Winding Waters Natural Area, West Palm Beach

I knew very little about this park when going there. Just another one of those parks I found searching Google Maps for parks. Driving the main road there is a parking lot for the trials. It has about a dozen spaces and one spot for a bus to park. A kiosk has a map and park information in it. It even has a pamphlet with a map on it. The trails have good signage but a map is always helpful. There is a canoe/kayak floating dock a few feet down the trail. A sign points to the shore fishing area. A paved trail goes half a mile into the park. The paved path ends at a bridge that goes over the water. The bridge has a covered shelter in the middle with benches to sit at and enjoy the great view. It was late in the day and the sun was low in the sky making it an extra beautiful spot to relax. Looking down from the middle of the bridge there was a large gator just hanging out giving me a great photo from above which you don’t get to see often. Once across the bridge the trail divides into three different trails. You can decide how far you want to talk and take one of these trails. This is where I had to turn around as it was late and the park closes at sunset. I went back across the bridge and took the trail instead of the paved path back. The trail follows the river. I was thinking about the large gator and hoped there wasn’t one on this trail. I will come back and explore the other side of the bridge. It’s a great park. The only issue I have is that there aren't any bathrooms. It’s still a 5 Star park.

Gorgeous nature preserve. Lots of bird life. I took one star away because the trail was unkempt in certain parts. Grass was up to my knees on parts of wetland hiking trail. We also felt they should have had more markings telling you where you are and how far from your goal. We ended up missing a turn and walking alot longer on a different portion of the trail. Much longer walk than we anticipated.

I was looking for a little nature escape, and this place ended up being perfect. They had a shorter paved trail and plenty of trail to walk through the grass for longer walks. If you're a bird lover this place is definitely for you. There was very little traffic when I went and was just what I needed.

Holy WOW!!!! This was a birders paradise. Just gorgeous natural preserve area, free parking, and did I say BIRDS. I’m not sure what birds were migrating here, but there were Thousands of them! Little black ones. Wow. The sounds were incredible. There were also blue herons, white herons, geese, ducks, woodpeckers, and many others. Sunset over the water was stunning, and we were pleasantly surprised with a SpaceX falcon heavy launch. We saw a lot of bugs, but nothing bit us at sunset (January 23’) Tip: Jan 23- You have to take the main way there, not through the other park and around by the basketball courts over, as the road is closed. 10/10 one of my favorite areas in FL.

This trail is a good length; not too short and not too long. The path is clear yet you’re completely surrounded by nature. The views are nice on a clear evening and the walk will definitely give you a nice workout.