Jewell Cove Natural Area is located across the street from the Lake Worth Municipal Park. It is…read morejust South of the Lake Ave. Bridge along Ocean Ave. on the east side of the Lake Worth Lagoon. This natural area is a maritime hammock which is a natural band of forest that grows on the stabilized back dunes of barrier islands. This natural area is 11.4 acres with 1,200 feet of shoreline on the Lake Worth Lagoon. In February 1967 this land was leased for 99 years to the Milton Steinhardt family. In 2012, Judge Raphael Steinhardt, grandson of Milton Steinhardt relinquished the lease so that the land could be donated to the City of Lake Worth to be enjoyed by the public. This parcel has now been turned into a nature preserve, nine acres of which are submerged so that mangroves and sea grasses can grow. A maritime hammock community makes up another 2 and 1/2 acres. In 2015 and 2016 volunteers removed exotic plants. Fifteen truckloads were removed along with concrete material that had been dumped to prevent erosion. Three thousands tons of limestone were then installed to create a breakwater that prevents erosion and creates a habitat for oysters which filter the water. Clean sand was added and sea grass and mangroves were planted. The mangroves also filter out pollutants and acts as a marine life nursery. The marsh grass breaks up wave energy and provides a wildlife habitat. The Jewell Cove Natural Area serves as a refuge to the animals of the Lake Worth lagoon. This includes osprey, tricolored heron. snowy egret, little blue heron, and white ibis. Plants found here include coralbean, cabbage palm, sea grape, strangler fig, sand cordgrass, green buttonwood, and mangroves. There is a hiking trail through the preserve and you can launch a kayak on the Lake Worth Lagoon but the main benefit of this preserve is to improve the health of the Lake Worth Lagoon ecosystem. In 2019, the commission voted to put on the ballot a 99-year lease on Jewel Cove's 11.4 acres submerged along the Intracoastal and to keep the land on the southeast side of the bridge a natural area. This ensures that the area stays a natural living shoreline, protected by Palm Beach County. The county will not be able to build on the land and it will be maintained as a sanctuary.

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.

Enjoyed this short miles trail plenty of signs to navigate back to the exit. It's pretty much a…read morebig circle almost impossible to get lost , But definitely great spot for a little picnic or walk

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.

Great place to visit. Plan your hike and go.. Authentic…read morenatural habitat for gopher turtles and furry woodland creatures .

Eco Park is a nature preserve in the 550 acre Quantum Corporate Park. In 2020 it was the largest…read moreundeveloped tract left in the city. It was purchased with the goal of transforming it into a residential, retail, entertainment, and industrial complex. The park is named in honor of long time Boynton Beach real estate breaker Thomas Albert McGillicuddy (1936-2019). The 60 acre Eco Park was created in 1988 when Quantum Park Plat #3 was filed with the County. 23 acres were designated as an active park and the rest off the park is a natural upland pine flatland preserve. The park has a large parking lot and natural earth trails that a run a mile and half throughout the park. During my visit I first took the trail along the water where I saw common moorhens swimming. The trail then curved back into the pineland preserve where I saw threatened gopher tortoises. Gopher tortoises have been hunted for meat, run over by vehicles, and sold as pets but the greatest blow to their population has been the destruction of their habitat. It was so nice to see them safely protected in the park. I really enjoyed my hike here today. The city has asked residents for ideas on what amenities they would like added to the park. Hopefully kayak launches, picnic pavilions, restrooms, paved trails and a boardwalk will be added to increase the recreational use of the park.

John D. MacArthur Beach State Park seemed like such a hidden gem from everything I had read and…read moreseen online. I loved that it offers so many activities in one place--kayaking, paddleboarding, the beach, picnic areas, a gift shop, and educational exhibits--all at very reasonable prices. Parking was only $5, and the kayak and paddleboard rentals were affordable too. Unfortunately, I happened to visit on a day with an extremely low tide. Paddleboard rentals were suspended, but kayak rentals were still available. The staff did warn us about the low tide and advised us to stay near the edges to avoid getting stuck. However, as someone new to kayaking, I didn't realize just how much the tide would impact the experience. For a large portion of our trip, the water was so shallow that our kayaks constantly got stuck. We had to repeatedly get out and drag them through the water. At times, the water wasn't even ankle deep. I completely understand that the staff can't control the tides, but I honestly wish kayak rentals had also been paused that day because the conditions made it difficult to really enjoy the experience. By the time we finished kayaking, we were exhausted and felt pretty gross from walking through the murky water, so we ended up skipping the beach altogether. Outside of that, the park itself looked lovely. There was a nice picnic area, a cute gift shop, and they even had a rescued sea turtle with a volunteer sharing information about sea turtle conservation, which was a really nice touch. There also appeared to be several educational exhibits throughout the park, although they happened to be closed during our visit. One downside was a pretty unpleasant smell near the gift shop, but I'm guessing that may have also been related to the unusually low tide. Despite my experience, I haven't written the park off. The photos I've seen online make it look absolutely beautiful, and I think we were just unlucky with the timing. I'd definitely consider coming back on a day with higher water levels to give it another chance. It sounds like a great park overall--I just recommend checking the tide conditions before planning to kayak or paddleboard so you can enjoy it at its best.

