Views From Our Kayak: Loxahatchee River at Riverbend Park

Roseate Spoonbill

This past Friday were able to go to a new place for us. The Loxahatchee River at Riverbend Park in Jupiter, FL. This one has been in the making for a while and this week was the time to do it. Riverbend Park in Jupiter offers more than one choice to kayak or canoe there. One is the Johnathan Dickson Run, the other the Cypress Canopy, and the one we did; The Riverbend Boating. This one is basically a loop around the park through different ponds and lakes formed by the Loxahatchee River. Will provide a link for you to check if you are interested.

Wood Stork

Put In / Take Out: Riverbend Park at Jupiter. The irony of this is that we lived in Jupiter from 2004 to 2009. Never visited Riverbend Park or any other State Park in the area. But back then I was not into kayaking so will excuse myself. Canoe Outfitters rents kayaks and canoes at this facility. Put in at the Canoe Launch area in Picnic Loop.

Canoe Launch Area

Check this link of the area we did paddled for you to follow our route. We started at a canoe launch in Picnic Loop, which is not shown in the map. From there we headed to the Loxahatchee River and turned right...

Thanksgiving Day Survivor

Great Blue Heron

Trail Bridge near over Picnic Loop

Little Blue Heron

Red Shouldered Hawk

Not long after you turn right there is a bridge. Before a bridge there is small beach where you will have to portage. You will do that one more at the end of the trip. It is well identified so you will have no problem finding this spot. After the portage we headed to West Lake through a small marsh area. The outfitters' web site says there are several pair of eagles living at West Lake. They took the day off as were nowhere to be seen. As a matter of fact, other than a Red Bellied Woodpecker and a hawk, there was nothing to see. Not even fish jumping and for an underwater video we took, it is dead underwater too.

Red Bellied Woodpecker

At the South end of West Lake there is Hunters Run, a narrow canal. We got into it heading for South Pond, which we found. Nothing to see there neither but a raccoon, another Red Shouldered Hawk, and a coot, which was not pic friendly.

Raccoon

Red Shouldered Hawk

Got back into Hunters Run in our way to Cow Pen Lake. Had a few pic chances here and also made a stop at Little Pond, where an Osprey posed for a few pics...

Raccoon at Hunters Run

Great Egret

Osprey

Left Little Pond on our way to Cow Pen Lake, the biggest one of the loop and where we saw most of the wildlife on this trip. It was here where we saw a Bald Eagle soaring high in the sky. Sadly it did not cooperate with us so no pics of the eagle. Pics of almost everything else but a Belted Kingfisher...

Great Egret and Ibis at Cow Pen Lake

Great Egret

Limpkin

Juvenile Little Blue Heron

Snowy Egret

Turtle

Turtle goes in

Roseate Spoonbill

From Cow Pen Lake we made an incursion into East Slough Run...

Osprey

Small canal inside East Slough Run

Snowy Egret

Wood Stork

Back to the Cow Pen Lake...

Gator

Spoonie

Glossy Ibis

Tri-Colored Heron

Went through the culvert into Gator Slough Run on our way to where we started to trip. Nothing to report other than it was very shallow and we had to portage one more time, which you would have to do regardless...

Culvert at the end of Cow Pen Lake

Trail Bridge

This is it from this one. Quite frankly, the Cow Pen Lake part saved this trip. Up to that moment we were boring and most dissapointed. The water levels were low all over the place and the vegetation made the paddling very difficult most of the time. When you spent more time untangling the algae from your paddles than taking pics it is not good. Just because the experience in that last lake I give this one a B minus. Next time will try the J. Dickson Run. Anyways, thanks for checking us. Will post a few more pics on our Facebook Page. Thanks for visiting and see you soon to share more Views From Our Kayak.