This was a very fun random find in Hypoluxo. Just westbound off Hypoluxo Rd from a Dollar General…read moreand a Winn Dixie, we spotted a park which triggered our curiosity after hitting up the beach. The main portion has a boardwalk with two lookout towers. Behind the boardwalk is a fenced in walking trail with a gazebo at the halfwayish point. This was a nice hike in exploring preserved land.

I'm on the fence about this place. The tower to walk up was spacious , however not stroller…read morefriendly after the first level, which was a huge bummer! We went mid November and the scenery wasn't the best considering it's been dry and hot outside. We did see a few gopher turtles and a ton of spiders ‍ I couldn't find the trail until after coming home and going back through the photos to configure the direction to go down. Not too many parking spaces, but I don't think that is a dealbreaker considering it's more of an observation area. My son walked to the top to grab a few photos since I couldn't get his sleeping sister up there in the stroller.

What a pretty small wild area this is!…read more It's located just north of Hypoluxo Island, very close to the Lantana Municipal Beach (reachable by foot) and has one side on the Intracoastal. It is a busy road, but it's kind of hidden and there are no big signs indicating the entrance. The parking lot is very small, but when we went there, we were actually the only ones. There is a gazebo at the beginning of the path, which is not paved, but no restrooms. The preserve is very small and you will walk it for just about 15 minutes, but it is so peaceful! I also love the fact that it's so full of trees and that makes the path completely shaded; there are also a few benches outside the main trail, where you can spend some relaxing time.

We stopped here on our way back from lunch. We weren't sure about walking the trail(s) as it had…read morejust started to rain and thunder. There's parking in a small lot. The preserve is located on the north side of Ocean Avenue. There's a separate entrance and exit for cars. So we only got to see a very little bit of the preserve. However, I loved that they had great signage telling you what to look for in plant and animal life. And a small covered area just as you started the trail(s). This place is great for a little bit of hiking/walking, some birdwatching, photography, and communing with nature. You get to see a little bit of what Florida used to look like before all the construction and increase in human population. We will have to come back when it's cooler and drier to explore some more.

The Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge is part of the U.S. National Wildlife…read moreRefuge System. It is located in the Town of Jupiter Island in Florida. This is the perfect spot to learn about the local animal habitats. This great for the kids to enjoy and explore nature at its natural beauty. The Staff and Rangers are very friendly and extremely knowledgeable. The trails are nice and lead to an amazing white sandy beach.

Nathaniel Reed Hobe sound National refuge is not far from Johnathan Dickenson state park. We decide…read morethat we would take a hike to discover more about nature. The center is closed but you can walk on the trail and get a sense of what old Florida was like. On our walk, we saw a pretty turtle that I named Anastasia she was a sport when it came to taking pictures with her. This trail led us to the beach with its beautiful pristine white sand that looked like snow. Many turtles come to nest at this beach I am told. About this Refuge. The National Wildlife Refuge, a part of the United StatesNational Wildlife Refuge System, is a refuge on Jupiter Island in Florida. Its official name as of 2019 is the Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge. Part of the refuge is inside the town of Jupiter Island, while the rest is in the unincorporated areas of Martin County. The 1,035-acre refuge was established in 1969, to protect the loggerhead and green sea turtles. It is administered as part of the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge Within the refuge is the 173-acre Reed Wilderness Seashore Sanctuary, designated a National Natural Landmark in November 1967. According to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, a significant amount of coastal erosion in Florida is directly attributable to the construction and maintenance of navigation inlets. In July 2013, approximately 200,000 cubic yards (150,000 m3) of beach-quality material was dredged from the St. Lucie Inlet Federal channel and impoundment basin and placed on the downdrift beaches of Jupiter Island in the vicinity of the Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge, with funding provided to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from the U.S. Congress. Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge was established on September 30, 1969. It is a coastal refuge bisected by the Indian River Lagoon into two separate tracts of land totaling over 1000 acres. The 735-acre Jupiter Island track provides some of the most productive sea turtle nesting habitats in the United States, and the 300-acre sand pine scrub mainland tract is valued because more than 90 percent of this community type has been lost to development in Florida. Sand pine scrub habitat is restricted only to Florida and an adjacent county in Alabama. Hobe Sound Nature Center The Hobe Sound Nature Center is a private non-profit nature center that cooperates with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to conduct environmental education and awareness programs about the Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge. The center was founded in 1973 by and continues to receive major support from the Jupiter Island Garden Club.

