Riverbend Trail Hike

Three GayOutdoor members (Jeff, Matthew, and Carlos) met at the start of the Riverbend Trail in Jupiter, FL, in what could only be described as perfect hiking weather:  high 60's with not a cloud in the sky.  After waiting for two other members who no-showed, the intrepid hikers went on through what at first seemed to be a pristine Florida pine forest.  However, side trails to a recreated settler homestead, and later to a restored Seminole village showed us that this site has had a long history of human occupation.  Occasionally, in the midst of the saw palmettos and scrub pines, one encountered the occasional citrus tree, leftover from the original farmsteads.  Most impressively, we also encountered a sawmill that has been fully restored and made operational.  Jeff found out from a Park staffer that originally the sawmill was operated by horsepower (the four-legged kind), but for modern convenience it is now powered by a diesel generator.  The sawed wood is currently used by the park for restorations, which in this area included a couple of out-houses (not operational), chicken coops, and a wild boar pen...at least that's what Matt thought it was.

The Seminole village was restored to its original configuration, with no modern give-aways.  Three chickee huts faced into a small bay with a narrow channel opening into a lake where we saw herons, egrets, and ibises.  A huge trunk, partially hollowed out in the old burn-and-scrape method, lay near them, showing us how the Seminoles made their dugout canoes in a time honored way.  The village was entirely surrounded by the forest, which obviously kept it hidden and protected.  The need for this protection became obvious to us later in the hike, as on the final half-mile we walked by the site of a famous battle between the Seminoles and the U.S. Army in 1838.    Known as the Loxahatchee River Battle, it took place on two separate days in January of 1838.  The first of the two battles was won by the Seminoles, as they nearly wiped out the entire U.S. troop.  A couple of days later 1,500 U.S. troops returned, and met stiff resistance from 300 Seminoles, who sensing defeat retreated into the safety of the Everglades, never to surrender.

After the hike the three of us drove a couple of miles into Jupiter, and civilization, to have a great lunch at Applebee's.  Interestingly, all three of us had been members of Chiltern Mountain Club in New England, back in the 80's and 90's.

We will be hiking the Riverbend Trail Loop, around a good portion of Riverbend Park.  This is a fairly flat trail, easily graded with a combination of shell rock, grass, and asphalt.  The trail itself is a relatively easy 2.7 miles.  The trail goes by several historic sites, including the site of an old Seminole hammock, a pioneer's farmstead, and the Loxahatchee Battlefield, the site of a famous 1838 battle during the Seminole Wars.  There is no potable water on this trail, so bring plenty of water with you.  Also bring comfortable walking shoes, sunscreen, bug repellent, snacks/lunch, and hiking clothes appropriate for the weather.

For more information and map, check out the park's website:  www.pbcgov.com/parks/riverbend

Please note that park volunteers do a guided tour of Loxahatchee Battlefield at 10:00 a.m.  It should be finished by the time we start our hike, but if you'd like, you can come earlier and participate in that tour, but please be on time for the start of our hike.