Posted by Ted Center on September 08, 2015 at 16:25:21
Meet at the Beach Hammock Trail car park at 8 am. The parking area is just east of the entrance kiosk. After paying the entrance fee, proceed north to the 3-way intersection. Take a hard right (almost a U-turn) at the stop sign into the parking area. A map is available at https://ca.dep.state.fl.us/mapdirect/?focus=parksmain&querytype=park&queryvalues=Hugh-Taylor-Birch. We’ll spend a bit of time exploring the beach hammock (depending upon the ferocity of the mosquitoes) then walk the natural trails and paved road around the park. It is about a 2 mile loop so sturdy shoes are recommended. We’ll be away from the cars and there aren’t many shelters along the way, so be prepared for rain. We went to the park this morning and mosquitoes outnumbered the leaves on the trees, so be sure to bring repellent. Restrooms are available at a couple of points as are drinking fountains, which may or may not be functional, so drinking water might be advisable. We’ll probably spend a couple of hours in the park, depending on what we find. If time permits, we’ll then head for Richardson Park (1937 Wilton Dr, Wilton Manors, FL 33305). Exiting Birch SP turn right on Sunrise Blvd and drive west about 2.2 miles across the railroad tracks to NE 4th Ave. Be sure to stay in the far right-hand lane after about 2 miles where US-1 curves south and Sunrise continues west. Turn right (next to the Home Depot) and drive north about 1.1 miles. Turn left at the first road after crossing the bridge and then a quick left into the car park (http://www.wiltonmanors.com/index.aspx?NID=163). We’ll spend an hour or two there and should be done by noon, in plenty of time for kickoff.