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The first bridge you'll paddle under will be for Sistrunk Boulevard. I especially love the pond apple and cypress bayou on the right hand side which comes soon after. On the left side, however, is a busy bus repair company which was revealed when the exotic nuisance trees such as Brazilian pepper were removed a few years ago. The banks are now covered by large white stones, called riprap, and only natives, such as pond apple, mangrove, and leather fern, are being planted. The North Fork displays many contrasts, and this is one of note: rows of smelly buses on the left, a charming pocket of Everglades habitat on the right.
 
 
You'll be heading basically west on your northward journey, but the river turns and twists enough to make it interesting, sustaining that "what's around the next bend" feeling that paddlers love. The winding course of the river also means that on breezy days, you will be protected in some areas and having to dig in on others. As the New River is influenced by the tides, you should take a peek at the tide charts and think about paddling along with the tidal flow, inland or to the sea. For beginning paddlers, a three-knot tidal current may be too much to handle. Extremely high tides have also forced us to sit in the bottom of our canoes as we squeeze beneath some of the lower bridges. At least these low bridges are what keep the powerboats out of our hair!
 
The New River once received fresh water from Lake Okeechobee, up until the early 1960s. For years, it also handled five million gallons of wastewater per day. Now, a flood control structure along Sunrise Boulevard effectively terminates the North Fork, changing its pleasant meandering to a business-like canal. Before we get to that point, however, we will stop at the debris-catching boom just south of Sunrise Boulevard to turn around and head back southeast. A major source of litter is the swap meet on Sunrise and the boom keeps some of it from escaping down the river into the sea.
 
The river narrows and passes between suburban houses on high banks as you paddle westward. A pedestrian bridge was installed a few years ago. When the tide is low, you can see the natural rock formations and perhaps an old stolen, rusty bicycle embedded in the muddy bank above. We've taken out dozens but they still keep appearing, along with car parts, milk crates, shopping baskets and construction materials.
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