Hitting the Dusty Trail

Royal Palm Beah Pines Natural Area, Royal Palm Beach, Palm Beach County


hiking trail
Over hill, over dale, we will hit the dusty trail, but no caissons go rolling along on the Pine Lily Loop. The Pine Lily winds along the northwestern boundaries of Royal Palm Beach Pines Natural Area. Though bone dry as seen in this photograph, it can be quite wet in the rainy season, with portions of the trail turning into ponds that extend well beyond the trail itself. The trail is rich in wild flowers — yellow-eye grass, elephant's foot, pale meadow beauty, goldenrods, pineland heliotrope are among the common species — and birds, including blue jays, cardinals, ospreys, northern flickers pileated woodpeckers and the rare and stunning redheaded woodpecker. It's also one of the few spots where we've seen variegated fritllary butterflies.

NEXT STOP: SUMMER RAINS

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Published by Wild South Florida, PO Box 7241, Delray Beach, FL 33482.
Photographs by David Sedore. Photographs are property of the publishers and may not be used without permission.