100 North Golfview Road
Lake Worth

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Snook Islands Natural Area is 118 acres, but it won't take you long to walk it. Paddling, however, that's a different story. Snook Islands, is in fact, a series of small man-made islands as its name suggests, and the best way to see them is by kayak rather than by foot.

There is a boardwalk with an observation platform at the end, but it's only something over 500 feet in length. The intent of the natural area is to improve the quality of the Lake Worth Lagoon, and provide habitat for wildlife. The emphasis is on water rather than land. The animals and plant life present are linked to water — mangroves, shore and wading birds, fish, crabs and manatees. Mostly what you'll see are pelicans, terns and gulls, plus a zillion pigeons. However, if you look around you'll rare birds like american oystercatchers and red-breasted mergansers, plus ospreys, yellow-crowned night herons, little blue herons and other herons and egrets, and a few plovers and sandpipers. Facilities include a paddling trail, a floating dock and a fishing pier.

Snook Islands is on the north side of the Lake Worth bridge on Lucerne Avenue but there's no parking directly at the site. However, if you drive out of the site and head back toward town, you'll see signs that will lead you down some one-way streets to a parking area on the west side of the municipal golf course, a short walk to the site.

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