The 146,000-acre refuge consists mostly of the sawgrass marsh that is so characteristic of the Everglades environment and is one of the few places where lucky observers might see the endangered snail kite searching for food. The inviting public-use areas provide viewing opportunities for a large variety of wetland flora and fauna. Most visitors are unaware, however, of the difficult habitat problems faced by the refuge staff and the history of the attempts to undo the wildlife habitat damage that began in 1947. Visitors should stop at the handsome Visitor Center for information and browse the retail shop operated by the Loxahatchee Natural History Association, the cooperating nonprofit association that finances projects to promote public awareness of the refuge. Northern everglades southwest of West Palm Beach, Florida.
Nature walks, hiking, canoeing, birdwatching, bass fishing.
Both the Cypress Swamp Boardwalk and marsh impoundments are accessible by foot from the Visitor Center. The boardwalk is a 0.4 mile trail that loops through one of the few remaining cypress swamps that once lined the edge of the Everglades where it met higher ground and is an ideal place to see ferns, orchids, and air plants. Limpkins can often be seen feeding in the ponds around the Visitor Center. Walking the dikes around the several impoundments is how the refuge's variety of water birds may be observed along with some of the thousands of American alligators that inhabit the refuge. The refuge bird list includes over 250 species.