Wakodahatchee Wetlands asks visitors to be patient in February. The free lot on Jog Road has no overflow parking. Palm Beach County Water Utilities says that in February, March and April, you may have to wait for a space to open up. Those are the months when nesting gets going and most people decide to go see it.
For Lotus Palm, the weeks before that rush are the easier time to go. The purple martins are coming in, and Green Cay's evening boardwalk programs run on a set schedule. Audubon's sunset walks at Wakodahatchee start in early January, and the busy season comes after that. Most of what follows falls between Thanksgiving week and mid-February.
What February is actually busy with
Different species nest at different times of year, and overall, nesting is busiest "from later winter to early summer." The species the county names for Wakodahatchee Wetlands are wood storks, egrets, glossy ibis, great blue herons, purple martins, common gallinules and black-bellied whistling ducks. Audubon Everglades says that during breeding season, some nests with chicks sit close to the boardwalk. That close view is what the late-winter crowds come for.
The site itself is small. Wakodahatchee opened in 1996 on 50 acres of former wastewater utility property. Its three-quarter-mile boardwalk crosses open water and islands planted with shrubs and dead trees for nesting and roosting. More than 178 bird species have been recorded there, and the site is part of the South section of the Great Florida Birding Trail. A boardwalk that size fills up quickly once the nests are active. A visit in November or December comes before the busiest stretch of nesting and the parking waits that arrive with it.
The martins arrive first
Purple martins come early. The county says they migrate from South America each winter to nest in houses built for them at Wakodahatchee and at Green Cay. A few "scouts" arrive ahead of the main flock to look over the houses and claim spots. The best times to see them near the houses are early morning and dusk. During the day they are usually out feeding.
Wakodahatchee has something new for the martins this season. Volunteers and purple martin experts from Audubon Everglades installed gourd-shaped houses, modeled on the hollowed gourds native Floridians used for martin housing for many years. The utility posts nesting updates on Facebook and Instagram at @PBCWUD. The martins nest early in the season and are easiest to see at dawn and dusk, which makes them the main reason to go before February.
Green Cay after dark, Thanksgiving through New Year's
Wakodahatchee runs on fixed hours, 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily, with free admission and parking. Green Cay Wetlands & Nature Center, at 12800 Hagen Ranch Road in Boynton Beach, follows the sun. The boardwalk is open daily from sunrise to sunset. Restrooms open at 6:45 a.m., and the nature center building is open Wednesday through Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Because the boardwalk closes at sunset, Green Cay's naturalist-led evening programs are the main way to see the wetland after dark. Two are on the Green Cay program calendar before the year ends, and both fall on holiday-week evenings when out-of-town guests are often around. Here is everything after this week, in order:
- Archery 101, Saturday, November 21, 9:30 a.m. Ages 8+, $10, limit 12. A USA Archery Certified Instructor runs the 1.5-hour session, and all equipment is provided.
- Night Stalkers, Wednesday, November 25, 6:00 p.m., the night before Thanksgiving. Ages 9+, $5, limit 20. A naturalist leads a nighttime boardwalk tour focused on the wetland's nocturnal residents. Flashlights are recommended but not required.
- Animal Keeper for a Day, Saturday, November 28, 9:30 a.m. Ages 8+, $10, limit 8. Participants work behind the scenes with the animal care staff.
- Wildlife Celebration, Saturday, December 5, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Free and open to all ages, with no reservation needed. The day celebrates South Florida's migratory animals with exhibitors, demonstrations and free tours.
- Animal Keeper for a Day, Saturday, December 12, 9:30 a.m.
- Archery 101, Saturday, December 19, 9:30 a.m.
- Bird Talk & Tour: Bird Migration, Saturday, December 26, 9:30 a.m. All ages, $5, limit 20. A presentation is followed by a one-hour birding tour with a naturalist. Bring binoculars and a field guide if you have them.
- Night Stalkers, Wednesday, December 30, 6:00 p.m.
Every program on that list needs a reservation except the Wildlife Celebration. Everyone also signs a participation form before each program. You can register online through the county's household account system or in person at the nature center. Since October 1, 2025, card payments carry a 3.0% service fee, and cash and checks do not.
