Overview The Apoxee Trail is part of a network of hiking trails within the Grassy Waters Preserve different enough and distinct enough from the main entrance to merit its own page. If you hike this trail, be prepared to get your feet wet in all but the driest part of the dry season. The Apoxee Trail sits on remarkably low ground as it makes its way through cypress swamps and wet pinelands, in places only a step or two from open water. Still, it's popular spot for hikers and bikers and those out for a bit of a stroll, offering gorgeous scenery and plenty of wildlife.
The trail head sits on the west side of North Jog Road, about one mile north of Okeechobee Boulevard in West Palm Beach. Apoxee is 2.5 miles long, but eventually meets up with the Owahee Trail, another part of the Grassy Waters system, which will take you back to the Jog Road trail head while adding about 1.5 more miles to your walk. A short, initial section of the trail is wheelchair accessible, but the rest of it is natural surface and a little rugged in places. The trail passes through a utility right-of-way and beyond that it forks, both ends meeting up with the Owahee Trail.
History: None other than Henry Flagler donated the land that is now Grassy Waters to West Palm Beach as a source of water for the city and for the town of Palm Beach. It's still a source of drinking water, but West Palm Beach also uses the land as a nature preserve.
What You'll See: This is the kind of place where you expect to see ospreys and snail kites flying over head or perched in trees on the lookout for a tasty meal. We spied a multitude of migrating warblers, including redstarts, blackpolls, black-and-whites, black-throated blues and ovenbirds. We saw an array of wetland wildflowers, including buttonbush, roundpod St. John's wort, yellow bladderworts, including horned bladderwort and more.
Amenities: Apoxee Trail has adequate parking, though it can be tight on weekends during the cooler months. There is a portable toilet at the trail head, an informational kiosk, brochures and a map. There is an accessible trail that is 0.38 miles long.
Nearby: Apoxee Trail is part of Grassy Waters Preserve, but the main entrance to the preserve is a distance away on Northlake Boulevard. The Sold Waste Authority's Greenway Trail System intersects with the Grassy Waters system but again, the main entrance is a distance away to the northwest off of 45th Street in West Palm Beach. Pond Cypress Natural Area neighbors the Apoxee Trail but has no trails or public facilities as of this writing. Royal Palm Beach Pines Natural Area is to the west, as is Acreage Pines Natural Area. Both are perhaps a 15-minute drive away.
Links: The Great Florida Birding Trail's page for Grassy Waters Preserve is here. The Institute for Regional Conservation's inventory of plants for Grassy Waters is here. Neither the GFBT or IRC maintain separate pages for Apoxee Trail.
Of Note: Admission is free. Apoxee Trail is open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sections are periodically closed because of high water, so check the website before you go.
Cover Photo: A blackpoll warbler foraging in a cypress tree. We found Apoxee Trail an especially good place to spot warblers during spring migration.
The trail head sits on the west side of North Jog Road, about one mile north of Okeechobee Boulevard in West Palm Beach. Apoxee is 2.5 miles long, but eventually meets up with the Owahee Trail, another part of the Grassy Waters system, which will take you back to the Jog Road trail head while adding about 1.5 more miles to your walk. A short, initial section of the trail is wheelchair accessible, but the rest of it is natural surface and a little rugged in places. The trail passes through a utility right-of-way and beyond that it forks, both ends meeting up with the Owahee Trail.
History: None other than Henry Flagler donated the land that is now Grassy Waters to West Palm Beach as a source of water for the city and for the town of Palm Beach. It's still a source of drinking water, but West Palm Beach also uses the land as a nature preserve.
What You'll See: This is the kind of place where you expect to see ospreys and snail kites flying over head or perched in trees on the lookout for a tasty meal. We spied a multitude of migrating warblers, including redstarts, blackpolls, black-and-whites, black-throated blues and ovenbirds. We saw an array of wetland wildflowers, including buttonbush, roundpod St. John's wort, yellow bladderworts, including horned bladderwort and more.
Amenities: Apoxee Trail has adequate parking, though it can be tight on weekends during the cooler months. There is a portable toilet at the trail head, an informational kiosk, brochures and a map. There is an accessible trail that is 0.38 miles long.
Nearby: Apoxee Trail is part of Grassy Waters Preserve, but the main entrance to the preserve is a distance away on Northlake Boulevard. The Sold Waste Authority's Greenway Trail System intersects with the Grassy Waters system but again, the main entrance is a distance away to the northwest off of 45th Street in West Palm Beach. Pond Cypress Natural Area neighbors the Apoxee Trail but has no trails or public facilities as of this writing. Royal Palm Beach Pines Natural Area is to the west, as is Acreage Pines Natural Area. Both are perhaps a 15-minute drive away.
Links: The Great Florida Birding Trail's page for Grassy Waters Preserve is here. The Institute for Regional Conservation's inventory of plants for Grassy Waters is here. Neither the GFBT or IRC maintain separate pages for Apoxee Trail.
Of Note: Admission is free. Apoxee Trail is open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sections are periodically closed because of high water, so check the website before you go.
Cover Photo: A blackpoll warbler foraging in a cypress tree. We found Apoxee Trail an especially good place to spot warblers during spring migration.
