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Secret Woods Nature Center
Park 02 of 8

Secret Woods Nature Center

The Hidden Gem

Dania Beach

Photo: Korall / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0

2701 W. State Road 84, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312

  • Boardwalk
  • Nature trails
  • Wildlife
  • Shade
  • Guided signage
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Official LMGT meetup

Good To Go

Saturday, September 26, 2026

9:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Can't make the official Park Hop? No problem. Visit this park on your own, complete the quest and add it to your Park Passport.

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Park vibes

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Your park quest

5 to tick, plus a bonus

  • Walking

    Walk the Laurel Oak boardwalk loop, then follow the New River Trail out to the water.

    0.5 mile Laurel Oak boardwalk loop plus the New River Trail · about 30 min · Raised boardwalk, fully shaded, stroller and wheelchair friendly.

  • Adventure

    Find and photograph a red mangrove growing along the New River.

    0.2 mile to the river edge · about 10 min · Boardwalk railings make an easy photo spot.

  • Live More

    Spend five quiet minutes on the boardwalk with your phone put away.

    No walking needed · about 5 min · Any boardwalk bench works.

  • Movement

    Walk the full boardwalk loop at an easy pace and count how many times the trail crosses water.

    0.5 mile boardwalk loop · about 20 min · Flat boardwalk the whole way; mosquitoes pick up after rain.

  • Together

    Stop together on the boardwalk over the South Fork of the New River and stay quiet for one full minute.

    0.3 mile to the South Fork overlook · about 10 min · Shaded boardwalk and usually quiet.

  • Bonus · optional

    Bonus: find the laurel oak hammock section and photograph one thing you have never noticed in a Broward park.

    0.4 mile hammock section · about 20 min · Boardwalk with a short mulch path, shaded.

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Discover this park

Wedged between busy roads, Secret Woods is exactly what its name promises — a hidden pocket of wild Florida. It opened in September 1978 as Broward County's first nature center, protecting three distinct plant communities shaped by the New River and connected by an easy boardwalk loop. Storm flooding damaged the buildings in 2023, but the trails and boardwalk stay open, and entry is free. It is a quiet, low-key place to watch butterflies and listen to birds without driving far from the city.

Source

Before you go

Hours
Reported as 9:00am to 5:00pm daily — check the county page before you go
Entry
Free
Getting there
On W State Road 84 just west of I-95 in Dania Beach, with an on-site parking lot.

Trails and boardwalk are open following 2023 flood repairs.

What's here

  • Roughly 1.2 miles of boardwalk trails
  • Nature centre building
  • Restrooms
  • Parking lot
  • Shaded hardwood hammock and cypress habitat

Park rules to know

  • Stay on the marked boardwalk and trails.
  • No swimming — the waterway is a tidal, brackish tributary of the New River.
  • Do not feed or disturb wildlife.
  • Check pet rules posted at the nature centre before bringing a dog.

Park rules and safety instructions always take priority over an LMGT quest, challenge, XP, badge, stamp or reward.

Official park page

Did you know?

Secret Woods opened in September 1978 as Broward County's very first nature center.

Source

What can you find?

A gentle scavenger hunt. Stay on the trails, leave everything where it is, and enjoy the looking.

  • A sound you cannot place at first
  • Something growing that you have never noticed before
  • A shady place to stand still for a minute
  • The smallest living thing you can spot from the trail

About this park

Broward's first designated urban wilderness area. Quiet boardwalks wind through mangroves and cypress, and it feels a world away from the highway outside.

Before you go

Park names, locations, amenities and other public information are provided for informational and navigational purposes. Park information may change. Verify current hours, closures, fees and rules with the applicable park authority before visiting.

Check current weather and park conditions before starting. South Florida weather changes quickly — no stamp, XP or badge is worth continuing in unsafe conditions.

You decide what is safe for you and your group. Follow posted park rules, closures and staff instructions. Children stay with a responsible adult. Never enter closed or restricted areas to finish a quest.