Seacrest Scrub Natural Area

This patch of wilderness is located between the residential communities on Seacrest Blvd. off Woolbright Road in Boynton Beach. This is one of the rare areas left in Florida due to rapid deforestation and uncontrolled developments. It has a paved trail for people with disabilities which cover a small area, however the unpaved walking trail is extensive and will delight any hiker or stroller.
Parking is limited to a very few cars and there’s no restroom or drinking water. During my afternoon stroll, I read the instructions about the different inhabitants of the Natural area, most popular being the rare Gopher tortoise. I suggest taking a trail map and reading the instructions before entering as it’s not a normal park but a protected Natural area giving access to people with a genuine love for nature and the wild. The area is completely fenced. You have to close the gate immediately behind you upon entering or exiting as carelessness may result in the rare tortoises escaping onto the busy road and getting run over by the traffic.
There is a wide variety of trees and plants you will notice on the trail and it’s recommended to stay on the unpaved trail areas with wooden markers. Deviation from the path can result in destruction to rare plants or disturb other life forms and is a punishable offense as these areas are patrolled by passionate resident volunteers, Palm Beach county Sheriff’s office and hidden cameras. I made a mistake of not carrying the map and was circling around in the trail for quite a while until I figured my way out with the help of a volunteer’s guidance.
Do not touch, disturb or feed the wildlife and simply observe them and enjoy the beauty of the surroundings. The trail also has natural sand from the sea as part of its original formation. It is also a home to a variety of spiders, butterflies, birds, rabbits, snakes etc. I came across a variety of large spiders in their massive webs, parrots and a tortoise. It’s very quiet and peaceful with nothing except the jungle sounds in the center of the trail though at the periphery you can hear dogs and lawn mowers from surrounding homes or cars on the road which is a nuisance. Care is suggested on the trail to stay clear of the spider’s webs and not damage them by running into them.
The trail is ideal for all age groups. Local visitors are encouraged to check Palm Beach county website for any information or updates and also enroll for volunteer opportunities from time to time by yourself or with kids. Best times to visit are mornings and afternoons.

Sooo I am really interested in these public habitats that South Florida has to offer. I appreciate nature walks and breathing in that quiet air. I live within a bike ride of Seacrest Scrub and I noticed that it doesn’t seem to get much traffic, if any. I thought, perhaps, that it was closed to the public for whatever reason. Turns out it is totally open, it’s just overrun with spiders. Just overrun my friends — with huge & intimidating spiders. o₀
When I got home I put on my safari outfit to appropriately set the mood in order to do a little research at
(which is a nifty little website by the way). It appears this natural area is infested with spiders of the Family Araneidae and Tetragnathidae a.k.a. orbweaver spiders a.k.a. banana spiders.
The insects do appear to be harmless — but this is a potential nightmare for anyone with arachnophobia. It’s also very difficult to walk the paths because of the spiders’ webs. No thanks!