1550 Yamato Road
Boca Raton

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At 79 acres, Pondhawk Natural Area isn't huge. But, for it's size, it is incredibly diverse. It is set along Blue Lake, once part of IBM's massive Boca Raton campus. Palm Beach County, which owns and manages Pondhawk (along with the city) restored the western shore of the lake to a more natural state, making it a haven for wading birds and ducks — herons, egrets, grebes, moorhens, coots, mottled ducks and blue-wing teals.

A wide concrete walking/biking path follows the curved shore of the lake. On both sides, wild flowers flourish — indian blanket, coreopsis, scorpion flower, lindenleaf rosemallow and a whole lot more. The flowers, in turn, make Pondhawk one of the better places in South County to find butterflies. There is a 0.71-mile accessible trail that leads to a covered observation platform and a restored wetlands, where a slough once cut through the land. Two natural surface trails go in opposite directions through scrub and scrubby woods. All in all, it's a couple of hours walk.

Despite the Yamato address, the entrance is actually on the north side of Spanish River Boulevard at the Spanish River Public Library, where there is also ample parking.

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