Blazing Star is 26 acres of scrub pine with a mile loop running on top of sugar sand. It is…read moreadjacent to the much larger Sugar Sand Park. This area was once part of the Atlantic Coastal Ridge, ancient dunes that lined the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the trail runs along I-95 and in addition to the cars you may hear the occasional train racing past. Plants you might encounter include sand live oaks, myrtle oak, Chapman oak, saw palmetto, slash pine, sand pine, bromeliad, prickly pear cactus, marsh ferns and cinnamon ferns and the invasive Brazilian pepper. When I came upon the pink and yellow lantana growing in the back of the preserve it was covered in zebra longwing butterflies. If you want to see the blazing star (Liatris), with it's stalks of purple flowers that the area takes it's name from you will have to plan your visit for late summer and early fall. If you are lucky you will see protected gopher tortoises. All I came upon however was a burrow. As you make your way through the preserve you will be serenaded by cicadas and crickets. This is a pretty isolate spot, especially when you get to the back of the preserve. Unlike a lot of other preserves I have visited this one is not paved so it is not wheelchair accessible. It was actually quite hard to even walk in the back but when I came upon a hundred butterflies floating around the plants it made the muddy sneakers and trek worth it. You have to be slow and quiet to fully appreciate this area but once you focus in a lot of surprises await you.

I'd be lying if I said Blazing Star Nature Preserve is a bundle of fun…read more.. It's located adjacent to the east side of Sugar Sand Park separated by the Tri-Rail road road tracks. The entrance/parking area is small but there is always a spot to park; actually, it's rare to see any cars here at all. Theres a bench to sit and watch nothing... There is a bike rack... There is an informational board mounted on a tiny building; perhaps a storage shed or sorts)... And there is the entrance to the trails.... That's basically what the park offers... trails that meander through a protected 12 acre parcel of land... lots of cabbage palms and pine trees... And there is a bit of wildlife to ooh and ahh at (if you find them)... the wildlife includes all the typical South Florida wildlife but have heard fox are present but Ive never seen (and I'd imagine they'd leave the park and put themselves at risk with vehicular traffic and residential communities). One of the reasons I don't love the park (and it's not because they don't offer more amenities), is the lack of accessible paths. The trails through the park are sugar sand (just like the namesake of our neighboring park, Sugar Sand Park)... they get a sprinkle of pine needles that gives the trail a bit of stabilization but for the most part they are exposed sugar sand... just white, soft, unforgiving sugar sand that makes walking a bit of a challenge (like trying to take a jog on the dry part of the beach). It'd be great if the City of Boca Raton would add or mix some shell rock to the paths... it'd make the park considerably more user friendly... or maybe even covering the paths with mulch.

I love taking my evening walks here! So relaxing and makes me feel one with nature! It's not…read morecrowded but also not scarily deserted either. Also very shady so you don't over heat! Just make sure it make it out before sunset, there's no lights and it gets very dark!

6 Acre Wood Park opened in 2003 and is a quarter mile loop trail that travels through pine…read moreflatwoods. The trail is accessible from Hillsboro Boulevard and the Winners Circle Trail but there is no parking lot. Along the trail you will see signs identifying plant and animal life that are indigenous to the area. As you walk you can be on the lookout for the Carolina Wren, woodpeckers, beauty berry, bald cypress trees, and poison ivy. 6 Acre Wood Park connects to Covered Bridge Park via a trail that runs between the two parks. At the entrance to the trail there was a stand with insect repellent but both cans were empty. The park is located next to a body of water that breeds mosquitos so it is advisable to bring your own repellent when hiking.

There are so many great parks in Coconut Creek where you can play, exercise, and enjoy nature but…read moredid you know there is another way to enjoy the outdoors in town? In addition to the parks, Coconut Creek also has greenways. The greenways are closed to vehicles and make safe travel possible. The city has made many improvements to the greenways through grants from Broward Beautiful, Kodak American Greenways, and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The paths are often short, most are only a quarter of a mile, but they are still a nice place to walk around. The Hilton Road Greenway is .28 of a mile. Like all of the greenways it has lights, benches, and garbage cans. The greenway begins at Hilton Road where there is a parking lot and it ends at Alexandria Boulevard. The pathway is paved but it has a barrier to prevent vehicles from going through making it ideal for biking, walking, or skateboards. On either side of the greenway are neighborhoods and a nature preserve. If the Hilton Road Greenway is too short for you, it connects to the newly renovated Winston Park Nature Trail that ends at Winston Park Nature Center. I had a lovely time exploring this area today. I saw so many birds, butterflies, and lizards. I haven't been here in awhile so it was nice to discover all of the improvements in this part of town. I saw a lot of people out enjoying these paths today. Coconut Creek does a great job of maintaining it's parks as evidenced by the well maintained greenway and the new nature trail.

