the property...” Mrs. Bartlett
was determined to preserve the estate and donated it to the Florida
Trust for Historic Preservation in 1983. To learn more about Bonnet
House, log onto
http://www.bonnethouse.org/
. The estate is closed on Mondays. From Bonnet House, it is
possible to access Hugh Taylor Birch State Park through the main gate.
If paddling on the
Atlantic side, there is no access to the ICW until the Hillsboro Inlet,
roughly 12 miles north of Port Everglades.
For overnight stays, you
can stay at a motel along the Atlantic in Fort Lauderdale or
Lauderdale-By-The-Sea 1 to 2 miles north of the park. You can find
several accessible motels to choose from through the Greater Fort
Lauderdale Convention and Visitor’s Bureau website. Click on
http://www.sunny.org/static/index.cfm?contentID=4
and select “beachfront” and “Fort Lauderdale” or “Lauderdale-By-The-Sea”
for a full listing. Since most motels do not have secure storage space
for paddlers, you may want to secure your boat with a cable to a fence
or post.
The Doubletree Gallery One
Motel is along the ICW near the park on the west side (954-565-3800). If
staying at the Doubletree, the dock can be 3-4 feet high at low tide, so
landing at high tide is preferable. After landing, make sure to pull
your kayak completely out of the water as large wakes can swamp your
craft.
|