Winding Waters Natural Area - West Palm Beach (FL)

5 /5 John: This is an unassuming natural spot that includes great wetlands and drier areas upwards; I even saw an endangered gopher tortoise digging a burrow! There’s an unpaved trail that circles the wetland, but there’s also a partially paved stretch that leads to a short boardwalk over the water. Definitely a cool little place for a relatively short hike - there’s also the option to have a longer unpaved hike if you take a turn at the boardwalk. I was surprised that I saw 2 large alligators! There’s a cool patch of cypress trees in the water that wetland birds love hanging out on.

5 /5 Tom Williamson: Very close to civilization but wildlife very prevalent. Was here less than an hour and saw an alligator catch and eat a fish, a turtle and dozens of water birds very up close and personal. I want to come back and explore more soon!

5 /5 Lorna Murray: Perfect spot to stretch your legs and get some fresh air on a Florida road trip. Lots of birdlife. We are still not sure if the gator in the first pond was real or a hazard warning. Saw turtles, fish and birds on the easy 0.5 mile (1 mile return) nature walk.

5 /5 Stevie Marie: Winding Waters is a beautiful place to take a hike or just a leisurely stroll in nature. There are plenty of parking spaces, and you can also park on the street. You start out walking on smooth pavement, so its nice for people with mobility issues or young children. There are a couple of footbridges where you can watch the fish swim, and there are also benches where you can sit down and rest. Catch and release fishing is also an option. For those wanting to leave the pavement, you can wander off onto the trails once you cross the bridge. Its a fairly open area; theres not a lot of shade, so wear sunscreen and a hat. On weekdays around 4:00 p.m., you may see a few other people, but its not very busy.

5 /5 Bill Lozano: 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 arent any bathrooms. It’s still a 5 Star park.