Pal Mar East (Nine Gems) is a 3,200-acre natural area that is located between Pratt Whitney Road and the Turnpike/I95, a couple miles north of the border between Palm Beach and Martin County.
Take Kanner Highway west to Seminole Pratt Whitney Road. Go left and drive for 4-5 miles and the sign for Pal Mar East will be on the left. View the location map for more location information.
AMENITIES:
- Parking area that is large enough for trailers
- 12-miles of trails
- Two pavilions
- Educational kiosk
Pal Mar East is a part of a roughly 125,000-acre greenway system that extends all the way from the intracoastal waterway to Lake Okeechobee. The property is directly adjacent to the 23,000-acre John C. and Mariana Jones/Hungryland Wildlife and Environmental Area.
The property includes a wide variety of habitats including pine flatwoods, freshwater depression marshes, wet prairie and cypress sloughs. Furthermore, the property is a part of the headwaters of Cypress Creek, one of the most important tributaries to the Loxahatchee River.
Martin County, the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), Florida Communities Trust (FCT) and the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) all contributed funding to help acquire this property.
The property was acquired due to its connectivity to other natural areas, importance to the restoration of the Northwest Fork of the Loxahatchee River, and to provide passive based recreational opportunities.
Martin County and the SFWMD have completed construction of public access facilities on the property. These facilities focus on hiking and equestrian access.
Eventually, the county plans on connecting Pal Mar East to the Ocean to Lake Trail.
We hope you enjoy this beautiful ecological jewel and remember to “take only pictures and leave only footprints.”