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Green Cay Wetlands in Boynton Beach, a boardwalk nature stop for families.

Parks and nature

Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge

Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge is the larger federal wetland day near Boynton Beach: visitor-center exhibits, a short cypress swamp boardwalk, levee trails for walking and biking in designated areas, and optional paddling or fishing where allowed.

FWS materials place the Headquarters visitor center at 10216 Lee Road, Boynton Beach. We are an independent guide. We are not the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Hours, entrance passes, trail closures, and pet rules change. Confirm on the official FWS Visit Us page before you go. Use the full street address in navigation apps. FWS notes that incomplete "Loxahatchee" searches can send drivers to the wrong entrance.

Why visitors add Loxahatchee

Soft visitor expectations

  • Visitor center: FWS materials commonly describe daily daytime hours with Thanksgiving and Christmas closures. Indoor exhibits, maps, recent sightings, and pass sales are the usual start.
  • Outdoors at Headquarters: Trails, boat ramps, and related outdoor facilities follow longer day windows on FWS materials (often early morning into evening). Night use rules are strict. Verify current open hours.
  • Entrance passes: The refuge is a federal fee area for most vehicle entries. Daily and annual refuge passes, plus accepted federal pass types, are described on FWS. Fees and free-day calendars change. Soft-check Recreation.gov and the Visit Us page.
  • Cypress Swamp Boardwalk: Short elevated loop behind the visitor center (about 0.4 mile on FWS materials). Commonly described as suitable for wheelchairs. Surface can be slippery when wet.
  • Pets: Allowed only in designated areas (FWS often points to the perimeter levee). Not a default boardwalk or impoundment rule. Verify.
  • Wildlife distance: Alligators and other wildlife are present. Follow FWS viewing etiquette. Never swim on the refuge.

How to fit it in a day

Treat Loxahatchee as a dedicated west-side block, not a quick add-on between beach parking and dinner. Pair with a beach morning only if you leave ocean time early, or save the refuge for its own morning cool window. Geography sits on our West Side district. For a shorter inland alternative, use Green Cay. Hub overview: parks and nature. Weekend mesh: weekend itinerary.

Official outbound

Address and phone: FWS contact page (opens in a new tab). Pass purchase is linked from FWS Visit Us (Recreation.gov).

Parks and nature

Related questions

Is Loxahatchee in Boynton Beach?

The Headquarters visitor center address FWS publishes is in Boynton Beach (10216 Lee Road). Other refuge access points sit elsewhere in the broader system. Use the full address for Headquarters.

How much is the entrance fee?

Pass prices and free days change. Soft-check the FWS Visit Us page and Recreation.gov. Do not rely on a copied dollar amount from an old guide.

Boardwalk only or longer hike?

Both. Start with the Cypress Swamp Boardwalk, then add Marsh or impoundment levees if you want more distance.

Can we bring a dog?

Only where FWS designates (often perimeter levee). Confirm before you pack the leash for the boardwalk.

Stroller or wheelchair?

The Cypress Swamp Boardwalk is the usual accessibility story. Levee surfaces vary (gravel, grass, roots). Confirm conditions.

Green Cay or Loxahatchee?

Green Cay is the shorter county boardwalk stop. Loxahatchee is the larger federal refuge day. Many trips pick one inland nature block, not both stacked in heat.

Green Cay guide

Are you the refuge?

No. We are an independent visitor guide pointing to FWS as source of truth.

Related: parks and nature, Green Cay Nature Center, West Side district, things to do, things to do with kids, and weekend or day trip.