Region: Northern Palm Beach County
Size: 2,967 acres
Hours: Daily from sunrise to sunset
Location:
The natural area is located on the south side of the Bee Line Highway (State Road 710), approximately 3.5 miles northwest of PGA Boulevard. It lies between the J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area and the North County General Aviation Airport.
Public Use Facilities:
None at present other than two small informational kiosks at the points along the C-18 Canal where there are entrances into the natural area. Hiking, photography, wildlife viewing, and other passive recreation activities are allowed on the site.
Site Information:
The site contains eight native biological communities: mesic flatwoods, hydric flatwoods, strand swamp, dome swamp, hydric hammock, xeric hammock, wet prairie, and depression marsh. Extensive restoration activities over a period of years included removal of 38 miles of dirt roads, 12 miles of canals, 3.4 miles of perimeter berm and ditch, and replacement or repair of 10 culverts; removal of invasive nonnative vegetation; and raising the elevation of the site 1.6 feet to reestablish historic seasonal water levels. The Ocean to Lake Trail segment of the Florida Trail passes along the eastern border and through the southern portion of the site. The natural area is part of the Northeast Everglades Natural Area.
Plants:
Plant species observed on the site include yellow colicroot, blue maidencane, fewflower milkwort, Florida tickseed, pineland twinflower, tenangle pipewort, American bluehearts, cinnamon fern, red maple, and swamp bay.
Wildlife:
Animal species observed on the site include longheaded toothpick grasshopper, Atlantic bluet, pig frog, Florida softshell, fulvous whistling duck, wood stork, hairy woodpecker, wild turkey, coyote, and round-tailed muskrat.
Links:
Coastal
