Anne Kolb Nature Center image

Anne Kolb Nature Center

Tourist attraction Park Nature preserve Banquet hall Boat rental service Amphitheatre Exhibit Boat ramp

Nature reserve with walking & paddling trails through mangroves, an aquarium & an observation tower. People often mention tower, trails, nature, park, water, free, center, observation, walk, crabs,


Address

751 Sheridan St, Hollywood, FL 33019

Website

www.broward.org

Contact

(954) 357-5161

Rating on Google Maps

4.60 (1.5K reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Sunday: 8 AM to 6 PM
  • Monday: 8 AM to 6 PM
  • Tuesday: 8 AM to 6 PM
  • Wednesday: 8 AM to 6 PM
  • Thursday: 8 AM to 6 PM
  • Friday: 8 AM to 6 PM
  • Saturday: 8 AM to 6 PM

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: tower (22) trails (20) nature (18) park (18) water (14) free (13) center (12) observation (12) walk (10) crabs (10)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 5/5 Bonni S. 2 years ago on Google
    This is my second time in the over 20 years I have lived in Hollywood to visit. Why did I wait so long. Such a wonderful place...especially if you are in need of a dose of nature in the middle of a hectic city day. The exhibits are well done and more being put in. Great gift shop to support the center and of course the nature trail. Not much wildlife activity when I was there except for one Osprey Circling but the walk to the waters edge on the trail was nice. I also recommend going up to the observation deck. You can take stairs or the elevator to get there for a majestic view of the surrounding area. I remember now I visited last time in the summer. No mosquitoes. Totally delightful.
    12 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Bill L. 2 years ago on Google
    Located inside Lake Forest Park is this wonderful nature center. The nature center is something that people of all ages will enjoy. The park is free and has a good amount of parking. It also has nice indoor bathrooms available at the entrance to the nature center. A sign on the door says Masks are required but only 50% of the guests were wearing masks and I didn’t see any workers inside the nature center but there must be someone working there. Don’t miss all of the hiking trails and the Lookout tower behind the Nature Center
    7 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Eric 2 months ago on Google • 882 reviews New
    Nice free nature preserve with a few overlooks hiking trails and an observation tower, plenty of birds

  • 5/5 Michael J. 1 year ago on Google
    What a wonderful experience here at the center and park. It's small but very informative and lots of cool displays to see. Great place to take the kids out for a few hours. Make sure to walk to the back of the center to see the awesome lookout tower they have on site. There is also a really cool trail through the mangroves that takes you out by the water to some beautiful peaceful views. There is also a spot to put out your kayaks or paddle boards. The best part, it was all free.
    6 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Rachel S. 2 years ago on Google
    I had a fantastic time exploring the trails here today. The views and the breeze from the observation tower are incredible. On the West Lake Trail, red, white and black species of mangroves surround the boardwalk. I saw fiddler crabs and puffer fish in the roots of the mangroves and seed pods draped overhead. The trail opens up to a beautiful pavilion on the lake with a bench and view finders. On the Mudflats Trail I watched land crabs scurry into their burrows and butterflies were everywhere. There is also a Fishing Pier Trail with two small docks to fish from or to just watch boats coming and going along the Intracoastal Waterway. A beautiful place to escape to for a few hours.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Char B R. 6 months ago on Google • 61 reviews
    Great! Great spot! Plenty of parking, lots of areas to walk and explore. Water side by the inlet. There’s various little piers to view. One where you can fish and the other one is on the west side where by West Lake. Very peaceful and wonderful view. Theres a beautiful viewing tower. The bathrooms have AC and there’s even a rental room for events with a terrace. I am glad we came to this place.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Rhyz 4 months ago on Google • 7 reviews
    Its a lovely place to visit. It has different trails where you can enjoy walking with family and friends. Its also a nice place to hold a wedding as one was being held when we visited. The park is also near the beach that can be reached by walking. Its a perfect place to be with nature.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Marceli G. 6 months ago on Google
    Amazing place with free entrance. Worth spending an hour here to walk to the top of the tower.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 A R. 1 year ago on Google
    Very neat park, and free to visit! There were iguanas everywhere near the parking, was really cool to see so many. The observation tower has some great views. The boardwalk trails they have are easy to walk and has several shade spots. We saw wildlife unique to the area like Spotted Puffer fish, Tree Crabs, and a few birds among the mangroves.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Sean R. 10 months ago on Google • 262 reviews
    Very nice preserve, free to visit and park. Diverse wildlife and plenty of information to read on what you see. I was recommended to do the observation tower and boardwalk, which is what I did. Watch your step, you don't want to step on any of the juvenile crabs.

