This was a very fun random find in Hypoluxo. Just westbound off Hypoluxo Rd from a Dollar General and 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. read more

See all

I'm on the fence about this place. The tower to walk up was spacious , however not stroller friendly 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. read more

See all

Beautiful area with a calm, relaxing atmosphere. The views are really pretty from the top of the tower and it's a great place to enjoy nature, take a walk, or just unwind. Everything feels peaceful. The nature trail is fun to walk too. Definitely worth visiting if you enjoy being outdoors. read more

Hypoluxo Scrub Natural Area - Hiking Near Me - Hypoluxo, Florida

See all

I love parks that capture the essence of Florida, but are simple enough for people of all fitness levels. This park fits all the criteria for a perfect daytime adventure! Initially when you arrive, you have the option to sit on a relaxing area under a pavilion or climb to the top of two pavilions. I came here with my husband and baby, so we decided to climb to the top. Thew views were so incredible and totally caught me by surprise! It overlooked the entire park and we were able to see the trails from above. Stunning. After seeing the park from above, I knew we had to follow a trail! We read about the history of the park on a bulletin board and were fascinated to learn t about how this was only a portion of the old mail route. Upon entering the gated trail area, you can read more about the plants and animals you may encounter on your walk. There are a few different options depending on the length of walk you are willing to do. I decided to do the inner trail since we walked a more rugged experience. It was mostly a sun trail, which is something to keep in mind if you have little ones. The scenery was beautiful and it was easy to follow the trail markers. Plenty of natural Florida plants to see! I recommend wearing shoes you don't mind beating up a little, as you will be walking in mostly sand, mud, and leaves. I even stepped in a giant pile of scat! Oops! This was overall a pleasant experience that I highly recommend. It doesn't look like much from the entrance, but it was wonderful!! read more

See all

Very cool to learn the history behind this little park. Stopped by before hitting the gym to check it out and do some cardio. Very nice to see the city buy the land and keep it preserved. read more

This natural area is one of the easiest ways to forest bathe east of I-95 in Central/South Palm Beach County. It's so easy to find, yet easy to miss; it's between I-95 and Dixie Highway on the south side of Hypoluxo Road . I walked on a paved trail here years ago but recently returned with my adventure-seeking children; we had a blast! Parking is in the front with many shady spots. A pretty large, wooden, new-looking porch structure with double towers make this spot pretty memorable. My kids loved climbing the stairs to look out the top of the tower. There is a giant covered porch area in between the towers with some benches that is perfect for a gathering or a lunch spot or a writing nook. After climbing the towers and looking at the statues in between them, we headed to the actual nature part, which is only accessible by opening a gate, to keep gopher tortoises from escaping. We walked the paved path for a long time, ran into a gopher tortoise to watch, and then at some point, we left the paved path in favor for a meandering path into 'the woods.' Even though I immediately was hopelessly lost, I hoped that we couldn't get _too_ lost in urban Hypoluxo! Wooden markers helped indicate where the path went, as it was not a well-beaten path. We meandered through scrub and then through shady trees, winding not far from the train tracks, quiet enough that we just heard nature (awesome!) - and we found the pond! I'd never seen this before, and it was such a treat! Just as we rounded the bend to head back towards the entrance, a freight train came barreling through. It was pretty surreal, to be the only humans in this wild-ish area, next to the pond, and watch the train from that view. We only saw a couple of other people in the park on a weekday morning. Definitely a great place to take a stroll, as there are several paths with different lengths. Let me know if you find the pond too! read more

See all

It's not a very big park but it big enough for a short walk for small children. The big show is the turtle you will encounter somewhere in the park. A nice sitting bench to watch the sunset in the evening. It is good find in a metro area. read more

Great little nature area to just walk around. Interesting history on the barefoot mailman which was a nice read and just an all around nice 30 minute break from the day. read more

