Nature Trails and the Science Garden
Past the playground and the parking lots, Sugar Sand Park still holds a piece of the land that gave it its name: white, sugary sand under sand pines, scrub oaks and saw palmetto. Two nature trails wind through it, and they're among the quietest walks in Boca.
What's here
- The Sand Pine Nature Trail, through endangered Florida scrub.
- The Slash Pine Nature Trail, through scrubby pine flatwoods behind the Community Center.
- The Science Garden, with the Chickee Lab outdoor classroom.
- Open green space and benches along the way.
Good to know
The trails are sandy and mostly unshaded in places, so wear closed shoes, bring water and use bug spray: visitors often mention mosquitoes. Dogs aren't allowed in the park, even on the trails, and feeding or disturbing wildlife is against City rules.
The Sand Pine Nature Trail
The Sand Pine Nature Trail starts at the far end of the parking lot past the Science Playground and the carousel and leads through a stretch of Florida scrub, one of the state's most endangered habitats. Scrub grows on old, dry sand dunes: deep, white, sugary sand that holds little water, with sand pines, scrub oaks, rosemary and saw palmetto adapted to it. The loop is about a mile and a half.
It's an easy, flat walk, but the sand can be soft, so it's better on foot than with a stroller. Go in the morning, when it's cooler and birds are most active.
The Slash Pine Nature Trail
Behind the Community Center, the Slash Pine Nature Trail winds through scrubby pine flatwoods, with taller slash pines over saw palmetto. It meets the park's bike loop near the basketball courts, so it's easy to fit into a walk or ride around the park.
What you might see
Florida scrub supports animals found in few other places. Gopher tortoises dig burrows in sandy scrub like this, and their burrows shelter dozens of other species; look for the half-moon openings but never disturb them. Lizards dart across the sand, and woodpeckers, mockingbirds and hawks use the pines. Watch where you step on warm days.
The Science Garden
Near the Explorium, the Science Garden and its Chickee Lab outdoor classroom are used for Explorium programs and school groups. Like the Chickee Hut in the playground, the Chickee Lab isn't available for parties or gatherings.
See the rest of the park
Nature Trails is one of 7 featured areas at Sugar Sand Park.