In Depth Hikes and Trails
Adventures into the “natural side” of The Palm Beaches start here. Find a Palm Beach County Natural Area or an urban wilderness park, these are where you find longer hikes or trails through complex ecosystems – this where nature is the star of the show.
Boca Raton
Pond Hawk Natural Area
Intersection Military Trail (Florida State Road 809) and Yamato Road (Florida State Road 794)
Boca Raton, FL 33431
561.233.2400
Excellent hiking through Florida coontie, nodding pinweed, cinnamon fern, royal fern, and bromeliads. Look for Florida mice.
Yamato Scrub Natural Area
701 Clint Moore Road
Boca Raton, FL
561.233.2400
Biking: No
Over 3 miles of trails past maidencane, sawgrass, and sand cordgrass. Look for mottled ducks and gopher tortoises.
Boynton Beach
Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge
10216 Lee Road
Boynton Beach, FL 33473
561.734.8303
Biking: Yes
More than 200 square miles of protected Everglades habit are found at this Refuge. Extensive trails, boardwalks, and an observation tower are best ways to see a multitude of creatures, from American alligators to endangered Florida Everglades snail kites.
High Ridge Scrub Natural Area
7300 High Ridge Road
Boynton Beach, FL 33426
561.233.2400
Biking: No
Nearly 2 miles of trails that showcase sand live oak, sand pine, saw palmetto, and pricklayer. Look for Halloween pennant dragonflies and gopher tortoises.
Rosemary Scrub Natural Area
2901 N. Seacrest Blvd.
Boynton Beach, FL 33435
561.233.2400
Biking: No
Rare and endangered plants are all over this area, such as Curitss’ milkweed, largeflower false rosemary, and nodding pineweed. Look for Florida scrub lizards and blue-gray gnatcatchers.
Seacrest Scrub Natural Area
3400 S. Seacrest Blvd.
Boynton Beach, FL 33435
561.233.2400
Biking: No
More than 2 miles of trails that highlight many endangered or threatened plants, such as largeflower false rosemary, nodding pineweed, and giant airplant. Look for American kestrels and American redstarts.
Delray Beach
Delray Oaks Natural Area
2021 SW 29th St.
Delray Beach, FL 33445
561.243.7250
Biking: No
Nature trails go through a small wetland and areas of mesic flat woods. The tree canopy includes many live oak trees and sabal palms, with an understory of wild coffee, beauty berry and saw palmetto. Look for golden orb weaver spiders and northern cardinals.
Hypoluxo
Hypoluxo Scrub Natural Area
150 Hypoluxo Road
Hypoluxo, FL
561.233.2400
Biking: No
Nearly 2 miles of trails through a Florida Scrub ecosystem, featuring Florida rosemary, sand live oak, saw palmetto, and hog plum. Look for gray foxes and ospreys.
Juno Beach
Juno Dunes Natural Area
14200 S. U.S. Highway 1 (oceanfront tract)
14501 S. U.S. Highway 1 (west tract)
Juno Beach, FL 33408
561.233.2400
Biking: No
Hike sand dunes or Florida scrub to see sand live oak, coralbean, and seagrape. Look for sea turtles in the summer and Florida scrub-jays.
Jupiter
Jupiter Ridge Natural Area
1800 S. U.S. Highway 1
Jupiter, FL 33477
561.233.2400
Biking: No
Although the area features Florida scrub, it also contains pockets of tidal swamps and views of the Intracoastal Waterway. Look for eastern coachwhip snakes and West Indian manatees.
North Jupiter Flatwoods Natural Area
Limestone Creek Road
Jupiter, FL 33458
561.233.2400
Biking: No
Various foliage is visible through this area, including banded wild pine, reflexed wild pine, common wild pine, giant wild pine, Catesby’s lily, long-lip ladies’ tresses, butterfly orchid, and royal fern. Look for eastern diamondback rattlesnakes and bald eagles.
Limestone Creek Natural Area
6570 Church St.
Jupiter, FL 33458
561.233.2400
Biking: No
The area has trails that go through five major native ecosystems: mesic, flatwoods, scrubby flatwoods, hydric hammock, and tidal swamp. Look for various migratory birds.
Pine Glades Natural Area
Jupiter, FL 33478
Biking: No
Hike through mesic flatwoods, wet flatwoods, depression marsh, wet prairie, and dome swamp. Look for bald eagles and American alligators.
Lake Park
Lake Park Scrub Natural Area
Silver Beach Road
Lake Park, FL 33403
561.233.2400
Biking: No
Small natural area with sand pines with a dense understory of scrub oaks and saw
Palmettos. Look for gopher tortoises.
Palm Beach Gardens
C-18 Triangle Natural Area
79th Terrace North
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418
561.233.2400
Small area that features pine flatwoods, wet prairie, freshwater marsh, hydric hammock, and pond cypress domes. Look for migratory birds.
Frenchman’s Forest Natural Area
12201 Prosperity Farms Road
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410
561.233.2400
Biking: No
The area features over 2 miles of trails that go past pine flatwoods, strand swamp, scruppy flatwoods, hydric hammock, tidal swamp, and wet flatwoods. Look for great horned owls and eastern gray squirrels.
Sandhill Crane Access Park
8175 PGA Blvd.
Palm Beach Gardens, FL
561.775.8261
This park is an excellent access trails to the Florida Scenic Trail and Riverbend Park. Look for migratory birds.
Sweetbay Natural Area
12560 Aviation Blvd.
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33412
561.233.2400
Biking: No
A series of trails wind past wet prairies, bayheads, and pine flatwoods. Look for Florida box turtles and black-crowned night herons.
Royal Palm Beach
Pond Cypress Natural Area
Intersection of Florida State Road 7 (U.S. Highway 441) and Okeechobee Boulevard (Florida State Road 704)
Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411
561.233.2400
Biking: No
Hike through a patchwork of high quality freshwater wetlands such as
cypress swamps, marshes, and wet prairies interspersed with pine flatwoods. It also
contains part of the headwaters of the nationally designated Wild and Scenic Loxahatchee River. Look for American alligators and spadefoot toads.
Royal Palm Beach Pines Natural Area
110 Natures Way
Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411
561.233.2400
Biking: No
A 5-mile trail winds through pine flatwoods, South Florida slash pine, gallberry, and saw palmetto. Look for bobcats and Florida cricket frogs.
South Bay
Holey Land/Rotenberger Wildlife Management Areas
Access points via L-5 levee, west of U.S. Highway 27
Southeastern Palm Beach County, near South Bay
954.746.1789
Holey Land -
Rotenberger -
Biking: Yes
Together both areas make up 60,000 acres, hiking is available atop the drivable levee system. Look for wading birds and deer.
West Palm Beach
Acreage Pines Natural Area
140th Ave. North
Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411
561.233.2400
Biking: No
Trail system goes through hydric hammock, depression marsh, mesic flatwoods, and wet prairie. Look for woodstorks and little blue herons.
Apokee Park
3125 North Jog Road
West Palm Beach, FL 33411
561.804.4985
Biking: Yes
The Apoxee recreational trail, while extensive on its own, connects to a larger trail system that allows access to over 8 miles of trails. Look for American alligators.
Winding Waters Natural Area
Intersection of Dyer Boulevard and Haverhill Road
West Palm Beach, FL 33407
561.233.2400
Biking: No
Hike through large areas of pine flatwoods, cypress forests, freshwater marshes and wet prairies. Look for bald eagles and snail kites.