Some Green Cay programs run every week and need no reservation. Animal feedings are Thursdays at 2:15 p.m. and Saturdays at 10:00 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. Animal encounters are Fridays at 2:15 p.m. Ethnobotany tours are Saturdays at 11:00 a.m. Guided half-mile boardwalk tours run Wednesday through Saturday at varying times, so call 561-966-7000 to confirm. All of these are free.
On the winter birds, Green Cay's county bird checklist includes anhingas, great blue herons, roseate spoonbills and wood storks. It also lists several ducks: blue-winged teal, green-winged teal, hooded mergansers, lesser scaup and northern shovelers.
January brings Wakodahatchee's sunset walks
After Green Cay's December programs, the evening walks move to Jog Road. Audubon Everglades runs two kinds of Wakodahatchee walks this winter, and both are led by Cathie Calvert and Ashley LaClair. The Fly-In Walk is an evening boardwalk stroll timed to watch birds come back to roost at sunset. The Guided Birding Adventure is a two-hour morning walk.
| Date | Walk | Check-in | Walk time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, Jan. 7, 2027 | Fly-In Walk | 3:50 p.m. | 4:00–5:30 p.m. |
| Saturday, Jan. 9, 2027 | Guided Birding Adventure | 8:50 a.m. | 9:00–11:00 a.m. |
| Thursday, Feb. 4, 2027 | Fly-In Walk | 3:50 p.m. | 4:00–5:30 p.m. |
| Saturday, Feb. 13, 2027 | Guided Birding Adventure | 8:50 a.m. | 9:00–11:00 a.m. |
| Saturday, Mar. 13, 2027 | Guided Birding Adventure | 8:50 a.m. | 9:00–11:00 a.m. |
Every walk requires registration, and nonmembers pay $5. The January dates are the ones to aim for. The February walks fall in the months when the county warns about parking waits, and the January 7 Fly-In is the first sunset walk of the year.
Check the cameras before you start the car
Wakodahatchee streams three live cameras: Cooper's Hawkeye, Heron Creek and Egret Point. The county suggests checking them before you go to see the weather and how crowded the boardwalk is. They don't show the parking lot, but a busy boardwalk usually means a full lot. The page also has lower-bandwidth versions of the feeds.
If you're bringing guests, a few county rules shape the day:
- No pets on the boardwalk.
- No drones, tripods, boom mics or articulated camera arms.
- No food, alcohol or smoking.
- No jogging, speed walking, biking or skating.
- No fishing.
The tripod rule matters for photographers. Anyone planning to shoot the nests will need a handheld setup.
The boardwalk at Green Cay is about to get longer
Wakodahatchee runs on reclaimed water. Each day, the county releases about 750,000 gallons, and up to one million gallons, of highly treated reclaimed water into Wakodahatchee. The wetland filters it further as it soaks down through the soil and sand.
The next step is under construction next to Green Cay. The county's Green Cay Phase II project is an advanced water purification facility. It will purify reclaimed water and send it into lakes that recharge groundwater, and the county calls it the first project of its kind in Florida. Visitors will get two new places out of it:
- Todd J. Bonlarron Green Cay Learning Center, formerly known as RECAP. It is being built on the Southern Region Water Reclamation Facility campus on Hagen Ranch Road. It will have educational exhibits and immersive experiences, open to school and visitor groups by advance registration starting in early 2027.
- Green Cay Nature Park, a planned 63-acre park with hiking trails, at the southwest corner of Jog Road and Flavor Pict Road. A planned boardwalk extension will connect it to the existing Green Cay Wetlands. Parking at Green Cay Wetlands stays the same, and the new park adds its own lot on Flavor Pict Road.
The county says the project is slated to open in early 2027. Until then, all Phase II sites are closed to the public, while the existing Green Cay Nature Center and Wetlands keeps its usual hours and program schedule. The December programs above all take place at the existing Green Cay Wetlands.
For a short list of dates, start with Night Stalkers on November 25, the free Wildlife Celebration on December 5, and Bird Talk & Tour: Bird Migration on December 26 at Green Cay. Wakodahatchee's first sunset Fly-In follows on January 7.
Courtney Farrell and the Sales by Court team keep track of what's happening near the communities we serve, including the Green Cay Nature Park opening on Jog Road. If you're wondering how a new park or nature center nearby could affect your home's value, ask for a free home valuation and we'll send you a current number.
