Overview: At a mere 6.5 acres, Lantana Nature Preserve is a sliver of land but with a strategic location and key habitat along the Lake Worth Lagoon. It's the kind of place where you'd expect to find migratory birds wintering over or taking temporary refuge while on their way to points north or south, depending on the time of year. It is that and more.
Lantana Nature Preserve is mainly marine hammock with a mangrove swamp bordering its northern and western perimeters, where a small tidal creek trickles into the Lake Worth Lagoon. Apartments border the eastern and northern sides of the preserve, largely screened off by dense vegetation. It is a quiet, peaceful place despite the din from Ocean Avenue traffic and surrounding neighborhood.
A half-mile Hiking trail loops along the edges of the preserve and criss-crosses through the rolling interior in places. The trails are both natural surface inplace and concrete in others, with boardwalks in places that might get a little wet. It's an easy walk.
History: As late as the 1990s, what is now the preserve literally was a dump, strewn with discarded refrigerators and rusted hulks of automobiles. About 1996 Lantana residents and town officials decided to reclaim the site and create a nature preserve. The town partnered with HealthTrust, a developer of housing for senior citizens, to restore the property; HealthTrust would foot the bill for the project while building The Carlisle, a senior living complex, next door. The land was graded to resemble a coastal dune, and thousands of trees and shrubs planted to mimic what the site would have looked like originally.
What You'll See: Lush would be the word we'd use to describe Lantana Nature Preserve. It only dates back to the late 1990s, but it looks like it's been there, undisturbed, forever. Gumbo limbo, huge seagrape, pigeon plum, figs, iron wood, false mastic and cabbage palms are conspicuous in the canopy. Wild coffee, firebush, wild plumbago, wild lime, Spanish stopper, Simpson's stopper, snowberry, white indigoberry, myrsine and ocean blue morning glory are among the many plants that populate the understory. Reds dominate the mangrove swamp.
The heavy canopy is a haven for migrating birds. We've spotted black-and-white warblers, prairie warblers, northern parulas, American redstarts and black poll warblers. Ospreys patrol the waters of the Lake Worth Lagoon, as do belted kingfishers. We've seen the former, heard the later. Our list only stratches the surface of what is possible to see here on the right day. The list also includes a few rare vagrants such as the Bahamian mockingbird.
Amenities: There is ample parking relative to the size of Lantana Nature Preserve, benches along the walking path, intepretive signs and a large pavilion near the parking lot. Did we mention interpretive signs? There are so many providing the smallest details of what you will see here and the environmental signficance of the preserve. There are no restrooms or drinking water.
Nearby: For something completely different, Lantana Scrub Natural Area lies to the northwest and Hypoluxo Scrub Natural Area lies to the southwest, both a five- or ten-minute drive away. Ocean Ridge Natural Area and Ocean Ridge Hammock Park are a short drive to the southeast along A1A.
Links: Neither the Great Florida Birding Trail or the Institute for Regional Conservation has data on Lantana Nature Preserve.
Of Note: Lantana Nature Preserve is open from 7:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. every day of the week. Admission is free.
Cover Photo: A black-and-white warbler foraging through the canopy of Lantana Nature Preserve. Second photo: A tidal creek trickles through a mangrove swamp along the northwestern edge of Lantana Nature Preserve, guarded by red mangroves.
Lantana Nature Preserve is mainly marine hammock with a mangrove swamp bordering its northern and western perimeters, where a small tidal creek trickles into the Lake Worth Lagoon. Apartments border the eastern and northern sides of the preserve, largely screened off by dense vegetation. It is a quiet, peaceful place despite the din from Ocean Avenue traffic and surrounding neighborhood.
A half-mile Hiking trail loops along the edges of the preserve and criss-crosses through the rolling interior in places. The trails are both natural surface inplace and concrete in others, with boardwalks in places that might get a little wet. It's an easy walk.
