Oxbow Eco-Center, Port St. Lucie FL

New Year's Day Hike in the Oxbow Preserve in the St. James area of Port St Lucie

The Oxbow Preserve is a 225-acre site along the North Fork of the St. Lucie River.

The preserve offers 3 ½ miles of hiking trails and is where young and old alike can discover the mysterious and hidden life of the forest and river. The trails are flat and easy to walk on. We saw an armadillo and gopher tortoises burrows, a few squirrels. There were probably lots of birds but we were there to walk.

The preserve offers a rare glimpse of “the real Florida” - in the canopy of the floodplain forest, the scrub and pine flatwoods and in the primordial swamps and wetlands.

The center offers guided hikes and educational programs for families, children and adults. Though it was closed the day we went, our purpose was hiking.

What are my favorite nature drills, and all of St. Lucie County! Such a diverse area of nature. Lots to see from plants, trees, and wildlife along with their nature, center and play area for kids. Highly recommend!

CAUTION! Sunday 10/15 large rattlesnake sighted on trail about 2 PM. A hiker informed me. On the SW perimeter trail that runs closest to the canal. Wet trail conditions. Wonderful preserve!

Very nice place to hike! So much nature all around. I went in the month of September so there really wasn’t a whole lot of birds.

The trails here are great. You pass through many different ecosystems as you walk throughout the parks trails. Keep an eye out for wildlife and wild growing bromeliads. Sections of the trail range from full shade to full sun.

Lovely scenery and a gorgeous walk along the river. Watch out for snakes and tortoises! Bring bug spray!

I've been hiking at Oxbow for almost 15 years. Seems the only place you can go on the Treasure Coast to get some peace and quiet. Great trails for easy biking, good canopy for shade along the trail. A great place to organize your thoughts.

They have a great visitors center and it seems a lot of work and was put into it. I wish the same effort was applied to the trail maintenance, it seems to me it could benefit greatly from some TLC. I also couldn’t complete the trail in two different directions due to the trail being flooded (see pics). If they built up the trail a little or installed small, short elevated walkways in those two areas the problem would be solved. Enjoyable for a short walk but not a serious hike. Finally bug spray recommended especially if trying to go to the back areas of the trail, I was destroyed by mosquitoes.

Oxbow is beyond beautiful. Miles of well defined and easy to walk trails! Lots of shade, and a few different ecosystems to experience.

This is an excellent environmental center with lots of exhibits, educational programs and trails.