The Loxahatchee River (

Seminole The Seminole are a Native American people who developed in Florida in the 18th century. Today, they live in Oklahoma and Florida, and comprise three federally recognized tribes: the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, an ...

for ''river of turtles'') is a 7.6 mile river near the southeast coast of

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

. It is a

National Wild and Scenic River The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System was created by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (Public Law 90-542), enacted by the U.S. Congress to preserve certain rivers with outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values in a free- ...

, one of only two in the state, and received its federal designation on May 17, 1985. The source of the Loxahatchee River is in Riverbend Park on the south side of Indiantown Road about 1.5 miles west of

I-95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the Canadia ...

and Florida's Turnpike in

Jupiter, Florida Jupiter is the northernmost town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. According to the 2020 Census, the town had a population of 61,047 as of April 1, 2020. It is 84 miles north of Miami, and the northernmost community in the Miami met ...

. The Loxahatchee River flows out of the Jupiter Inlet and into the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

. This river was the inspiration for Florida film producer Elam Stoltzfus' 2005 project ''Our Signature: the Wild and Scenic Loxahatchee River'', a film done in conjunction with the Loxahatchee River Preservation Initiative. Launching points for canoe and kayak trips on the river are accessible at Riverbend Park and at

Jonathan Dickinson State Park Jonathan Dickinson State Park is a Florida State Park and historic site located in Martin County, Florida, between Hobe Sound and Tequesta. The park includes the Elsa Kimbell Environmental Education and Research Center and a variety of natural ...

The 1930s pioneer homestead of

Trapper Nelson Vince "Trapper" Nelson (born Vincent Nostokovich or Natulkiewicz; 1909–1968) was an American trapper, hunter and zoo founder. Though he was born in New Jersey, and lived in Mexico and Texas, Nelson is best known for establishing a homestead-t ...

lies along the river in a section that runs through Jonathan Dickinson State Park.

References

External links

Loxahatchee River District

Official Guide to the Loxahatchee River

NW Fork of the Loxahatchee River & Tributaries

Boating on the Loxahatchee River

Loxahatchee River Watershed - Florida DEP
Rivers of Florida Wild and Scenic Rivers of the United States Bodies of water of Palm Beach County, Florida Bodies of water of Martin County, Florida {{Florida-river-stub

See also

References

External links