Hugh Taylor Birch State Park (Gay Cruising Area)

A little gem on/next to Fort Lauderdale beach. I was Single occupant vehicle $4 (all day). Parked, got my cruiser bike out and rode the one-way loop (1.9 miles), it was a flat easy ride. Scenic and fishing the intracoastal is allowed along the seawall (with Florida fishing license). The loop has a large canopy of trees covering about 60% of the road. I saw kayaks and canoes for rental. There is a restaurant and beach access that opens to the road (A1A). After my loop ride, I then hit the street along Fort Lauderdale strip (save your entrance receipt). I rode about 20 blocks before heading back. Traffic was heavy but I stayed in the bike lane and made it back. The park also has a dock and water taxi stop. As far as some of the complaints I read, don't pick fruit or touch trees (common sense is not common). I had contact with three park rangers and they were all polite and helpful. A great spot for access to Fort Lauderdale beach area.

Loved walking thru here, so beautiful and serene. A lot of interesting spots to see, you could spends hours ! We had a great guide that made a memorable experience even better. So glad we went!

I loved visiting this state park! I was in town for the week (end of March-beginning of April) and found myself visiting this park often. I went 3 out of 6 days I was there. Everyone working was so helpful and were happy to talk about the park and how best to enjoy it. Entry fee was super cheap, the rentals were on the more expensive side so if you are local I would just bring your own bike/kayak/canoe/etc. That being said, I rented a bike for an hour and when I came back with family I rented a canoe. The bike loop is short by driving or bike, I went around 2-3 times and turned in my bike a bit early. I later walked it so I could enjoy the winding trails and appreciate the nature. The lagoon was fun to canoe and we saw a LOT of wildlife! Many turtles, lizards, and variety of birds. No gopher tortoise spottings sadly, but that was expected. There is a large banyan tree that I totally recommend seeing! The beach is a short walk across the street and HTBSP also hosts a dropoff/pickup point for the Water Taxi. The Grove is a nice restaurant with good food and beer, a perfect pick-me-up between activities. All-in-all, I definitely recommend stopping here at least once!

It was $6 to drive in. A map was provided. The road is one way only. The places indicated on the map did not have sufficient parking. The largest parking lot was full and seemed to be for beach goers vs park visitors. Most parked and headed directly to the beach across the street. There are butterfly gardens but the nearest parking area was quite a walk away. There are hacked out trails but they look wild and are pretty rustic with no information provided about the flora and fauna. The only information was about trash recycling. I was expecting manicured gardens, beautiful walk ways with explanations of what we were seeing but there were none. I saw one turtle. We saw more wildlife at our resort. We were hoping we could get more info on how to appreciate the park but it is closed on the weekends. The most interesting thing was the intracoastal water way. When we finally managed to get a parking space near the visitor center, it was closed. There was a concession where you could get food and beverages and rent beach equipment. They have picnic tables along the way but no running water and bathroom facilities. Further in the park The only “bathrooms” are porta potties. There was no running water, not even hand sanitizer. Unless you can manage to get a parking space near the concession, it’s not a comfortable park to spend a day in. This was on a Saturday. It might be better to visit on a weekday so you can at least go to the visitor center and get close to facilities.

Nice park. Best thing about it, and the first time I've ever seen this, were the stations allowing visitors to grab a green bucket and a picker and go trash mobbing! See the photos. I wish all parks had these stations. There are pretty trails and paths to walk, beautiful old banyan trees, live animal education shows (we saw Cinnamon the gopher turtle, the most frustrated turtle in the world. They bring Cinnamon outside to the same place to dig, and she digs and digs and digs and gets kind of far, and then they take her back inside and fill in her hole, only to bring her back out the next day and start all over again. She's been doing that for about 3 years so far.) There's a meditation garden, and nice benches along the canal where you can sit and look at multi-million dollar homes. The beach was really nice and we got to see a woman walking her dog who was wearing a shark fin life vest. We thought it was just a costume, but she told us her dog loves to swim -- but he sinks like a stone, so he has to wear a life vest! If you go into the restaurant at this park, called The Grove, be aware of the automatic 20% service charge they tack onto your bill.

This park is a pleasant spot for walking, running, or biking, with a shaded, green loop that offers relaxing views of the water and passing yachts. It’s peaceful and enjoyable, though the $6 entrance fee feels a bit high for what’s offered. It seemed like a nice place for picnicking, but I wouldn’t consider it a major attraction. There’s a bike and kayak rental shop inside the park, though the rental prices are quite steep. More affordable options would really help visitors experience the park. Parking is limited, so that’s something to keep in mind. Overall, it’s a good spot for some outdoor activity, but not necessarily a must see.

What an amazing find! This park is right next to the beach, and for just $4, I was able to park my car all day and enjoy both the park and the ocean. That’s honestly the best deal I’ve seen anywhere! The park is clean, relaxing, and perfect for a beach day or picnic. You can walk under the trees, then head straight to the sand and waves.

Very cool unique park, bike lanes for riding, wilderness nature trails(bring mosquito spray) with beautiful tropical plants ,canoes, benches to stop and enjoy, intercostal waterway that provides a lovely view. A bonus, it is right across the street from the beach on A1A

Beautiful park with friendly staff, an unexpectedly delightful part of our trip to Fort Lauderdale. We jumped into a cart with a guide who toured us around and shared facts and details about the various plants and sites throughout. We wished that we had more time, maybe even bikes to ride and explore further. If you’re nearby, stop in! It’s well worth a visit!

Quiet, clean, easily accessible and lots of parking spaces. We paid $5 entry fee per person. Walking by the river was pleasant and refreshing.