Outdoors
Lakes, reservoirs and rivers near Delray Beach for boating, kayaking, canoeing and paddleboarding.
Good to know: Life jackets are required for children on most waters, and many lakes require an invasive-species inspection or a launch fee.
8 mi west · Fish and Wildlife Service
The Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1951 under the authority of the Migratory Bird Conservation Act of 1929 with a 50-year license agreement between the State of Florida and the U.S.
34 mi north · Bureau of Land Management
The Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area (ONA) is part of the Bureau of Land Management’s 27-million acre National Conservation Lands; and the only complete unit east of the Mississippi River.
47 mi north · US Army Corps of Engineers
St. Lucie Campground provides a relaxing camping experience on the St. Lucie Canal, part of the 152 mile Okeechobee Waterway that spans South Florida from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico.
Map of 17 places loads as you scroll.
The Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1951 under the authority of the Migratory Bird Conservation Act of 1929 with a 50-year license agreement between the State of Florida and the U.S.
The Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area (ONA) is part of the Bureau of Land Management’s 27-million acre National Conservation Lands; and the only complete unit east of the Mississippi River.
St. Lucie Campground provides a relaxing camping experience on the St. Lucie Canal, part of the 152 mile Okeechobee Waterway that spans South Florida from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico.
As lake, waterway and surrounding countryside, Okeechobee shows the many faces of Florida. A canopy of moss-draped live oaks hides clusters of sabal palms. A tangle of water plants marks the boundary where wetland meets lakeshore.
Within sight of Miami, yet worlds away, Biscayne protects a rare combination of aquamarine waters, emerald islands, and fish-bejeweled coral reefs.
The freshwaters of the Big Cypress Swamp, essential to the health of the neighboring Everglades, support the rich marine estuaries along Florida's southwest coast.
Established in 1947 as the first national park created for its biodiversity, Everglades National Park protects 1.5 million acres of wetland, forest, and marine habitats and the native plants and animals that call it home.
Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is situated in the Indian River Lagoon estuary, which runs 156 miles down Florida’s eastern coastline.
Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1996 under provisions of the Arizona-Florida Land Exchange Act of 1988.
Visitors flock to W.P. Franklin Campground for its well-kept facilities and location on the Caloosahatchee River, where campers can fish, boat and take it easy in sunny southwest Florida.
WP Franklin South Recreation Area is a day use area located on the Caloosahatchee River adjacent to the WP Franklin Lock and Dam.
An amazing world exists within the pristine mangrove-fringed waterways, uplands and freshwater wetlands that can be found only a few miles away from downtown Naples.
The refuge was established by President Woodrow Wilson on July 1, 1920, through Executive Order 3299 as a ". . . preserve and breeding ground for native birds" upon the recommendation of Thomas and Mina Edison.
The islands contain two basic vegetative zones, upland sand ridges and mangroves. Several islands of the Matlacha Pass NWR are used as roosting and nesting sites for a variety of colonial water birds including the brown pelican, great…
J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge, on the subtropical barrier island of Sanibel in the Gulf of America along Florida’s west coast, is part of the largest undeveloped mangrove ecosystem in the United States.
The Pine Island NWR is located on the southwest coast of Florida, north of Sanibel Island in the Pine Island Sound. It is administered as part of the J.N. "Ding" Darling NWR.
On the refuge, beaches and shores of the refuge provide loafing and feeding sites for shorebirds, gulls, and terns. The surrounding shallow bays provide valuable feeding areas for the wading and water birds.
Distances are straight-line miles from downtown Delray Beach. Listings come from Recreation.gov’s federal recreation database; check each official page for hours, fees, fire restrictions and closures before you go.
A DRIVE AROUND TOWN
Delray Beach - Florida - 4K Downtown Drive. A film shared by Mileage Mike Travels.
Watch on YouTube ↗Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge (Fish and Wildlife Service), about 8 miles west of Delray Beach as the crow flies. Next are Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area (34 mi) and St Lucie South (47 mi).
Based on Delray Beach’s average highs, all year. Conditions at higher elevations can be much cooler.
Federal agencies including Fish and Wildlife Service, US Army Corps of Engineers, National Park Service. Each listing links to its official page for hours, fees, closures and current conditions.