Broward County High Point Trip Report
three areas on Pine Island, one with spot elevation 29 ft
Date: January 16, 2004
Author: Michael Schwartz
First, if you have a copy of my report of December 23, 2000, cut out the section about these three areas,
crumple and discard in the appropriate receptacle. My estimations about where I was were all wrong.
I did visit spot elevation 29, but I thought another bump was the actual spot elevation 29.
This time, armed with GPS and Gene Daniell's report of December 15, 2002, I actually reached all three areas.
I took GPS readings at the highpoints, and they were confirmed on Topozone.
For spot elevation 29, take exit 3 from I-595 and go south on Nob Hill Road for 1.6 miles. Turn left (east)
into a development, "The Ridge on Nob Hill" and find yourself on Ridge Trace. Stay on Ridge Trace for 0.4
mile to the intersection with Overlook Road. Continue straight ahead and see a low fence on the left that
marks the Broward County Preserve. About half-way down the block is a walk-through sized gap in the fence.
Spot elevation 29 is 0.14 mile distant. There is room for legal parking in the grass on the right side
of the road. Take the trail into the woods, pass very close to the rear of some homes, and start to go uphill,
soon reaching the shelter described by Gene Daniell. From there angle uphill a short distance to the top,
with some minimal bushwhacking required.
If you don't spot the shelter, you have quite likely missed the highpoint.
For spot elevation 26 feet and the small 25+ foot area, go back out to Nob Hill Road and drive north about
0.9 mile to Bergeron Park, basically an oversized playground and launching point for equestrians, and park.
Spot elevation 26 is 0.13 mile away. Hike south, aiming for the gap in the large concrete wall ahead.
You will be following an equestrian path. Look for a very obvious concrete block marking a path into the woods
to your left. When you reach the first junction, you can either stay on the path and circle around,
gaining elevation, or simply bushwhack straight ahead. At the crest of the ridge is a fairly obvious bump,
crowned by a huge 24-inch diameter pine, the largest around.
For area "25+", circle around to the far side of the pine, and pick up the path heading north. This combined
hiking/equestrian path stays on the ridge crest and goes 0.31 mile to area 25. Look for a slight rise just
before some derelict shuffleboard courts on the left.
I consider it nothing short of miraculous that this nice ridge has not been scalped and developed,
but was preserved for public use.
For the fourth area in northeast Broward off I-95, see previous reports.