Colohatchee Park and Dog Park — Attraction in Wilton Manors

For Stand up Paddle Boarding (SUP), Kayaking etc.

This is a great paddle boarding loop (please refer to the picture attached). I went there on Saturday morning around 10ish and there was plenty of available parking (free of charge). There is a boat ramp you can use to take off with your paddle board, but caution is needed as it is very slippery. From there I did go WEST-bound to complete the more "nature" part of the loop (highlighted in green). It took me about 2:15h to arrive to the Island City Park Preserve, where I had my carbs+protein shake. This was my first ever experience with paddle boarding so I'm definitely a beginner (however I do work out regularly). From there I continued going east, and arrived back to the Colahatche Park (highlighted in blue). That part was much faster and took me only 1:10h. So in total my trip was roughly 3:30h. I had with me a small cooler with my shake and 3 bottles of water (would probably bring more water next time), sunscreen, towel. Overall it was a very good experience, I barely saw anybody else while completing the loop (maybe 3 kayaks, and 1 paddle board total). One important note is be mindful of the wind. If it's windy then it will be much harder to enjoy the loop. When I did this loop the wind was relatively low, and had to paddle against the wind/current only during parts of the...

A nice quiet walk. Beyond a small but well maintained parking lot, there is a short but enjoyable walk on a boardwalk above the mangroves. At the end, you come to a dog park. You must sign up and get a pass from Wilton Manors to enter the park which has nice separate fenced areas for large and small dogs to be off leash. There are restrooms here as well as water and also some public work out equipment.

Update 12/16/22 Pretty much the same. They are closing one of the large dog areas for a few weeks soon. The owners I have met here are very friendly. My dog loves coming here.

Update 2/16/23 All remains the same. I continue to meet owners who are very friendly and help make sure all the dogs play nice together. My dog still gets excited to come. Some decent warbler watching in the trees... if you are a birder, bring your binocs!

Update April 2, 2023 All the same except they have successfully resodded half of the large dog area which is an improvement. Could use some work in small dog area as recent reseeding work didn't really seem to help. Ground cover is poor is some areas. Not terrible but likely to get worse over time.

Update May 19, 2023 mutch if the grass has actually done well, especially in the large dog area. Otherwise, pretty much the same. The small dog area has is...

If you have your own kayak, this might be the best place to launch your boat and experience the most pleasant urban waterways that Wilton Manors has to offer. If you head east (left from the boat ramp), you will be treated to some fascinating backyards with modest to magnificent homes and small power boats docked along the way.

The waters were calm. The only wildlife we saw was the occasional stoic iguana. No manatees. We made it as far as George English Park, where you can rent kayaks. That was about 3 miles from Colohatchee Park, where we started. Had we had the energy to go a little farther, we would have entered the much wider Intercoastal waterway and home to mega yachts and mega mansions.

Unfortunately, the bathrooms were closed at the park. Across the street where the park continues, there's a short boardwalk trail that runs through the mangrove canopy. Alas, at the end of that walk, the bathrooms were also closed. We went to the nearby Publix, eight...