9424 Winterhawk Trail
Jupiter

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Think about everything on this page. The landscape shots to the left, the plants and animals below. Almost everything here revolves around water, and that's no accident. Like much of this part of Palm Beach County, Cypress Creek South Tract is a very wet place, from marsh to cypress swamp to lake, part of the system of sloughs that feed the Loxahatchee River.

Pull into the parking lot and the first thing you notice is a pond-like body with a kayak launch. Leave your car and follow the trail along the water and you see that the "pond" becomes bigger and bigger, finally extending into a small lake. Watch for wildlife — you may encounter egrets, herons, moorhens, wood ducks, mottled ducks, alligators and turtles. Across the way lies a cypress swamp and mesic (moist) pine flatwoods.

Near the parking lot there is a trail that veers west but seemingly vanishes. No. need for makers because the land is so open. Just walk. Your eyes tell you where to go. There are wetlands to the right — mostly dry this April day, pine flatwoods to the left. Bear left and a large wet meadow appears, again mostly dry but alive with activity. In the distance, a pair of sandhill cranes forage with their chicks. There are limpkins and killdeer foraging. An observation tower stands at one end; a trail wanders through the woods. There's parking, picnic tables, fishing pier, hiking trails, a canoe/kayak trail and an extension of the historic, multi-use Jupiter Indiantown Trail. Note: This is part of Cypress Creek Natural Area, most of which lies north of Indiantown Road.