Eight Ways to Explore Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge in Boca Raton, Florida

|

Established in 1951, the 145,000+ acre (one of the largest in America!) Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge preserves the remnants of the northern Everglades, which includes a cypress forest for 250+ species of birds; indoor, interactive exhibits; access to boat launches; and tons of hiking, biking, and paddling trails. Located in Boca Raton, Florida in the northernmost part of the Everglades, the 221+ square mile preserve is also home to a wide variety of reptiles and amphibians, from frogs and salamanders to alligators, crocodiles, and turtles. The Visitor Center is a great place to start exploring and make sure to leave time for outdoor trails and recreation. 

Travel Tips:

  • The grounds are open from sunrise to sunset and the Visitor Center is open from 9am-4pm. Check here for updates. 
  • There is a per-vehicle entrance fee payable at the Visitor Center or all three entrance self pay booths. More information on fees and various passes here. 
  • There is plenty of free parking in front of the Visitor Center and in smaller lots near the three boat launches.
  • Restrooms are located just outside the Visitor Center; a gift shop is located near the admission desk.
  • A variety of programs are offered throughout the week, including 90 minute tram tours, Wellness Walks, and Boardwalks. Check here for more information. 
  • Plan on 90 minutes to explore the Visitor Center and Boardwalk; more time for exploring the trails.

Would you like to save this?

We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later.

Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge in Boca Raton, Florida

Eight Ways to Explore the Loxahatchee Refuge:

  1. Hop aboard the airboat simulator in the Visitor Center for a virtual tour of the refuge
  2. Listen to the nighttime “symphony” of sounds from various animals on the refuge.
  3. Learn how the Everglades are valuable to the Earth and humans from a variety of interviews from people with different perspectives.
  4. Walk the almost half mile accessible Cypress Swamp Boardwalk. The swamp, over 400 acres, is the largest in Palm beach County. Keep an eye out for a variety of birds, like woodpeckers and owls, fish, turtles, and more. Note that the depth of water varies throughout the year as the swamp is rain fed.  
  5. Bike on almost 40 miles of trails throughout the refuge, including the popular 36 mile Perimeter Trail. Bikers are welcome on all hiking trails except the Boardwalk.  
  6. Drive one mile from the Visitor Center to the Lee Road boat ramp, one of three boat ramps at the refuge. Visitors are allowed to drop water cooled boats, canoes, and kayaks in designated areas (check online and at the Visitor’s Center for specific regulations). 
  7. Count the number of reptiles, amphibians, and butterflies camouflage (or out in the open) throughout the refuge on a self guided tour. Hint: there are dozens of each!
  8. Attend a guided activity, like a tram tour or Wellness walk. Check here for the calendar and to sign up. 

Looking for more fun throughout Palm Beach County? Check out our full City Guide to Palm Beach County and dedicated posts to Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and Museum, Palm Beach Zoo, Green Cay Nature Center, and Sandoway Discovery Center, and Butterfly World. And follow along on our adventures on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.

New England based, part high school English teacher, part non profit founder, part road tripper who LOVES hopping in the family SUV to explore America. Our bucket list includes National Parks, MLB stadiums, presidential libraries, and eating wherever the locals eat!

Similar Posts

  • | | |

    10 Ways to Explore Alligator Park in St. Augustine, Florida

    We’re not a huge zoo family, but every guide we read about St Augustine, Florida, as well as a couple of fellow travel writers, all suggested visiting Alligator Farm Zoological Park. So, on our recent visit to St. Augustine, we started one of our mornings at the park and agreed it’s a special place the whole family will enjoy.

    Established in 1893, Alligator Farm is one of the oldest zoos in the country. Originally opened as an exhibition space of native Florida reptiles at South Beach on Anastasia Island, Alligator Zoo quickly became a popular spot for tourists. After both a storm and fire destroyed much of the area in 1920, the owners moved the animals to the current, nine acre space. The zoo is home to 24 species of crocodilian, 40 species of birds, dozens of reptiles, and many other animals. The park has shaded paths that weave through the exhibits, with plenty of viewing areas and places to sit and enjoy the beauty of nature. There’s also a zip lining course, daily animal feedings, and various programs and special events that offer plenty of new things to see with each visit.