I loved this 97 acre natural area. Hypoluxo was the Seminole name for the area of Lake Worth. Translated it means water all around, no get out. As soon as you enter the area you see two towers and a large statue of a barefoot mailman. I was really excited to learn the connection between the mailmen and Hypoluxo. The barefoot mailmen carried the mail 100 miles from Lake Worth all the way down to Miami from 1185 to 1892 on a journey that took three days to complete. Some of the route was by boat and some was by foot along the beach. I already knew quite a bit about them from visiting the Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse. On the way to the lighthouse you pass under a bridge that has a small barefoot mailman statue on it. Once you get to the Lighthouse there is an 8 foot statue in front of it because it is a memorial to where barefoot mailman James E. "Ed" Hamilton disappeared at the Hillsboro Inlet. All of his possessions were found at the north bank of the inlet but no trace of him or his boat was ever found. A gentleman dresses up like one of the mailmen and tells the story on the days the lighthouse is open for tours. If you are interested in learning more Barefoot Mailman Remembrance Day is October 13th this year. Hypoluxo was where the barefoot mailman started their route. The signs when you enter the city of Hypoluxo say "Welcome to Hypoluxo - home of the Barefoot Mailman". The statue lists the names of the barefoot mailmen. The land of this preserve was actually once owned by the barefoot mailmen. On either side of the statue are two observation towers that give a birds eye view of the scrubby flatwood habitat. Like all scrub area, Hypoluxo sits on the site of an ancient sand dune that was created when the ocean receded. There are two nature trails that run through it. The 0.2-mile Cottonweed Nature Trail is a paved loop. The 1.5-mile Eastern Pondhawk Hiking Trail is on sand through the scrub oak and splash pine. In the back you go past a lake. On the day I visited it was extremely hot. A lot of the trail is under direct sun so I recommend this hike for the cooler months. Animals you might see include the endangered gopher tortoise although I did not come across any that day. It is also home to foxes, osprey, the red-bellied woodpecker, and cardinals. Plants that inhabit this ecosystem include deer moss, resurrection cladonia, jester lichen, Cottonweed, Prickly pear, Netted pawpaw, Gopher apple, and Honeycombhea, and live oak. There is to only 2 percent left of this ecologically important scrub habitat. Hypoluxo is a wonderful place to learn about the barefoot mailmen and see how Florida used to look before development. This natural area is a haven to wildlife and plants. It is the perfect place to enjoy the wild side of Florida. read more

See all

I had no idea this place existed. 10 feet in and you are not in Kansas anymore! It's so quiet and relaxing. A peaceful world in the middle of the busy city that seems far, far away. Take some water and plan to feel like you're lost, but it a good way. After a while, the path takes you to the beginning, and it's back to noisy reality. read more

'Ello chaps! Looking for a spot outdoors to spread the legs and get some fresh air? Then you'll want to check out Hypoluxo Scrub Natural Area. It's located at Dixie Highway and Hypoluxo. Great area with trails and observatory. NOTE: PETS *NOT* ALLOWED! Region: Southern Palm Beach County Size: 98 acres Hours: Daily from sunrise to sunset Location: 150 Hypoluxo Road, Hypoluxo, FL 33462 (not a mailing address). The natural area is located within the Town of Hypoluxo; the entrance is located on the south side of Hypoluxo Road between Overlook Road and U.S. Highway 1. Public Use Facilities: Public use facilities available at the main entrance include a parking area for ten cars and two buses, a bicycle rack, a covered observation tower with historical information for the Town of Hypoluxo, a kiosk with educational exhibits, an accessible nature trail, and a natural-surface hiking trail with a shade shelter. A pedestrian walk-through entrance and a kiosk with educational exhibits are located on the east side of Overlook Road, approximately one-half mile south of Hypoluxo Road. This entrance connects to the 1.5-mile natural-surface hiking trail. There are no restroom facilities or drinking water on the natural area. Site Information: The natural area is a small remnant of an extensive mosaic of upland and wetland communities formerly present along the coastline of southeastern Florida. It was acquired by Palm Beach County in December 1999. State Florida Forever matching funds for the acquisition were provided by the Florida Communities Trust. In 1917 the northern part of the site was cleared for a subdivision that never was built; it has since revegetated. There are two native Florida ecosystems: scrub and scrubby flatwoods. The natural area is managed by Palm Beach County with assistance from the Town of Hypoluxo. Plants: Plant species observed on the site include jester lichen, Dixie sandmat, cottonweed, coastalplain honeycombhead, beggarticks, nodding pinweed, netted pawpaw, hog plum, Chapman's oak, and slash pine. Wildlife: Animal species observed on the site include golden silk orbweaver, eastern pondhawk, six-lined racerunner, gopher tortoise, killdeer, red-bellied woodpecker, common ground-dove, gray catbird, Virginia opossum, and gray fox. read more

See all

Scrubs aren't the most gorgeous scenery out there but they are interesting. Lots of nice vegetation and many yellow flowers. Part of the trail is paved and part is sandy. The plants often brush against your legs and tickle but I got no big bites! We saw lots of vultures and a few osprey! We spotted one goober tortoise too! One of the two towers was blocked off but would've had the same view. Also there was a ton of raccoon poo on the tower boardwalk! Not five stars because there is no bathroom... not crowded at all but you can hear the roar of cars throughout the stroll. read more

This area is SO COOL. There is a concrete sidewalk area going in a circle for about 1/2 mile, but better yet, another 'loop' in the wilderness which is another mile on top of that. The wilderness trail is marked by posts with yellow dots painted on them and maintained by the County. It is an easy trail to follow. You can step off the trails to investigate the things, sites and more you will come across. Be CAREFUL of the cactus, Do NOT leave your trash, and be aware there is NO RESTROOM here. :) Enjoy the PEACE, Respect the wilderness we have in the middle of al this development. Appreciate all the species you will come across as you explore these areas. PEACE & Be Safe read more