Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge
10216 Lee Road, unincorporated Palm Beach County, 561/734-8303, Loxahatchee.fws.gov
The Loxahatchee refuge offers a more-welcoming camping experience than the Everglades. Instead of arming yourself with industrial-strength bug spray and a firearm to defend against blood-sucking invaders, you will need to bring only a decent pair of walking shoes, a set of binoculars and a hat to keep the sun off your face. The 221-square-mile refuge located west of Boynton Beach makes things easy for visitors who want to see gators, birds and native plant life by providing observation towers, a 0.8-mile Marsh Trail, a 5.5-mile canoe route and a 12-mile bike trail. Loxahatchee is known for the 250 or so species of birds that nest in the park, including egrets, ibis, yellow-bellied sapsuckers and the great horned owl. Fishing is allowed year-round, and waterfowl hunting is permitted in restricted areas at certain times of year.
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