  • | | |

    10 Tips for Visiting Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida

    We recently visited Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida for the first time. We visited during the holiday break in December, which is the busiest week of the whole year. We knew that ahead of time but, boy, was it packed! The staff did a good job of keeping people moving and safe. It also rained on and off all day. So, not ideal conditions for visiting a major (and expensive!) amusement park, but we still had fun. We also learned a lot.

  • |

    10 Ways to Explore Butterfly World in Coconut Creek, Florida

    The blog has been filled with posts featuring Florida attractions this year (see the complete index here). This week, we’re sharing a post we never got the chance to publish from the last time we visited family in the Delray Beach area: our top 10 guide to Butterfly World, located 45 minutes north of Miami and 45 minutes south of West Palm Beach. 

    Butterfly World in Coconut Creek is located in Tradewinds Park, which includes dozens of outdoor activities- see the full list “here. Opened in 1988, it is the largest butterfly park in the WORLD and home to over 20,000 butterflies, as well as insects, birds, macaw and more!  Butterfly World typically has up to 50 varieties of live butterflies for guests to see each visit. There are both indoor and outdoor exhibits and most guests follow the one way path (and walk over the suspension bridge) through six aviaries, gardens, and a tropical rainforest.

  • | | | | | | | |

    City Guide: Sag Harbor, New York

    The village of Sag Harbor, located on the northern part of the South Fork of Long Island, is typically home to under 3,000 year round residents but swells during peak summer months, as the area is a popular vacation spot. Considered part of “The Hamptons” (which includes the towns and villages of Westhampton, South Hampton, Sagaponack, Sag Harbor, East Hampton, Amagansett, and Montauk), the area is under two hours from the hustle and bustle of Manhattan (or a short ferry ride from Fairfield County, Connecticut). Sag Harbor became a US port of entry in 1789 with a growing population involved in servicing whalers and West Indian trade ships. and became a thriving whaling industry in the 1800s. There are many historic homes, museums, outdoor recreational areas, and dining and retail options throughout Sag Harbor and the surrounding towns that the whole family will enjoy.

  • | | |

    Playing “I Spy” at the Lightner Museum in St Augustine, Florida

    One of the surprise hits of our recent trip to St Augustine, Florida was our visit to the Lightner Museum. We had heard it was beautiful, but we were unsure if it would be family friendly. Secret’s out: it is! (Just keep the toddler crew contained in a stroller when exploring the glass rooms).

    The Lightner Museum is housed in the former Alcazar Hotel, which was commissioned by Henry Flagler, a prominent oil and railroad tycoon who is credited with designing and building much of St Augustine. The hotel was completed in 1888 by the same firm who designed the New York Public Library and was open until the early 1930s. The hotel included a three story ballroom, sulfur baths, and the largest indoor pool in the world (at the time). Many of the remains of these parts of the hotel can still be seen in the museum today.

  • | | |

    Nine Tips for Seeing the Gingerbread Houses at Disney World

    Last December, we had the opportunity to cross an experience off my “bucket list”: seeing the gingerbread houses at Walt Disney World in Florida! Spoiler alert: The gingerbread houses and holiday decorations lived up to the hype and exceeded my expectations. We encourage everyone to make a pilgrimage to the Disney World resort area sometime in November or December at least once to see the holiday magic first hand!

4 Comments

  1. Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge is such a wonderful (and underrated) place to visit. Everyone heads to bigger name spots – the Everglades, the safari park – put this place is just as wonderful. Thanks for sharing and highlighting it!

    Reply

  2. Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge seems like a great place to be in contact with nature. I would love to relax in a place like this and take some nice pictures!

    Reply

  3. So many great ideas! I like the sound of biking along the trails and seeing as many of the reptiles as possible. Listening to them at night sounds really cool too, was it loud?

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *