West Lake Park and Anne Kolb Nature Center: Hollywood's Mangrove Morning
Here is the short answer. West Lake Park and the Anne Kolb Nature Center sit across Sheridan Street from each other in Hollywood, between I-95 and the beach, and together they protect a long stretch of mangrove estuary along the Intracoastal. The move is a kayak or paddleboard morning on the marked mangrove trails, then a walk through the nature center. Rentals run on Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and on Monday from 9 a.m. to noon, weather permitting. Weekend and holiday entry to West Lake Park is $3 per car. The nature center has no gate fee. Every hour, fee and rule below came from Broward County's own park pages, checked this week.
We are Brad and Justina, founders of Yours Truly Hospitality. We manage vacation homes across Southeast Florida, and the guests who stay near Hollywood and Hallandale ask us for something to do that is not the sand. This is our answer. It is a short drive from the Broadwalk, and it feels like a different state.
What These Two Parks Actually Are
They are two Broward County parks that share one ecosystem.
West Lake Park is the busy side. The county describes it as a small urban park along a three mile strip of mangrove estuary and uplands, just west of the Intracoastal. It has the marina, the boat ramp, ball courts, a playground, a splash pad and picnic shelters. This is where the paddling starts.
Anne Kolb Nature Center is the quiet side. It opened in 1996, and the county calls it the largest nature center in its park system: roughly 1,500 acres of coastal mangrove wetland, home to some threatened and endangered species. It has an exhibit hall, an amphitheater and fishing. The exhibit hall is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
Both parks are open 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. every day, and both close on Christmas Day. The office line for both is 954-357-5161.
The Paddle: Rentals, Days and Rules
The marina is the reason to come. Here is how it works, straight from the county's West Lake Park page:
Saturday and Sunday: kayak and stand-up paddleboard rentals from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Boats must be back before the marina closes at 4 p.m.
Monday: rentals from 9 a.m. to noon. Boats must be back before the marina closes at 1 p.m.
Weather permitting, always. Wind and lightning shut it down.
Paddles and life jackets are included with every rental.
Bring your own boat? You can launch a canoe, kayak or paddleboard from the marina's boat ramp, which is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The county page lists the marina as running on those three days. If your trip is Tuesday through Friday, plan to bring your own boat or skip the paddle and do the nature center on foot. The county links its boat rental prices from that page, and we would rather send you there than quote a number that may have moved. Call ahead before you drive over, especially on a windy day.
The Mangrove Trails
The water side has marked paddling trails through the mangroves. A February 2026 write-up from Florida Rambler, a long-running Florida outdoors site, walked through three of them:
The White Trail, about 0.9 miles. Thick mangroves out to the open lake. The narrow sections are best at high tide.
The Green Trail, about 0.9 miles. Across the lake from the White Trail, with several bridges overhead.
The Red Trail, about 1.2 miles. Reached by paddling north under Sheridan Street toward the nature center. The writer called it possibly the most scenic.
Ask for the trail brochure when you pay at the gate. The marked loops are what keep this easy for a first-time paddler.
Three things that write-up warns about, and that match what we would tell a guest:
Check the tide. On the shallow, narrow parts, low water means mud. Go closer to high tide if you can.
Respect the wind on the open lake. It is big enough to build a real headwind on the way back. Pace yourself on the way out.
It is not silent. You are in the middle of a city. You will hear boats on the Intracoastal and traffic on the bridges, even deep in the mangroves.
What you will see: the article lists osprey, herons, ibis, a kingfisher and, in the writer's words, armies of crabs on the mangrove roots. Sightings are never guaranteed, but the birds are the reason to go slowly.
The Nature Center on Foot
If nobody in the group wants to paddle, the nature center still works as a morning.
Start in the exhibit hall, open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, then walk the boardwalk trails out over the mangroves. There is no gate fee for the nature center. One rule to know before you load the car: the nature center is listed as no pets allowed. West Lake Park, across the street, allows dogs on a leash.
Florida Rambler also points to a waterfront observation tower at Holland Park, where West Lake meets the Intracoastal. It is a separate city park a short drive east, and worth a stop if you want the view from above.
Fees and Parking, Plainly
West Lake Park, weekends and holidays: $3 per vehicle for 8 or fewer people, $20 per vehicle for 9 or more.
Walk or bike in: free, per the county.
Anne Kolb Nature Center: no gate fee.
Rentals: priced separately by the marina. Check the county's rental fee page before you go.
The parks open at 8 a.m., an hour before the marina starts renting at 9 a.m.
How to Plan the Morning
Here is the version we would hand a guest staying nearby:
Be at the marina at 9 a.m. on a Saturday or Sunday. It is cooler, calmer, and the birds are more active.
Paddle one marked trail. The White or Green loop is enough for a first trip. Add the Red Trail if the group has energy and the wind is light.
Return the boat well before the cutoff. The marina closes at 4 p.m. on weekends and 1 p.m. on Mondays.
Walk the nature center boardwalk and exhibit hall. Plan about an hour.
Head east for lunch and the beach. The Hollywood Broadwalk is a short drive away. We wrote up parking, bike rules and where to start in our Hollywood Broadwalk guide.
Pack water, sunscreen, a hat and bug spray. Wear shoes you do not mind getting wet. In the summer months, go early and watch the sky, because afternoon storms build fast over the Intracoastal and nobody wants to be on open water when they do.
Who This Is For
This is the right half day for families with kids who are tired of the pool, for couples who want something quiet before a long lunch, and for anyone who has done the beach three days in a row. It is the wrong pick for a Tuesday rental, a very windy day or a group that wants a guided tour, since the paddling is self-guided.
Where to Base Yourself
The paddle rewards a short commute. Staying close to the marina instead of across the county is what makes a 9 a.m. launch feel easy instead of rushed. That is the idea behind how we run every home we manage: take the small decisions off the guest's plate before the trip starts. If you want a base on this stretch of coast, have a look at our South Florida vacation homes.
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