This was a nude beach when I was a kid. That ended in 1982 when it became a beloved state park…read more They have done a lot to preserve native plants. You can rent kayaks here or swim. It's usually not too crowded. This is where we would go to see sea turtles laying eggs. And that continues to this day. It's a great location and a beautiful park.

We came back to John Prince Park Campground. Our daughter and son-in-law lives in West Palm so this…read morepark is very convenient for visit family. As always the office staff is always friendly. The booking of our site as well as the checkin process is super easy. Everything is very clean. As we were staying there the city was cutting grass and installing new light poles around the park. The water pressure was great as well as the electrical (which stayed at 120 volts all day according to my gauges). During this visit we stayed at site #62. Thank you John Prince Park for a very enjoyable 7 day stay!!!! We will be back in a few months to visit our kids and grandkids! Definitely recommend this park and campground.

We have stayed here multiple times because it's close to our house and if we want a quick weekend…read moregetaway or if we're getting work done on our house they're usually very able and easy to accommodate. They have special campsites that has a maximum of two weeks camping and it's also lakefront which is perfect for native Floridians during the winter. There is great wildlife and walking throughout the whole park and the campsite has well-kept bathrooms and showers It's very conveniently located near downtown Lake Worth, and all there is to do there or it's a quick hop on I 95 to go up to West Palm Beach Rd. beach or down to Miami Fort Lauderdale in probably less than an hour

Pine Jog Environmental Education Center is a non profit run by FAU. It is located on the same…read morecampus as the Pine Jog Elementary School. They are "dedicated to developing, researching, and disseminating educational programs and services that cultivate environmentally literate and engaged communities." The land Pine Jog sits on was first owned by Henry Flagler in 1893 as part of his Model Land Company. In 1930 it was sold and became part of the Lake Worth Drainage District. Throughout the 1940's it was used for farming and cattle grazing. In 1946, Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Kay purchased the property and named it Pine Jog Plantation, after the pines that inhabited the land and the road that it bordered, Jog Road. At Pine Jog Plantation the Kay's grew flowers, fruits and vegetables. In the early 19460's trails were cleared through the pinewoods and two main buildings, classrooms, and offices were built. The 135 acre site is open to the public 9:00am -4:30pm, Monday through Friday and Saturdays 9-2. Restrooms are available at the environmental center when it is open. The buildings are the first LEED Gold-certified school in the state of Florida. Behind the environmental center there are over three miles of walking trails through mostly undisturbed Florida pine flatwoods. Trails include the Main Blue Trail (1 mile), Orange Trail (.4 mile) leading to the boardwalk & Chickee Hut, Purple Trail (.2 mile), Brown Trail (.2 mile), Yellow Trail (.3 mile), Red Trail (.1 mile), Green Trail (.3 mile), and White Trail (.05 mile) leading to Bill's Bench dedicated to Bill Bill Hutchinson, a naturalist, explorer, activist, and teacher. The property also has a pond with surrounding wetland, five acres of upland hammock, a butterfly garden, and coastal dune habitats along with interpretive signs. Every year the center today hosts over 25,000 students, 750 teachers, and 12,500 adults and families annually. Programs include a summer camp, school experiences, playscape, and week-long residential research institutes for high school and undergraduate students. Follow Pine Jog on Facebook for updates on programs and happenings or just stop by for a hike as I did. It is always nice to explore Florida's natural side.

This is an excellent place to learn and recharge. The trails are well maintained and the Jane Hart…read moreplaque in the pavilion is beautiful and beautifully placed. This is a great place for meetings and learning. I highly recommend it.

Participated in the Annual Heroes for Education 5K walk/run and it was one of the best experiences…read moreI've had at events likes this. Everything was very well planned. Signage was displayed everywhere, very easy to follow. So many volunteers for such an awesome event. I know that the event was the star of the day but it wouldn't have been possible without this great location. The park looks like it's well taken care of, with great potential and seems to offer many enjoyable areas for all ages.

This beautiful park is one of the most expensive in the area. It has such a large variety of things…read moreto offer. I first came to find out about the park as it is a poke event day hotspot. But just after one visit we realized what an amazing park this is and often drive from two cities away just to visit. This park is a lovely escape to nature in South Florida. Boosting, many walking paths, bike paths, a dog park, a splash pad, frisbee, golf pitch, fishing areas, boating lake and many other sports areas. Overall, the paths pavement are generally well maintained, however, you do get a little bit of cracking as you do with most paved areas in Florida due to the heat- nothing too extreme, it was still easy to push a stroller. The bathrooms are always clean, yet admittedly, they are quite dated and dark on the inside, even though hygienically they are up to standards . Perhaps adding some better lighting on the inside could help make it feel a little nicer. Today while walking around the park, we visited many of the small playgrounds and our young child enjoyed getting out to play .

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.