3600 West Sample Road
Coconut Creek

Website

Tradewinds Park in central Broward County is well known as the home of Butterfly World, and it hosts a Christmas lights show that attracts thousands each year. But if you go into the back reaches of the park, you'll find it has a less manicured side, with ponds and lakes, woods and meadows. It even has a short nature trail that winds through a cypress forest. When we visited, the trail — a boardwalk — wasn't completed but still open to the public.

The park is more than 600 acres split by Sample Road. There are hard-surfaced paths throughout the park but they are intended to be shared by a variety of users. Broward County has classified Tradewinds as a bird sanctuary and the park does attract its share of feathered friends. Birds we saw included red-bellied woodpecker, anhingas and double-crested cormorants. Among the plants we spotted were spider lillies, airplants, lichens, lizard's tail and flea bane. Ruddy daggerwinged butterflies were everywhere.

Parking abounds, and there is drinking water and restrooms throughout Tradewinds. There is an entrance fee to the park on weekends, but it's free during the week. The nature trail is on the southside of the park along the main road past Butterfly World.

View Larger Map