The Hillsboro/Parkland entrance to the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge offers endless trails into South Florida’s vast and watery wildlife corridor.
Florida Birding
Birding
Naples Bird Rookery Swamp: It’s a beauty for hiking, biking, wildlife
Few South Florida hiking or biking trails rival this 12-mile-long trail near Naples for scenery and wildlife. It deserves to be known outside the Naples area.
Florida Keys Wild Bird Center is worth a quick stop
This bird rescue center offers an up-close-and-personal wildlife experience that makes a short, fun stop on a Keys trip, especially for families with kids.
Kayaking Blue Cypress Lake: Exceptional scenery, so many ospreys, near Yeehaw Junction
Chances are, you’ve never heard of Blue Cypress Lake near Yeehaw Junction. If that’s so, you’re missing a spectacular natural lake rimmed by old growth cypress trees and home to hundreds of ospreys and osprey nests. This lake is the headwaters of the mighty St. Johns River. What a great kayak destination!
St. Augustine Alligator Farm: Superb bird rookery at historic attraction
This original Florida roadside attraction still thrills, especially in the spring and early summer when its rookery fills with hundreds of nesting birds. The gators and crocs are well-presented with lots of information as well as entertainment.
Birds hold court at Wakodahatchee Wetlands & Green Cay
Amid a sea of subdivisions, you’ll find a pair of man-made wetlands west of Delray Beach where you will encounter extraordinary wildlife viewing from strategically placed boardwalks. After COVID and construction closings, they are both open as of fall 2020.
Wellington’s Peaceful Waters: Top birding spot, close to two good nature hikes
Peaceful Waters Sanctuary is an outstanding birding site and a particularly good destination for nature-starved folks from Broward and Palm Beach counties. It’s also close to two good places for 3-mile-long walks in natural settings.
Camping at the Dry Tortugas National Park: So worth the trouble
In honor of the 100th birthday of US national parks, here’s a park that deserves to be on your must-see list. We loved camping at Dry Tortugas National Park off the Florida Keys. It takes some time, money and effort, but, wow, does it pay off.
Florida birding trail: Website helps you find places to explore & see wildlife
The Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail is a guide to 500+ places. It’s a great tool for discovery. I used it to find a colony of burrowing owls in an unlikely spot — a city park in the middle of overbuilt Broward County.
Beyond the shoreline: Exploring Fort Walton Beach
The Fort Walton Beach area is famous for its spectacular white sand beaches, but there is more to discover inland, from sand dunes to clear sandy-bottomed streams to miles of hiking trails.
Wekiva River Basin, stunning preserve for recreation
Not all of Central Florida’s magic is at Disney. North of Orlando is a vast ecological preserve that offers an abundance of recreational opportunities with unique exposure to Florida’s great outdoors.
Ivey House in Everglades City: Lodging for outdoors folks
If you’re visiting the western entrance to Everglades National Park and the Ten Thousand Islands, there is a lodge that caters specifically to kayakers, hikers and outdoor enthusiasts – the Ivey House in Everglades City.