June 17

Camp WET enjoyed a full day at Jonathan Dickinson State Park. The Loxahatchee River winds its way through and out of the park to the Atlantic. On the way we noted how red mangroves flourish in the brackish water closer to the Jupiter Inlet.

Osprey nests towered over the mangroves.

These nests may be up to six feet wide!

As we travel up the river, the water becomes increasingly fresh. A tell-tale sign of this is the cypress trees and their flared bases, or "buttresses".

The captain of the Loxahatchee Queen brought us close to the cypress trees to touch their feathery branches.

We reached the Trapper Nelson Zoo Jungle Gardens. The zoo belonged to a eccentric man who lived here in the 1960's. We toured the area which is now maintained by the Florida Park Service.

We also "climbed" Hobe Mountain and viewed the Florida mainland, the Indian River Lagoon and the Atlantic Ocean. The mountain (really, a hill!) is 86 feet above sea level.