Hugh Taylor Birch State Park

THANK YOU TO THE WONDERFUL VOLUNTEERS WHO CAME TO HONOR:

over 400 of you came with family and friends.

Seventy years have passed since the day that Hugh Taylor Birch, a visionary with a love of nature, donated his coastal property to the State of Florida as a living testament of the intrinsic features of the land, “as it once was.” Over the years, despite a burgeoning city around it, Hugh Taylor Birch State Park has played a lead role in shaping the ecological literacy of our visitors and our community. Birch State Park is home to the last remnant of Tropical Hardwood Hammock in all of Broward County. Through various programs and affiliates, it has instilled the importance of nature to thousands upon thousands of children, and adult guests alike. Hugh Taylor Birch State Park stands as one of South Florida’s most important historical sites, denoting the legacy of a man who came to call this special place home well before the city of Ft. Lauderdale was incorporated. Within this state park, nearly two miles of the the Great Florida Birding Trail is featured, plus four distinct ecosystems.

Hugh Taylor Birch State Park offers something for everyone, from the athlete seeking a route away from heavy traffic, the college student conducting research, to families drawn in by an astounding variety of native and tropical plant species, such as the majestic Banyan trees and also migrating birds, trailways that offer seclusion from the city, from the kids whose lives are changed by a summer at camp, to the weekend visitor enjoying the beauty of our Elk’s Lodge & Youth Camp.

Come visit, explore, learn! This is your local State Park!

Give a Gift to your local State Park – a gift for Nature

By either Volunteering with or Donating a meaningful gift to the Friends of Hugh Taylor Birch State Park, Inc. you can personally help to secure the legacy of this last remnant of Tropical Hardwood Hammock in all of Broward County. This park is truly a treasured “island in time” as all of the land adjacent to it was abruptly developed over the past 100 years. Hugh Taylor Birch State Park is the only segment of green left which offers an assortment of ecosystems and also recreational opportunities for family, friends, students and all. The park offers extraordinary opportunity for learning, exploring and discovering.

What the Friends Are Doing – and Why we Need Your Help:

- Partnership in Parks Grant to Revitalize the Park – Your help is needed today!
the Board of the Friends of Hugh Taylor Birch State Park have stepped up to support a Partnership in Park’s grant for the Trestles to Trails program, launched to revitalize the old trestle trails that had once been utilized for a small recreational train. These trestles are projected to be used for future boardwalk, pedestrian access. This new project will ensure children and families will continue to experience and enjoy the natural resources of Ft. Lauderdale’s last Maritime Hammock.

Through the challenge grant, the Friends will match a 60/40 progression of the project. Those who contribute to this project will be recognized as permanent donors, and naming opportunities are available.

The campaign goal is $500,000, with $53,000 raised as of December 2012.

For information about how to contribute to the Trestles to Trails program, please contact -

- We are also currently identifying large-scale projects for park revitalization:

In addition to the Trestles to Trails project, we are currently identifying large-scale needs of the park’s infrastructure, such as the revitalization of Mr. Birch’s estate, Terramar, an overhaul of the park’s currently crumbling seawall and more projects which will include resource and cultural protection. Other needs being identified include Accessibility to people with Disabilities and broader Interpretation of the park’s ecological and historical elements. We are eager to build a strong and professional team to move the park forward in an effective and protective way. Please visit our Proposed Projects page and begin exploring how you might get involved today!

Our Lovely Park:
A short walk from beachside shops and condominiums, Hugh Taylor Birch State Park is an oasis of the last Tropical Maritime Hammock in all of Broward County. It preserves the natural heritage of subtropical coastal habitat that once covered southeast Florida.

The property is a magnificent gift from the late Mr. Hugh Taylor Birch to Florida’s posterity. His former estate, which once also included the Bonnet House property, preserves four distinct natural communities, nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway.

There are a number of amenities that visitors can enjoy during their stay. These include, renting a canoe and paddling along a half-mile-long freshwater lagoon. MCruz Rentals offers an interactive rental concession with bikes, beach gear, segway rentals, kayaks and more for everyone’s enjoyment. Many guests regularly fish from the seawall.

Nature lovers can hike along a number of trails and learn about local plants and wildlife through either regularly-scheduled Ranger-guided walks or the Mid Trail Audio Tour. Bicyclists and skaters glide along the 2-mile paved park road. By the thousands, visitors access the beach via the pedestrian tunnel under A1A. Picnic areas overlook the channel; pavilions with water and electricity are available for rental. A group/youth campground is available to organized groups. The Terramar Visitor Center, the latest home to Mr. Hugh Taylor Birch, is currently closed to the public but renovation efforts are underway to offer displays and exhibits regarding the area’s natural and cultural history.

Once upon a time photo (1943 view of Birch/Bonnet properties):