The Bingham islands are a series of six islands in the Lake Worth Lagoon. The islands house a…read moretreasure of trees and plants including a 300 year old Gumbo Limbo tree and 150 year old Sabal Palms. Since 1942 the islands have been a wildlife sanctuary managed by the Audubon Society under a 99 year lease until 2041 from the Bingham Blossom Bolton family. Visitors are not allowed to step foot on the islands or launch from them but you can kayak and canoe between them. As you paddle by you can see coves and tidal pools that shelter native and migratory birds. Over the years invasive species and garbage have taken over the islands. Years of lightening strikes and hurricanes have made the center of the islands impenetrable. There is however a plan in the works to remove invasive species and replace them with native plants that will restore the islands. Audubon also wants to create an oyster reef that will clean the water of the Lake Worth Lagoon by filtering it. Plans for hiking trails and educational displays have been scraped because Palm Beach zoning won't allow it. For now the parking lot has been closed and the area is surrounded by a chain link fence with no trespassing signs. There is no way into the area and to make sure no one tries I saw the police keeping a close watch. This may have something to do with the islands close location to Trumps Mar a Lago. It's so close that reporters have used the island to camp out on as they reported on the President. It doesn't seem like anything will be done with area soon. The nearby Snook Islands have been restored to great success. If you look out at them you can see that they are covered in birds and they already have the oyster beds in place. Hopefully something similar is in store for the Bingham Islands.

The Loxahatchee Slough is a 10,391 acre Natural Area that was acquired by Palm Beach in 1996. An…read moreadditional 2,190 acres were purchased in between 2000 and 2007. The County also leases 257 acres from the South Florida Water Management District and 3 acres from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Loxahatchee Slough is actually three separate tracts, the largest of which sits north of PGA Boulevard. There are two access points to the main trail. One is the Bluegill Trail at Sandhill Crane Access Park where there is water, parking and restrooms, and the other is the Pantano Trail from River Bend Park along Indiantown Road. According to the county's Environmental Resources Management Department, Loxahatchee Sloughis the largest and most biologically diverse natural area managed by Palm Beach County. This preserve contains the historic headwaters of the Loxahatchee Wild and Scenic River and has nine native Florida ecosystems: mesic flatwoods, wet flatwoods, mesic hammock, hydric hammock, wet prairie, depression marsh, slough marsh, strand swamp, and dome swamp. This area attracts many birds. Ninety three different species of birds have been recorded here including limpkins, white ibis, fish crows, common grackles, rock pigeons, red wing blackbirds, American robins, and cedar waxwings. There are also hundreds of plant and animal species. Some of the plants that have been seen are the pineland daisy, jack-in-the-pulpit, Florida tassel flower, fringed yellow star grass, southeastern primrose willow, swamp forest beaks edge, bull tongue arrowhead, fire flag, red mulberry, and swamp bay. Animals found here include the Florida apple snail, handsome Florida grasshopper, gray-green club tail, red ear sunfish, little grass frog, striped mud turtle, wood duck, Florida sandhill crane, bobolink, and Sherman's fox squirrel. Many of the plants and animals found here are endangered or threatened. Through the years this area has been negatively impacted by over drainage, agricultural use, and invasion of non native plant species. Extensive restoration has been done to remove removal invasive non native plants, fill in the drainage ditches and shell mining pits, and replace the culverts leading to the C-18 Canal. This natural area is part of the Northeast Everglades Natural Area. Palm Beach County manages the site with the assistance of the City of Palm Beach Gardens. The Florida Trail Association maintains the 4.5-mile segment of the Ocean to Lake Trail that passes through this area. This area can be biked, hiked, paddled, or traversed by horseback.

7400 high ridge road Boyton beach Fl…read more I came here with my brother and went for a short walk in the sand for about a mile and a half . Not my favorite walk as I could see the highway and listen to the cars passing by . We did see some bones from an iguana and I saw some turtle holes and one lone turtle . I would never come here alone super isolated . Parking is limited to maybe 6 cars.

High ridge scrubs Was looking for a local nature trail and…read morecame across this gem not as busy so maybe bring a friend or dog for the walk it's short... you wouldn't think anything of it from the front but it's a decent trail . When you come up to the trail there's a booth with pamphlet explaining what you could come across on your stroll ‍...it was very informative but we didn't have luck on spotting the animals all we saw is a couple of spiders which is fine very maintained area so don't worry I doubt you'll run into one . Nice for picnics & good conversations and good to take a dog that's not used to other dogs due to how hidden this trail walk is ... I would definitely recommend

Wonderful place for seeing wild birds. There are many different trails that explore different…read morehabitats. I saw the iconic Roseate Spoonbill here, but there are hundreds of other species to see. The visitor's center and gift shop are very nice, and I met some friendly and dedicated volunteers there.

The Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge was created in 1951 because of the migratory bird…read moreconservation act. There are 143,874 acres in this northern Everglades habitat. This area provides water storage & flood control. It is a natural habitat for fish, alligators, heron, storks ... There is a Nature Center with all kinds of displays, clean bathrooms, and a store. The trails are well maintained and meticulous. Admission is free with my national parks pass; without a pass it's $10