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Posts Tagged ‘kayak’

The day before yesterday, David and I visited two of the three parts of the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge.  We took a look at the 20-Mile Bend entrance, as well as the Boynton Beach entrance.  It’s changed, yet stayed the same.

The LNWR is a pretty big place, and most of it is, alas, off-limits to people.  But the canal circling the refuge is available to the public, and the Boynton Beach entrance has more facilities, such as a boardwalk, visitor center, etc.

Now I didn’t bring my camera along with me (the trip was spur-of-the-moment, after I had left the camera at the house), so the photos I have on this post are from the last trip I made to the LNWR.

20-Mile Bend Entrance

This is fairly remote, at least for Palm Beach County.  You take Southern way out west to 20-Mile Bend, and follow the signs on the south side of the road.  This part is obviously not heavily used (no other people there on a Monday afternoon), and is the domain of the boat, both small powerboats and the canoe/kayak variety.

Really — there isn’t anything else to do here — no trails to walk, no visitor’s center, and only a portable outhouse for when nature calls.  But the payoff is that nature rules!  Because it’s lightly used, you might find yourself alone on the canal, which is bordered by grasses and wildlife.

If you go out boating (no matter what kind), take extra precautions — the water is deep and there are few shallow places along the banks where you might be able to get back into the boat if you take a spill. And because you may very well be alone on the water, there isn’t anyone else to help you — definitely bring a cell phone, and hope that it works (it’s a rather remote area and scanty cell coverage).

Oh yeah, and alligators are part of the wildlife experience.

Boynton Beach Entrance

This is a more widely used are of the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, and has a visitor’s center with a boardwalk behind it.  At the moment, the boardwalk is being re-built, so only portions are available for a stroll.  But even so, we saw signs of wild pigs, heard hawks and viewed some gorgeous scenery.  Hopefully the boardwalk will be fully completed by the end of the fall.

We went over to the boat ramp, to see what it looked like, and found that they rent canoes.  No one was around to tell me prices, though.  The ramp is steep to drive your automobile up and down, and not a big turn-around area at the ramp area itself; if you want to boat, you’re best off with a canoe or kayak; powerboats are better suited to the 20-Mile Bend entrance.

In addition to the boardwalk, there is a marsh trail, where you will see all manner of birds, large and small.  In the fall especially, I hear that this refuge is chock-full of them.  And if the marsh trail and boardwalk aren’t enough, there are 50+ miles of trails on the levy rimming the canal.

If you need a rest in the shade, there is a pavilion area near to the marsh trail (although on the other side of the marsh). It looks out over the marsh and there is plenty of wildlife to observe. Lovely area to rest and relax and enjoy nature.

So that’s it for the time being. See you later!

David and I went kayaking yesterday at John D. MacArthur Beach State Park, in the Singer Island area of SE Florida.  Although I have been Florida kayaking at MacArthur in other months of the year, this was my first time in August.  And I unfortunately learned a few things.  You may find them either amusing or helpful, so here goes.

Kayaking at MacArthur Beach State Park

In the summer, plan to bring a hat, sunscreen and LOTS of water.  There is no shade at all, save under the boardwalk or under the bridge.  And after some time in the sun, you may kill for some shade.

Even if the day is calm (as far as wind goes), the tides can be strong when they are getting ready to change.  Not too bad when you are going in the same direction as the tide; tough when you’re paddling against it.

And speaking of tides, do take a look at the tide tables before you put in.  This is an estuary area, so the tides will determine if you paddle or have to walk your kayak through mud. 

And again with the tides, do not set out paddling when the tide is falling.  Trust me on this one.  I must have always gotten lucky before, but this time I got stuck in the mud.  And you will sink quite a bit in the mud if you’re in the seagrass area.

We had the hats, sunscreen and water, but even though we brought lots of water, we didn’t have any left over.

There you go.  MacArthur Beach State Park is a wonderful place to enjoy kayaking Florida, but you’ll definitely need to consider the sun, heat and tides!