History: As late as the 1990s, what is now the preserve literally was a dump, strewn with discarded refrigerators and rusted hulks of automobiles. About 1996 Lantana residents and town officials decided to reclaim the site and create a nature preserve. The town partnered with HealthTrust, a developer of housing for senior citizens, to restore the property; HealthTrust would foot the bill for the project while building The Carlisle, a senior living complex, next door. The land was graded to resemble a coastal dune, and thousands of trees and shrubs planted to mimic what the site would have looked like originally.
What You'll See: Lush would be the word we'd use to describe Lantana Nature Preserve. It only dates back to the late 1990s, but it looks like it's been there, undisturbed, forever. Gumbo limbo, huge seagrape, pigeon plum, figs, iron wood, false mastic and cabbage palms are conspicuous in the canopy. Wild coffee, firebush, wild plumbago, wild lime, Spanish stopper, Simpson's stopper, snowberry, white indigoberry, myrsine and ocean blue morning glory are among the many plants that populate the understory. Reds dominate the mangrove swamp.
The heavy canopy is a haven for migrating birds. We've spotted black-and-white warblers, prairie warblers, northern parulas, American redstarts and black poll warblers. Ospreys patrol the waters of the Lake Worth Lagoon, as do belted kingfishers. We've seen the former, heard the later. Our list only stratches the surface of what is possible to see here on the right day. The list also includes a few rare vagrants such as the Bahamian mockingbird.
Amenities: There is ample parking relative to the size of Lantana Nature Preserve, benches along the walking path, intepretive signs and a large pavilion near the parking lot. Did we mention interpretive signs? There are so many providing the smallest details of what you will see here and the environmental signficance of the preserve. There are no restrooms or drinking water.
Nearby: For something completely different, Lantana Scrub Natural Area lies to the northwest and Hypoluxo Scrub Natural Area lies to the southwest, both a five- or ten-minute drive away. Ocean Ridge Natural Area and Ocean Ridge Hammock Park are a short drive to the southeast along A1A.
Links: Neither the Great Florida Birding Trail or the Institute for Regional Conservation has data on Lantana Nature Preserve.
Of Note: Lantana Nature Preserve is open from 7:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. every day of the week. Admission is free.
Cover Photo: A black-and-white warbler foraging through the canopy of Lantana Nature Preserve. Second photo: A tidal creek trickles through a mangrove swamp along the northwestern edge of Lantana Nature Preserve, guarded by red mangroves.
Virtual Tour
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This is the large pavilion that sits near the entrance to Lantana Nature Preserve. It's a fine spot to sit for a few minutes and enjoy the surroundings. -
The Lake Worth Lagoon borders a portion of Lantana Nature Preserve, and a mangrove forest along the margins provide habitat for birds and small marine creatures, while protecting the land from erosion. -
The trail at Lantana Nature Preserve loops through the 6.5 acre property for about a half-mile. It is partly natural surface, partly concrete, well-maintained and an easy walk. There are short boardwalks in places where water tends to intrude and a section that cuts through the center of the preserve where the terrain mimics a dune and "rolls" a bit. -
The landscape at Lantana Nature Preserve "rolls" a bit to mimic a beach dune. This is the high point, marked by a huge fig tree and a couple of benches. It makes another pleasant place to sit and take in the surroundings.
Getting There ...
DIRECTIONS: Easiest way to get there via I95 is to exit at Lantana Road and head east. At U.S. 1, turn right (south). Drive three blocks to East Ocean Boulevard and make a left. You'll cross over Hypoluxo Island and continue east. Lantana Nature Preserve is at the base of the bridge on the north side of the road. You'll go through a traffic light at the base of the bridge. Look for a left turning lane that leads into the preserve. An alternative route via I95 is to exit at Hyploluxo Road and follow to U.S. 1 and Turn north. From U.S. 1 or A1A, follow to East Ocean Boulevard. Note: the preserve entrance isn't easy to see so slow down as you near it.
Photo Gallery for Lantana Nature Preserve
Click on the photograph to see an enlarged image. Click on the name to read more about the species.
Note: All photographs above were taken within the confines of Lantana Nature Preserve.
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.