  • 5/5 Michael R. 1 month ago on Google • 19 reviews New
    Definitely a place to check out if you're visiting the area! I was pleasantly surprised to find more things to do here than expected. The observation tower has astounding views over Fort Lauderdale and the nearby cities and you will also find awesome information about the flora and fauna in the area.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Isaac R. 2 years ago on Google
    Great trails through a mangrove forest. The paths are well maintained and really even. The paths lead out to a few lookout points that are great to spend some time looking out on the water, pondering the beauty of the water. Don't forget to check out the tower!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Holly W. 1 year ago on Google
    We went for a lil hike on the board walks around the area and it was quite peaceful. Not very busy and some wildlife if you look close enough. We actually spotted some puffer fish, small crabs, a raccoon, bunny, and a huge hawk that dove into the water and caught a fish!!! He even flew right in front of us to show off the silver fish he caught!! Very cool stuff. Great for kids or anyone who enjoys spending time in nature.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Jeanne D. 2 years ago on Google
    My daughter grandson and myself visited the nature center and enjoyed ourselves. Very quite and peaceful. Saw a lot of tree crabs, manatees and Iguanas!!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Angela D. 1 year ago on Google
    Absolutely loved our walk through this green space. This was our first time in the area, and wanted something beyond just the Hollywood boardwalk. Parking was free. We went into the Nature Center where the staff was friendly and directed us to various trails. Towards dusk, it gets a bit buggy so keep that in mind. There were crabs all over the walking paths which was enjoyable. Overall we loved our visit.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Sam I. 2 years ago on Google
    This place is great. They have a few nature trails you can walk , a tower with a wonderful view. However, they stopped doing the boat tour due to COVID and they are not sure when it will be up and going again yet. Other than that, I highly recommend this place for anyone who enjoys nature walks.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Sonia N. 2 months ago on Google • 58 reviews New
    A beautiful nature preserve in the middle of a residential area. A few walking trails and Bike paths leading towards a swampy area and lakes completely surrounded by a mangrove preserve. These lakes are mostly of brackish water which provisions nutrients necessary to sustain the mangroves and aquatic life found here. Series of short canals connecting to the waterway supply water to these lakes thus helping sustain this complex ecosystem. You can walk on the trails and path; or explore the canals in a kayak or paddle board, ride around these canals that meet at a lake. Stop and make sure to observe the mangrove forest it can be seen all around . I like to explore and observe animal interactions; fascinating to see a King Fisher patiently waiting for a fish or in search of worms in the swampy areas. Florida native species can be seen from a three-story High observation tower, you can use the elevator if you don’t want to climb; once up there look for Osprey flying in search of dinner. The Herons, Egrets and Ibis prefer to be on the marsh searching for food. With binoculars and lots of patience you could spot a mangrove Cuckoo or a red tailed Hawks, those are rarely seen, but gray Cormorants, Owls, Pelicans, Ducks are around, they reside and nest in the Forrest. Mangroves roots are habitat and nursery grounds for several fish like Snappers,Tarpon, Grunts, Bass, Jacks but I’m not sure if fishing is allowed without a license . Late in the afternoon you’ll see the critters of the swamp, Raccoons ,Opossums, some people gas seen Monkeys and Rats. I have spotted a few Turtles, also green Lizards or Anoles, not sure which. Few amphibians survive in this waters but I’ve seen Tree Frogs, ugly Toads, some rat Snakes like everywhere else. Populations of Crabs, Snails, Mollusk , Oysters, Shrimp, Crayfish live in the marsh, they help sustain the ecosystem of the park. Beautiful Butterflies specially Monarch, and Zebras ( black with yellow lines), unfortunately, loads of mosquitoes and no-seems specially late afternoon, those will drive you crazy; they seem to love me a lot… Don’t forget to bring a camera, water, a repellent and sunblock, surely you will be using 2 of them; Lol 😁

  • 5/5 Spencer T. 7 months ago on Google • 35 reviews
    Beautiful! Watch your step because there are animals everywhere! It also has a tower you can go up to see the whole park and surrounding areas. The tower has an elevator for those who can't climb stairs. There is a visitors center and bathrooms. Plus entrance is free.

