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Tropical hammock Parkland

Doris Davis Foreman Wilderness

A pretty patch of tropical hammock hides amid the bustle of suburbia in Parkland in Broward County on the half-mile loop through Doris Davis Foreman Wilderness Preserve

Coral Springs      ( 26.320982, -80.222619 )      0.5 miles

In 1989, Broward County residents had the foresight to save patches of remaining natural habitats under the Environmentally Sensitive Lands Bond Program.

This 20-acre hammock adjoining Riverglades Elementary, along with its trails and boardwalk, is one of the gems of that program.

Acquired and managed in conjunction with the city of Parkland, it is named for the matriarch of the family who agreed to enable this to become public land.

Doris Davis Foreman Wilderness A bounty of ferns in the understory


Resources

South Florida Explorers Guide book cover Hikers Guide to the Sunshine State book cover

Disclosure: As authors and affiliates, we receive earnings when you buy these through our links. This helps us provide public information on this website.


Overview

Location: Parkland
Length: 0.5 mile loop
Trailhead: 26.320982, -80.222619
Address: 7300 Parkside Dr, Parkland
Fees: Free
Restroom: None
Land manager: City of Parkland
Phone: 954-757-4105

Open sunrise to sunset. Pets and bicycles are not permitted.

Seating and a pavilion are along the trail, making it ideal for slow walkers.

Doris Davis Foreman Wilderness Preserve


Directions

 
From US 441, 1.7 miles north of the Sawgrass Expressway, turn west on Loxahatchee Rd. Drive 1.2 miles to Parkside Dr. Turn south.
 
The preserve does not have a parking area other than a single handicapped spot in front of the trailhead. If you don’t have a placard, pass that and park along the street in front of the elementary school.

Hike

After parking along Parkside Drive by Riverglades Elementary, walk south down the sidewalk to the preserve’s pedestrian entrance and turn left.

Doris Davis Foreman Wilderness Entrance to the preserve


Pass by interpretive information at the beginning of the paved trail. Keep right at the junction for a counterclockwise hike.

The trail leads you through a deeply shaded tropical hammock, dense and tangled, before joining a broad boardwalk.

Doris Davis Foreman Wilderness Boardwalk transitioning through drier habitats


Strap ferns thrive in this humid environment, sprouting under strangler figs. Ferns are in fact a highlight of this marshy hammock.

We spotted not just dozens of strap ferns but swarms of marsh ferns, giant sword ferns, royal ferns, and giant leather ferns.

Doris Davis Foreman Wilderness At least five different species of ferns in the damp understory


After a quarter mile, pass a bench set into the boardwalk amid a wonderland of ferns and palms.

Seeing a fantail palm in the dense tropical hammock convinced us that some of the tropical plants in this hammock are not native.

Doris Davis Foreman Wilderness John looking at the rich textures of the forest


Pass by a large deck area used for school groups, with a strangler fig holding court nearby.

Cypress basin swamp and pine flatwoods are the primary habitats of the preserve, and you come up to a sign talking about them both.

Doris Davis Foreman Wilderness Boardwalk leading into the pine flatwoods


The boardwalk ascends towards the pine flatwoods, with tall slash pines overhead and grapevines draped throughout the understory.

As the boardwalk descends again, there is a side path to the right leading to an access point for school groups from neighboring Riverglades Elementary.

Doris Davis Foreman Wilderness Junction of boardwalks at an interpretive sign


Continue straight ahead through the understory of the tropical hammock, which is dense with cocoplum.

Completing the loop after a half mile, turn right to exit back up the sidewalk to the nearest place to park.

Doris Davis Foreman Wilderness Strangler fig and cypress


Explore More!

Slideshow

See our photos of Doris Davis Foreman Wilderness


Nearby Adventures

More worth exploring while you’re in this area.

Hillsboro Pineland Trail

Hillsboro Pineland Natural Area

A 44 acre remnant of forest that once spanned between the Atlantic Coastal Ridge and the Everglades, Hillsboro Pineland Natural Area offers gentle nature trails less than a mile long

Tall Cypress bromeliad

Tall Cypress Natural Area

Protecting 66 acres of natural habitats in Coral Springs, Tall Cypress Natural Area offers a wonderland of ferns along its loop trail through a cypress slough

Helene Klein Pineland Preserve boardwalk

Helene Klein Pineland Preserve

In just 13 acres, Helene Klein Pineland Preserve packs in a nice walk through a variety of habitats within an urban forest along busy Hillsboro Blvd

Pond apple tree

Daggerwing Nature Center

Behind Daggerwing Nature Center in busy South County Regional Park, an accessible boardwalk trail leads you into a remnant of tropical habitat with ancient trees.


Official Website

Category: Hikes, Loop Hikes, Natural Lands, Nature Trails, Southeast Florida, TrailsTag: Accessible, Birding, Boardwalks, Boca Raton, Coconut Creek, Coral Springs, Easy Hikes, Family-Friendly, Fort Lauderdale, Observation Decks, Tropical Forests

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