Juno Dunes Natural Area (Oceanfront Tract)

Juno Dunes Park has awesome nature trails!

If you’ve already visited the Natural Area West Tract on the west side of U.S. 1, you’ll be very surprised how different this tract is.

Back in the year 1696, a group of English settlers was shipwrecked near here as they were on their way from Jamaica to Philadelphia. Take a moment to look around and imagine what Jonathan Dickinson and his party would have seen as they struggled ashore: the coastal dune covered with tough grasses and vines; behind that, a strand of natural forest, and farther in, rugged coastal scrub. The area was not very inviting and did not offer the promise of much to eat! The nearest European settlement was more than 200 miles away.

This 42-acre area is one of the very rare tracts of coastal land in Florida that is relatively undisturbed; it looks very much like Dickinson would have seen it in those days. What surprises you will find in this small area! Take a few minutes to examine the County’s information kiosk at the entrance and learn how many different ecosystems are in this tract. Each has unique plants, insects, and animals that have adapted.

Just a short distance inside the Natural Area, you’ll be deep within the shady marine hammock environment. Helpful signs along the path will give you lots of interesting details. Further on, you’ll emerge into palmetto scrub along with bushy oaks. Notice the pure white “sugar sand” at your feet which is typical of these Florida coastal environments.

Did you know that the highest point in the state of Florida is only 345 feet above sea level? It’s located at Britton Hill, west of Tallahassee. That makes Florida the state with the lowest high point in the US. If you look to the north from where you are standing, you can spot a hill with a lookout gazebo. This ancient sand dune is only 44 feet above sea level; while it’s certainly not a peak, it’s believed to be one of the highest natural points in Palm Beach County. There’s an easy, paved trail leading up to the lookout, where you can see broad views stretching from the ocean to the Intracoastal Waterway.