  • 5/5 b m. 1 year ago on Google
    Good park for both hiking and kayaking. Free entrance and free parking. You won't find many types of trees or plants but it's a quite impressive mangrove forest. The park also has a tower as a tall observatory over several miles of green and water. The tower has a very convenient elevator and two telescopes to explore the surroundings... For free! No coins asked. Here and there on the boardwalks you'll see little creatures one-to-two inches wide that quickly hide on the board cracks. Those are tree crabs.

  • 5/5 Siomara E. 1 year ago on Google
    Love this park. Well maintained trails , tower has nice views and now they have more boat access. Most trails lead to a pavilion or a seating area. Nature center and gift shop is well maintained.

  • 5/5 Ari E. 9 months ago on Google
    We have our own tandem 15-foot inflatable kayak and love paddling through the mangrove canopies at West Lake Park, just south of the airport in the heart of Ft. Lauderdale. The park admission is $3. You can launch your kayak for free. Boat rentals are available. Sadly, the water color is a muddy brown here, even on the open lake. They have four well marked trails: white and green are close by, and the blue and red are under the bridge to the north. Our favorite is the red trail, which twists and turns as it takes you to the Ann Kolb Nature center. It's the furthest away, but you can dock your kayak there, walk around, use the restroom, climb the lookout tower, and buy a cold coke from the vending machine. Today, we did the white, blue, and red trails, which took about 2.5 hours, not including our stop. It was a good workout. Wildlife is sparse here. If you're lucky, you will see some colorful iguanas and crabs in the trees.

  • 5/5 Ac 10 months ago on Google
    Quiet,well maintained, restrooms were clean,you can refill your water containers. Fun to look for and find varieties of wildlife. The views from the observation tower and water platform were great!

  • 5/5 Eric A. 1 year ago on Google
    Good nature park. You dont have to pay to enter the park. No places for picnics, it's really just a nature park. Lots of trails. Has observation tower with elevator. Has a few buildings but some are currently closed. They have classes and nature walks here. Also bike trails near by.

  • 5/5 edwin10279 1 year ago on Google
    Great views. About a 1 and 1/2 hour experience if you only do the trails. The exhibit hall was closed for renovations. Not many animals. The observation tower is a great experience.

  • 5/5 Megan P. 8 months ago on Google
    Such a great park! They have the boardwalks through the mangroves where you can see the crabs crawling on the trees. They have a great observation tower where you can get a good look around broward! There is also a bench where you can watch the boats go by!

  • 5/5 Leigh L. 2 years ago on Google
    We have been coming here for years. So beautiful and serene! A great place for every age group and it's wheelchair accessible. We saw a good amount of birds and plants. There were fish jumping in the water and tree crabs! There is a visitor center and exhibit hall with cool sea creatures.

  • 5/5 Liliana S. 2 years ago on Google
    Beutifull, peaceful and a place to enjoy nature. Walking trails with stops to seat under trees and just leasing to nature, water, birds and lot to enjoy. Take a bottle of water and just let your body go. Short trails and one long 2 miles that we will do it next week!! Place for all ages, at this time is free . Open till 7:30pm

  • 5/5 Xiomara R. 2 years ago on Google
    We visited today, 9/19/21 for the 1st time and we really liked it. We just saw one part of the park. The view from the Observation Tower was really nice. We loved that they have an elevator since my mother in law has an electric scooter. It was a good experience.

  • 5/5 Kerry H. 1 month ago on Google • 3 reviews New
    Really cool place to walk around and the people that work here are friendly and very knowledgeable

  • 4/5 Gadi G. 2 years ago on Google
    Lovely state park with several accessible trails. We brought the kids and strollers and had no problems. Even the observation deck has an elevator to get to the top. As far as we could tell the access to the park is free. There is plenty of parking and an exhibition room (which we didn't go in). Will definitely come back in the future.


Call (954) 357-5161 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Activities
    • ✓️ Hiking
  • Accessibility
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible entrance
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible parking lot

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