If you live in Florida or are looking to visit Florida, there are some cool spots to check out that don’t involve camping. Maybe you just want to take a day trip out to the local park or natural area. If you live or are planning to be around the West Palm Beach area, then we have the spot for you. Winding Waters Natural Area is a secluded hidden gem off Haverhill Rd in between 45th street and beeline hwy. This natural area includes over 500 acres of natural Florida landscape. There are multiple foot trails for hiking and a scenic lake trail for kayaking. Signs of wildlife are endless. If you enjoy bird watching and freshwater fishing, this is the place for you.
West Palm Beach offers a plethora of places to see wildlife and be close to nature. Winding Waters Natural Area is not to be missed. As you pull into the entrance, right away you’ll notice a huge hilly area on the right. This area is known as Dyer Park aka the landfill park. The city of West Palm Beach converted this landfill area into a usable park. You can drive right up to the trail head parking lot. There aren’t many spaces here to park, but It never seems to completely fill up. My suggestion is to go earlier than later. There are infographics that are posted at the entrance. Pictures of the local wildlife suggests that you may come across an opossum or raccoon. It also includes other animals such as Alligators and even Bob cats. The info-graphic also has a list of rules for the area some of which suggested that the trail was for foot traffic only and no pets were allowed. It also asked kindly that no trash be left behind.
The beginning of the trail is a paved sidewalk for easy access. If you begin walking the paved path for a few feet, you will came across the kayak/ canoe launch. This little floating dock is a perfect place to launch kayaks to journey the 3.3-mile lake trail. The lake is open so not much shade is to be expected. Make sure to pack long sleeves or sun block. The Florida sun can be brutal at times. The path leads right to an observation deck looking over the lakes. You can see almost clearly through the water. You may even spot fish making their nesting holes in the sand. It’s a pretty cool sight to see, each fish with their own dug out hole protecting it from any predators who dare come close.
The shaded observation lookout is the end point of the paved trail. If you keep walking you will come across another info-graphic with the trail map. Here 2 different trails maps are offered. The first trail is a mere 2-mile hike along the river and then cutting into the forest known as the woods path. This path offers a bit more shade than the other. The other path known as the wetlands path skirts the perimeter of the lake. This path is 5 miles, and not very shaded. If you choose the wetlands path, make sure to protect yourself from the sun rays. There are shaded man-built areas along each trail to offer a cool resting place. They’re decently spread apart but offer a nice break from the sun once you come across one.
During your hike you will see many bird species, including blue herons, gofer trails shooting across the path, and maybe even a snake or two. Arriving back to the paved trail take a rest under the shaded pavilion to relax, drink some water and eat a few snacks. You get a very peaceful sense here watching the birds and the fish, it’s just so relaxing.
One thing to mention is that there are no water fountains so make sure to bring plenty to drink. Also, there are no restrooms, but Dyer park which is located a short drive next door has restroom facilities available to the public. Since the park is situated in very close proximity to the City landfill you will notice a slight odor when arriving into the park. Don’t let this discourage you from trekking inward, once inside the trail area the smell is completely non-existent. I should also mention that there is no entrance fee, so if you are looking for a free activity this is a great way to get out of the house. This is a very quiet park, not a lot of people know of its existence so if you’re trying to get away this is a great day trip to take. Please remember when entering a natural area that you do not leave any trash behind as to preserve its beauty and wildlife.
Love,
Nature Girl
