This is a 160 acre natural area preserve. Entrance to the preserve is in Jupiter Community Park…read more This natural area was identified has having environmentally important land and it was preserved as part of the county's 1999 Bond Referendum for Land Acquisitionfor Conservation Purposes. The county purchased this land in 2000 from Watermark Communities.
There are two trails, a .55 paved trail and a 1.44 mile sandy trail. The trails go through mesic flatwoods, wet flatwoods, depression marsh, and dome swamp ecosystems. The trail has boardwalks, a swing, benches, a fishing pier and an observation platform.
The preserve has several populations of rare plants including Atlantic St. John's-wort, trumpet creeper, and yellow jessamine. Other plants you will include saw palmetto, slash pine, gallberry, beautyberry, cypress, ferns, gopher apple, tarflower, and pinebarren goldenrod. During my hike I saw eastern cotton tail rabbits, blue jay's, butterflies, squirrels, and lizards. Other animals that have been recorded here include raccoon, bob cat, red shoulder hawk, osprey, and gopher tortoises.
This natural area is part of the Florida's Greenways and Trails System, a system of linked conservation lands creating a wildlife corridor adjacent to the Loxahatchee River.
Something really unique about this trail that I love and have never seen before is it has been certified as autism friendly in April 2019 by the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities. The Learning Academy, a group of professionals that includes speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, teachers, behavior analysts and representatives from Palm Beach County Environmental Resources Management developed improvements to the Flatwoods Natural Area to make the trail more inviting to people with sensory issues. Added were the half mile of ADA paved trails, visual signage, benches to allow people to take a break, a swing, physical barriers, a nature trail scavenger hunt, and sensory stations. I have been on a lot of trails that do not take people with disabilities into consideration so I was so impressed to see the accommodations that have been made to make this trail user friendly for all members of the community. This is the first trail in the Florida to be certified as autism friendly and hopefully it is the start of more to come.
The county has designed this area to be enjoyed passively while still protecting it. It is ideal for hiking, photography, and bird watching. Smoking, hunting, feeding wildlife, biking, and taking anything are all prohibited activities. Flatwoods is open every day of the year from sunrise to sunset.