Riverbend Trail Hike

With temperatures in the high 60's and a cloudless sky, the day was ideal for a short hike in Palm Beach County's historic Riverbend Park.  In the early 19th century, this was the site of a Seminole village, who had settled in the area knowing that because it was surrounded by swampland, it was considered useless by Spanish settlers.  However, all that changed when Florida became part of the United States, and the Seminoles were ordered to leave Florida and resettle in what is now Oklahoma.  Many refused to leave, and the U.S. Army was sent to round them up and forcibly move them.  This resulted in three separate wars, known as the Seminole Wars, and the two Battles of the Loxahatchee River, in what is now part of Riverbend Park, took place in January of 1838, during the bloody Second Seminole War. The first of these two battles, on January 15th, was won by the Seminoles, but nine days later, the U.S. Army returned with 1,500 troops, and the Seminoles withdrew deeper into the Everglades.  The Riverbend Trail goes by a restored Seminole village, which features the typical Seminole dwellings, called chickee huts, and a dugout canoe in the process of being hollowed out of a felled tree trunk.  After the Seminoles withdrew from the area, white settlers eventually came, and a restored "Cracker" farmstead, is also an interesting feature along this trail.  The rest of the trail borders ponds, swampland, and the ever present Loxahatchee River, offering a slice of a wilder side of Florida, just a few miles from heavily urbanized South Florida.

Riverbend Park is located on the Loxahatchee River just west of Jupiter, FL.  In January of 1838 it was the site of two battles in the Second Seminole War, which although initially won by the Seminoles, led to their retreat further inland into the Everglades, where they never surrendered.  The trail is a relatively easy 4 mile walk around the historic sites of the Park, which include a restored Seminole village, and an old Cracker farmstead.  A good portion of the trail winds through a typical Florida backcountry palmetto & pineland prairie, and the last portion borders the Loxahatchee River (good for kayaking/canoeing) which slowly flows out towards Jonathan Dickinson Park, and the Intracoastal Waterway.

Wear comfortable hiking shoes, and layers of clothes to put on in case of chilly weather, or to remove as you warm up.  Also bring at least a liter of water, as there is no potable water on the trail, and snacks or lunch, if you are so inclined.  Also bring sun protection (head gear, sunscreen) and bug repellent.