Fort Lauderdale has about 23 miles of public beach, all sand, most of it within half an hour of downtown. The main Fort Lauderdale Beach, running north from the 17th Street Causeway to Sunrise Boulevard, is the postcard strip — wide, pale, and lined with a low-rise promenade of cafes and shops since the 1990s rebuild. Just south, Harbor Beach is quieter; north of Sunrise, the sand continues past Hugh Taylor Birch State Park and becomes progressively less crowded. For something wilder, John U. Lloyd Beach State Park in Dania has a long tree-lined stretch with a surfable break near Port Everglades. All the beaches have lifeguards and most have metered parking.