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Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides

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Marsh plants

Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge

At the edge of Boynton Beach, where historic farmlands have given way to subdivisions, Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge is a 145,000 acre buffer between suburbia and the Everglades

Boynton Beach      ( 26.498420, -80.212604 )      

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At the edge of Boynton Beach, where historic farmlands have given way to subdivisions over the last decade, Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge is a buffer between development and the Everglades.

The River of Grass has been sliced and diced into canals and impoundments that prevent flooding of nearby suburbia while providing vast marshlands for waterfowl to roam.

Summer storm on the marshes at Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge
Summer storm on the marshes at Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge

Resources

Resources for exploring the area

South Florida Explorers Guide book cover 50 Hikes in South Florida book cover Hikers Guide to the Sunshine State book cover

Disclosure: As authors and affiliates, we receive earnings when you buy these through our links. This helps us provide public information on this website.


Overview

Location: Boynton Beach
Trailhead: 26.498420, -80.212604
Address: 10216 Lee Road, Boynton Beach
Fees: $10 per carload. Cyclist/pedestrian free. Duck stamps and federal recreational passes accepted for entry. $20 annual pass available.
Restrooms: At visitor center
Land manager: US Fish & Wildlife
Phone: 561-734-8303

Open 5 AM to 10 PM daily. Visitor Center normally open 9-4 daily except Christmas and Thanksgiving, but it remains closed during the pandemic.


Directions

 
From Florida’s Turnpike, follow Boynton Beach Blvd west for 1.9 miles until it ends at US 441. Turn left and drive 2 miles south to the park entrance on the right. The above map shows trailhead locations.

About the Refuge

Established in 1951 under the Migratory Bird Conservation Act, Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge was a wise move that prevented the further expansion of communities into the fragile Everglades ecosystem, as has happened to its south.

It was created for wildlife, but also for humans as a natural water cachement area for the burgeoning population along Florida’s southeast coast.

A labyrinth of levees slices through this 272-acre marsh, creating ten separate impoundments known as Compartment C.

The refuge encompasses more than 145,000 acres of marshland, at least 25 miles long and 11 miles across.

In its watery interior, far from the levee trails, Florida panthers still roam the shallow river of grass, and tens of thousands of wading birds make their homes on tree islands, coming together in massive rookeries to raise their young.

Public use in the refuge is restricted to the Headquarters Area, where you’ll find two marked interpretive trails, and the levee system and open marsh to the south.

Along those levees, trails extend nearly 12 miles to Hillsboro Blvd. Off-road biking is the best way to explore the southern extent of the refuge.


Explore the park

Boardwalk through cypress strand

Loxahatchee NWR Cypress Trail

Following the boardwalk behind the Visitor Center at Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, you’ll enter a jungle-like wonderland along the Cypress Trail into a habitat lush with ferns and bromeliads

Trail on dike with interpretive sign

Loxahatchee NWR Marsh Trail

At Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, the Marsh Trail provides a marked trail to follow on the extensive dike system. It is one of the region’s best birding sites, where you’ll see dozens of species.

Friends of the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge offers guided hikes and canoe trips. Visit their website for details.


Explore More!

Slideshow

See our photos of Loxahatchee NWR


Nearby Adventures

More worth exploring while you’re in this area.

Boardwalk at Green Cay Wetlands

Green Cay Wetlands

Discover a bounty of bird life along the extensive boardwalks at Green Cay Wetlands, one of South Florida’s best urban birding destinations

Wakodahatchee Wetlands

Wakodatahatchee Wetlands

Wading birds everywhere: that’s the delight of a walk along the boardwalks of Wakodahatchee Wetlands

Pond apple tree

Daggerwing Nature Center

Behind Daggerwing Nature Center in busy South County Regional Park, an accessible boardwalk trail leads you into a remnant of tropical habitat with ancient trees.

Hillsboro Pineland Trail

Hillsboro Pineland Natural Area

A 44 acre remnant of forest that once spanned between the Atlantic Coastal Ridge and the Everglades, Hillsboro Pineland Natural Area offers gentle nature trails less than a mile long

Trail Map Friends Website Official Website

Category: Launch Points, National Wildlife Refuges, Nature Centers, Nature Trails, Off Road Biking, Southeast Florida, Water Management AreasTag: Alligators, Best Birding, Birding, Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Locations, National Wildlife Refuges, Observation Decks, Observation Towers, West Palm Beach, Wildlife Viewing

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