Not exactly the exciting trail to walk or bike by any means…read more... Check out my review of Long Pine South Greenway for an understanding what I enjoyed of that trail and then you will better understand my disappointment of this trail. https://www.yelp.com/biz/long-pine-greenway-coconut-creek?hrid=DZghqqeeIj0s4iRHhVNogQ&utm_campaign=www_review_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct) After I learned of the Long Pine South Greenway trail, I rode that one and even though it was rather short (not even a mile long), I simply incorporated into my bike rode so that I'd still be able to get at least 10 miles for my bike ride. And even though it was short, it was nice so I checked out the City of Coconut Creeks website to see what other Greenway trails they have constructed. At the time, the Hilton Road Greenway was the only other trail shown on the website so naturally we rode over here coming from State Road 7 (the west end of the trail). After leaving (going east) from State Road 7 it immediately becomes residential in a well manicured community. Then the entrance to the trail becomes apparent. It appears to be a roadway with a bike path separated by about 10' swale of grass but the roadway now includes a roadway closure barrier so only bikes and pedestrians on foot can come through this area. And the roadway was modified to be narrower than a typical roadway and now it's clearly not for motorized vehicles. Just like the Long Pine Greenway, the City of Coconut Creek did provide park benches and garbage cans and they maintain the landscaping. The south side of the trail is lined with the backside of residential homes but you really don't notice them since they are made private with a landscaped berm and large hedge. The north side of the trail is a protected preserve area but with the chainlink fence it's not the most lovely site but not terribly bad either. At the east end of the trail, the City constructed a small parking area so people can drive over and enjoy a nice stroll. It's another short ride (0.3 miles) but a nice ride.

Loved walking this path and looking over Coral Springs. The views were gorgeous. Never knew this…read moreexisted.

In this park you will find what or must be the only hill in Coral Springs! Tucked in off of Coral…read moreRidge dr and 82nd st. Pets aren't allowed. It is a nice park to come for a peaceful walk that will give you more of an incline workout than just a flat walk. Very beautiful and tranquil. It feels isolated even though it's in the middle of the city. There are waterways about and also places to sit. I am not sure if picnics are allowed, but it would be a really nice spot! From the side I came in from, there isn't very much parking, I am not sure if this is the only entrance or if there are others with more parking. Great park though.

The parking lot had many spaces available. This is a very easy trail with a well paved path. Ideal…read morefor people requiring accessibility modifications, such as walkers, canes, wheelchairs, scooters, or families is going on nice walks, pushing a stroller along the path. It is very well shaded. So even on the sunniest of Florida days, you can stay cool. The path was well maintained and had informational posters along the way.

We walked the 2 trails in about 20 minutes. Pretty area. No restroom. The trails are well marked…read more If in the area, it's a nice shaded area to visit.

Trailhead park is a small park in Deerfield Beach off of Powerline Rd behind Cache Cleaners…read more Additions to the park were acquired with the 2000 Safe Parks and Land Preservation and Bond Program. The park is a small area on a lake with native trees and plants. Park amenities include a small pavilion, fenced in playground, and benches. The grand royal Poinciana tree was in full bloom today. The much larger Quiet Waters park with many more amenities is just a few blocks north. Trailhead Park connects to the Trailhead Linear Park which runs along the west side of Powerline Road, roughly between SW 10th Street and Green Road. On one side you have the lake and the on the other side is Powerline Rd. The linear trail provides a safe place to walk, run, or ride a bike.

Walking trail inside George Snow Park in Boca Raton. The city partnered with the library to share a…read moreStorywalk book to read a bit and walk through the park. The trail is short and probably takes under 10 min from start to finish.

This trail is about 2/10 mile. It is paved. It is small, but quite beautiful. Most of the trail…read moreis not shaded. It shares a parking lot with George Snow Park. The George Snow Park has restrooms. There is parking in a lot attached to trail.

This 25 acre preserve is off of 10th street in Deerfield Beach behind the Tivoli apartment complex…read more It has approximately one mile of paved trails running east and west. Most of the sand pines for which this preserve takes it's name were killed during the 2004-2005 hurricanes. This area looks rather neglected with a lot of invasive species strangling the native species. Some of the informational signs are so buried in vines that you can't even read them. However I am a fan of nature in an urban landscape and this area is providing a home for wildlife just feet from !-95. Some of the species of animals that make their home here include the endangered gopher tortoise, cardinals, mockingbirds, red shouldered hawks, burrowing owls, and butterflies. I came across some interesting looking scat on the pathways while I was walking indicating animals were in the area. Plants found here include prickly pear cactus, coco plum, blue mist, and staggerbush. Benches and a picnic pavilion are located along the path. After having visited the wonderful Sullivan Park which is a park Deerfield Beach really cares about I think they can do better by this preserve. Nevertheless life continues to thrive here as the refuge provides a safe oasis for the animals and plants of Deerfield Beach.