

Markham Park is an urban oasis that borders the Everglades on the southwestern edge of Sunrise. The 669 acre park has dedicated mountain bike trails, disc golf, and a boat launch and fishing access on the New River Canal. The New River Greenway and the Conservation Levee Greenway converge here, giving runners and cyclists miles of protected multi-use trails. There’s even a campground at Markham Park with full hookups, picnic tables, grills, bathrooms, showers, and a dump station.
There are several excellent beach parks east of Sunrise, including Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park and Hugh Taylor Birch State Park. There are also nice public beaches in Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, and Deerfield Beach where you can swim, snorkel, and lay out in the sun. Manatee, dolphins, and tropical fish abound in South Florida’s Intercoastal and Atlantic waterways.
As I-75 heads west from Sunrise it crosses the Everglades in a section known as Alligator Alley. This road leads you straight to Big Cypress National Preserve, a sprawling park whose Big Cypress Swamp is home to alligators, orchids, bald oak trees, Florida panther, and black bear. You can paddle or swamp hike these wetlands. The Preserve also has pinelands and prairie for hiking and biking and multiple campgrounds.
For day trips from Sunrise further south into the Miami area, check out Everglades National Park, boating at Biscayne National Park, and reef snorkeling at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park.
Due to its tropical climate, Sunrise has pleasant weather in the fall, winter, and spring. Summers are hot and humid with heavy rainfall—summer and fall make up Florida’s hurricane season, when keeping an eye on weather forecasts and monitoring Atlantic storm activity is a must for safety. South Florida’s busy season is winter, when travelers from the Northeast throng here to escape cold weather.