U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

 

Welcome to the official Website of the
Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge

We sincerely hope that your visit here is pleasant and rewarding. On our web site, you'll get tips on enjoying the Refuge safely. You'll also learn about some of the things we are doing to be responsible stewards of the Florida Everglades, and the things that live here. Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge is the last northernmost portion of the unique Everglades. With over 221 square miles of Everglades habitat, the Loxahatchee Refuge is home to the American alligator and the critically endangered Everglade snail kite. In any given year, as many as 257 species of birds may use the Refuge's diverse wetland habitats. Please help us protect the resources so your children and their children will have the same opportunity for enjoyment in the future. If there's anything we can do to make your experience more enjoyable or rewarding, just ask a Ranger, volunteer or any Refuge employee.

Getting Here . . .
The Refuge is located about 10 miles west of Boynton Beach, Florida. It is accessible from Interstate 95 and the Florida Turnpike by going west on either Boynton Beach Blvd or Atlantic Ave in Delray Beach, until you reach Highway 441/State Road 7.From Boynton Beach Blvd., proceed south on Hwy 441/SR7 for two miles and turn west (right) onto Lee Road. From Atlantic Ave, proceed north on Hwy 441/SR7 for two miles and turn west (left) onto Lee Road. There is a $5.00 entrance fee per vehicle.

For more information contact us at:

Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge

10216 Lee Road

Boynton Beach FL. 33473

(561) 732-3684

 

Entries will be accepted from Saturday, December 5, 2009 to Sunday February 28, 2010. Enter the contest and allow the world to see the Refuge through your unique lens.

More information and entry form.

 

Current weather conditions at the Refuge

Come visit our new $1-million, state-of-the-art Everglades Exhibition.

Please take your seat and stay seated during your trip. As you begin to move, the seats and floor vibrate, you feel the breeze blowing from the screen in front of you as your boat skims over the water. You are not on a ride at Disney World or on a real air boat ride in the middle of the Everglades. You are about to experience what promises to be the most popular new exhibit at Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, a virtual Airboat Tour. If you want to see the progression of the virtual airboat tour exhibit, click here. Other informative and interactive new exhibits and displays, include the history of the Refuge, Everglades Attitudes, the refuge Management Game, an American alligator “gator hole” diorama and a tribute to Arthur R. Marshall, and night sounds of the Everglades.

 

 Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge Prescribed Fire Activity

Fire Management officials at Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge
(NWR) are planning to conduct a prescribed burn for wildlife habitat management. Depending on cooperative weather conditions, approximately 25,000 acres will be burned on the refuge between November 2008 and April of 2009.  Under prescribed conditions, highly trained professionals will plan, set, and extinguish the fire.

The crews plan to ignite these prescribed fires on several units which are composed of a mix of Sawgrass and Cattail, they are being burned primarily to reduce hazardous fuels and restore fire to the Everglades which is a fire dependant ecosystem. The burns will be conducted by 10-12 people working from airboats around the unit’s perimeters, while a helicopter ignites the burns from the air.  Prior to the burns Refuge fire and biology staff will fly over the unit to insure that no endangered species are present in the burn areas. The burns will be conducted on days when winds are blowing from the east; this will move the smoke away from developed areas and out over the Refuge and agricultural areas where it will quickly disperse.

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