Grassy Waters Preserve in West Palm Beach is a rare South Florida spot to hike or bike for miles in a wild area. It also offers a great family-friendly boardwalk through a lovely cypress swamp.
Southeast Florida
The best parks in South Florida
Holiday houseguests? If you’re lucky, they love the outdoors and you can take them on any and every authentic adventure that Florida Rambler covers. But what if your guests like their nature a little tamer? Here are recommendations for daytrips in southeast Florida that are my go-to spots for visitors.
Love orchids? Free tours at R F Orchids in the Redland are a must
There are many reasons to visit the Redland, the rural area between Miami and Everglades National Park. But if you like orchids, here’s the best reason: Excellent free tours of the private gardens at R F Fuchs Orchids.
In winter, tour the historic Nike missile base in Everglades National Park
In the middle of Everglades National Park is the best preserved Nike missile base in South Florida, a relic of the Cold War and the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Today it reminds us of those days of John F. Kennedy, fallout shelters and Bob Dylan protest songs.
Everglades National Park Hell’s Bay Kayak Trail: The name is a hint
Whoever named this kayak trail Hell’s Bay was giving you a hint: It won’t be easy. During National Parks Week at the end of April, I paddled this forbiddingly named trail. It’s mile after mile of mangroves with tight twists and turns that make going slow. If you’re heading for a backcountry camping site — a chickee on a platform in the middle of the Everglades wilderness — then this trail is worth the trouble. If not, well, I have some suggestions for you.
Loxahatchee River: Kayak a wild, scenic river in South Florida
Within an hour’s drive of the urban tangle of South Florida, one of Florida’s two nationally designated “wild and scenic” rivers meanders through a spectacularly lovely cypress swamp. Recently, Jupiter Outdoor Center re-opened the kayak and canoe rental operation in Riverbend Park, allowing visitors to paddle the best section of the river.
Bicycle past Palm Beach mansions along the water
The paved, traffic-free Lake Trail along the water on this exclusive island provides gorgeous harbor views and sneak peeks into backyards of the rich and famous.
Riverbend Park in Jupiter: Trails ideal for family biking, kayaking
Natural beauty makes Riverbend Park in Jupiter a delightful place to explore. Its 10 miles of bike trails are particularly well suited to family bicycle outings. It’s also the site of a historic battleground from the Second Seminole War.
