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 For nature and outdoor lovers, Palm Beach County has 35 natural areas and several regional parks -Riverbend Park (where one can canoe or kayak the Loxahatchee River – the first federally designated Wild and Scenic River in Florida), Okeeheelee Park and South County Regional Park, both with nature centers. West of Delray Beach, the Green Cay and Wakodahatchee Wetlands are prime bird watching locations along with Grassy Waters Preserve west of West Palm Beach. Hiking and canoe/kayaking trails also exist in the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge west of Delray Beach on Lee Road. Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton and Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach offer estuarine and marine setting for walks on the beach to view sea turtles during their nesting season.
 For those that prefer less strenuous outings, Lion Country Safari outside of West Palm Beach provides the unique experience in a drive-through safari with hundreds of animals roaming free plus an amusement park with animal encounters and demonstrations. Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach offers its world-renowned collection of 19th and 20th century European, American, Chinese and Contemporary art, photography and works on paper, along with special exhibitions. The Museum of Polo & Hall of Fame on Lake Worth Road gives a closer look at one attraction of the bustling winter Polo Season. Historical tours of Palm Beach, West Palm Beach and Delray Beach give the visitor a sense of the development of the area. The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens west of Delray Beach honor our Japanese settlers and the wonders of Japanese gardens with events throughout the year. The Jupiter Lighthouse and Museum invite you to explore the history of northern Palm Beach County and its lighthouse.
For more information visit the Palm Beach County Convention Center and Visitors Bureau
 Palm Beach County is located on the east coast of Florida, encompassing the area from Jupiter on the north side to Boca Raton on the south and from the Atlantic Ocean on the east to just east of Clewiston on the west.
In 1838 the US Army built a fort in what is now Jupiter that is believed to be the first non-Indian settlement in the area. The fort was followed by the first civilian residents who cared for the Jupiter Lighthouse beginning in 1860. In the late 1800’s, railroads, including the Jupiter to Lake Worth Celestial Railroad and Henry Morrison Flagler’s Florida East Coast Railroad (FEC) brought interstate trade and tourism to the area. Henry Morrison Flagler built the Royal Poinciana Inn in 1894 replacing boarding houses and an inn on the property, earning the area a name as the First Resort Destination. From 1889-1899, Juno Beach was the capital of the then much larger Dade County. West Palm Beach, the first city, was incorporated in 1894 and Palm Beach County became Florida’s 47th county in 1909 with a population of 5,300. Later, portions of Dade County became Broward (1915), Okeechobee (1917) and Martin (1925) Counties. In 1905, Japanese immigrants came to farm the Yamato Settlement in what is now the northern portion of the City of Boca Raton. Palm Beach County covers 1,971 square miles, not including Lake Okeechobee, and has a long history of trails, including Military Trail which connected the first settlements along the coast in Palm Beach County, and the early mail routes, such as the Barefoot Mailman trail along the beach from the present day Town of Hypoluxo to Miami. More recently the County has, in cooperation with many agencies and municipalities, established network of urban and wilderness trails in north Palm Beach County known as the Northeast Everglades Natural Area (NENA) trail system.  The Florida Trail follows the eastern edge of Lake Okeechobee on the 35 foot high Herbert Hoover Dike. This trail offers spectacular views of the Lake and the agricultural areas to the east. It passes through South Bay, Belle Glade, Pahokee and Canal Point, offering a glimpse of the variety of farms and industry in this rural area.
The Ocean to Lake Trail is a spur of the Florida Trail. It starts at the county trailhead near Port Mayaka passes through sugarcane fields and travels through the DuPuis Reserve, the J.W. Corbett State Wildlife Management Area, Hungryland Slough and the Loxahatchee Slough Natural Areas, Riverbend Park, and finally through Jonathan Dickinson State Park to arrive at the Atlantic Ocean.
 Day use parking for the trail around Lake Okeechobee includes the South Bay Lake Access, Belle Glade Recreation Area, Rardin County Park, the Pahokee Marina and Canal Point Recreation Area.
For the Ocean to Lake section, parking is at Port Mayaca, Dupuis Reserve, Corbett Wildlife Management Area, Hungryland Slough, Riverbend Park, Jonathan Dickenson State Park and Hobe Sound Beach Park.
Palm Beach County offers a variety of accommodations from the luxury of The Breakers on Palm Beach itself to campgrounds and recreational resorts along Lake Okeechobee shoreline. Please use the Palm Beach County Convention Center website www.palmbeachfl.com to locate accommodations and packages that will suit your needs. |
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