Hugh Taylor Birch Park: The Beach the Condos Couldn't Kill

180 acres between the Intracoastal and the Atlantic at 3109 East Sunrise Boulevard. The city tried to buy this land for condos and lost. Thank god.

The Coastal Hammock Trail is a one-mile loop through maritime forest — salt air, sea grape, that thick subtropical shade. Canopy drops the temperature noticeably and the light comes through in scattered coins on the forest floor. Raccoons watch you from the palmetto with the bold disinterest of animals who were here first and know it.

At the trail's end, a tunnel under A1A puts you on a beach that's way less crowded than the public stretches north and south. Most tourists don't know the tunnel exists. The water is pale green and the waves are gentle, and for a few hours you can pretend Fort Lauderdale is mostly nature and not mostly concrete.

December through April for weather. The bugs on the hammock trail in summer are bad — bring spray or suffer. Kayak rentals available on the Intracoastal side. Park closes at sunset.