Boynton Beach: Everglades experience in the wild west

Roseate spoonbill rises from marsh The 221-square-mile Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge is the northernmost end of the Everglades, and is home to the American alligator and the endangered Everglades snail kite, as well as up to 257 species of birds that visit the refuge wetlands during the year. (Pictured here is a magnificent Roseate Spoonbill.)

Sun-Sentinel staff photo by Mark Randall

Open from sunrise to sunset, the park offers nature walks, a visitor center, a 5.5-mile canoe trail, a 12-mile bicycle trail, hiking, bird watching, bass fishing and restrooms. A 0.4-mile boardwalk loops around one of the last remaining cypress swamp areas. The 5.5-mile canoe trail provides one of the best way to see and explore the Everglades up close

-- South Florida Parenting Magazine

Getting there: The Wildlife Refuge is at 10216 Lee Road, three miles north of Atlantic Avenue off State Road 7, Boynton Beach, 561-734-8303 or 561-732-3684. Main office 561-732-3684