North Jog Road
West Palm Beach

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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. Apoxee is 2.5 miles long, but eventually meets up with the Owahee Trail, which will take you back to the Jog Road trail head while adding about 1.5 more miles to your walk. There is parking and toilets at the trail head and an informational kiosk with brochures and maps. 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.

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 oven birds. We saw the usual array of wetland wildflowers, including button bush, roundpod St. John's wort, yellow bladderwort and more. Note: The trail is open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is periodically closed because of high water, so check the website before you go.