With its shores dwarfed at times by the giant cruise ships steaming in and out of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park is well-known as a great nearshore dive spot.
Resources
Overview
Location: Dania Beach
Lat-Lon: 26.056099,-80.113969
Fees: $4-6 per vehicle
Open: 8 AM until sunset daily
Leashed pets welcome
Directions
From I-95 exit 21 drive east on Sheridan St to North A1A; turn left and continue 1.5 miles to the park entrance.
Details
Renamed from John U. Lloyd Beach State Park in 2016 to more appropriately honor the two local residents who lobbied to have this formerly segregated beach become a state park, Mizell-Johnson State Park offers an extensive oceanfront to savor as well as the opportunity to paddle along its interior waterways.
Eurojacks, artificial concrete reefs shaped like toy jacks, provide an underwater trail to the Dania Ledges, where colorful reef fish swirl in the depths. Boaters frequently spot manatees in Whiskey Creek.
A half-mile nature trail winds through a coastal hammock with views of the shore and along the marsh. Loggerhead turtles lay their eggs in the sand along the beach. Visitors can walk with park biologists on after-dark “turtle walks” to watch this fascinating phenomenon.
Explore the park
Barrier Island Nature Trail - At Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park, the Barrier Island Nature Trail gets you away from the busy beach and into a patch of wilds along a slender barrier island.