Palm Beach Skate Club
West Palm Beach, FL
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Places to skate in the Jupiter / Palm Beach Gardens / West Palm Beach area: Prosperity Farms Rd (PGA Blvd to Donald Ross Rd) Distance: 2.8 miles The stretch of Prosperity Farms Rd that runs from PGA Blvd in the south to Donald Ross Rd in the north has a nice sidewalk on both sides that is shielded from traffic by a wide grass buffer. We recommend the sidewalk on the west side of the street along the northern end of the route (near Donald Ross Rd) and the sidewalk on the east side of the street along the south end of the route (near PGA Blvd). If you are skating southward on the west side sidewalk, or northward on the east side sidewalk, watch out for cars turning onto Prosperity Farms Rd since they will likely not be looking in your direction. If you want to extend your skate, you can either continue east (towards the beach) or west on Donald Ross Rd, or south on Prosperity Farms Rd to Northlake Blvd (see below). Prosperity Farms Rd (PGA Blvd to Northlake Blvd) Distance: 2.6 miles The stretch of Prosperity Farms Rd that runs from PGA Blvd in the north to Northlake Blvd in the north has a sidewalk on the east side. Note that unlike the sidewalk on the northern stretch of Prosperity Farms Rd (see above) that is shielded from traffic by a wide grass buffer, the sidewalk on this stretch of Prosperity Farms Rd is not buffered. Also note that there is a sidewalk only on the east side of the street. If you are skating southward, watch out for cars turning onto Prosperity Farms Rd since they will likely not be looking in your direction. If you want to extend your skate, you can continue north on Prosperity Farms Rd to PGA Blvd (see above). Donald Ross Rd (Central Blvd to Ocean Drive) Distance: 3.4 miles The stretch of Donald Ross Rd that runs from Central Blvd in the west to Ocean Dr in the east has a sidewalk on the north side. Some stretches have a sidewalk on the south side but it is a little more narrow and choppy so we recommend the sidewalk on the north side. While some stretches of the sidewalk are next to the road, other stretches are buffered by a wide grass buffer. The stretch just east of Prosperity Farms Rd passes over the Intracoastal Waterway via a bridge that can be too steep for most beginners, which is why we recommend this route for intermediate or advanced skaters only. You must be comfortable operating your brake or otherwise controlling your speed on a steep downhill. While the bridge has pedestrian lanes, they are rather narrow and bounded by a fence and a concrete wall. Advanced skaters may choose to skate over the bridge in the traffic lane, which has a very wide breakdown lane which lets you skate fairly far away from the cars. Just watch out for the centermost part of the bridge which has a metal grating. While the grating itself is not skateable, it is paved in some sections that, while skateable, are very narrow (3 feet?). If you want to bypass the bridge and continue on an easy route, head southward when you get to Prosperity Farms Rd. Ocean Dr (Donald Ross Rd to Jupiter Beach County Park) Distance: 4.7 miles Note: Police officers have told us once or twice that it is technically illegal to skate on the bike path on Ocean Dr, and that skaters must either skate on the sidewalk or, if we use the bike lane, we must skate against traffic. Yes, that is insane, but that's what we've been told. While we don't recommend breaking the law, we don't recommend skating against traffic, either, so you'll have to decide your best course of action. Heading north on Ocean Dr from Donald Ross Rd in the south, you will want to skate on the sidewalk on the east side of Ocean Dr. There is also a bike path but it is a little choppy for the first 1/8 miles or so. After about 3/4 mile you will get to the pier at Juno Beach (on the right side) and Juno Beach Park (on the left side) which has bathrooms and water fountains. Continuing northward, if you skate in the bike lane watch out for cars passing on your left as well as parked cars opening their doors and pedestrians stepping out onto the road from your right. If you choose to skate on the sidewalk, watch out for pedestrians, sand and water. Your next point of interest is Carlin Park, about 2.5 miles north of Juno Beach Park, on the east side of Ocean Dr. It has water fountains, bathrooms, and a casual restaurant. Continuing northward from Carlin Park, after about 3/4 miles you will get to Indiantown Rd at which point the bike lane ends and the sidewalk becomes narrower and a little choppy but will be shielded from traffic by a wide grass buffer. Continue on the sidewalk for approximately 1/8 mile and make your next right at Jupiter Beach Rd. Heading eastward on Jupiter Beach Rd, you will want to get to the sidewalk on the north side of Jupiter Beach Rd. After approximately 1/8 mile the road will curve left and become Ocean Trl Way (not marked). At the end of this road is a circular parking lot which has bathrooms (on your right). From this point you should be able to see the Jupiter Light house to the north east, across the bay. Lake Trail (Palm Beach) Distance: 3.5 miles (approx) Running along the west side of Palm Beach from Royal Palm Way in the south and ending near the northern tip of the island, this picturesque pedestrian path is one of Palm Beach's best-kept secrets. While it has only one or two water fountains (one near the south end) and no bathrooms, local businesses are usually no more than a few blocks away to the east. To get there, either park in West Palm Beach near the bridge on the easternmost end of Okeechobee Blvd or Lakeview Ave, or drive over the bridge and make your first right into the metered parking lot. The trail starts by the north side of Royal Palm Way. (Note that the trail is not marked completely on the map link provided above. Rest assured that it continues northward for several miles, interrupted only by one small 1/4 mile stretch.) Just north of the Flagler Museum the trail ends temporarily and you will have to skate approximately 1/4 mile along Cocoanut Row. You can join the trail again by turning west at Royal Poinciana Way or Sunset Blvd. A good place to stop for lunch is on the north side of Royal Poinciana Way which has several restaurants and cafes. Please skate slowly, as many people share this path and there are several blind turns! North County Rd (Palm Beach) Distance: 1.1 miles This stretch of North County Road, which runs between Wells Rd in the south and Country Club Rd in the north, has a sidewalk on the west side of the street that is separated from the road by a grass buffer. PGA National (leg 1, leg 2, leg 3) Distance: 5 miles (approx) I've divided this route into three legs only because it's easier to create the map diagram. In reality it's basically one seamless route, except for the turns. The PGA National community contains a paved pedestrian path that is separated from the main road in most places by a wide grass buffer. To get there you can either enter from the north (PGA Blvd and Fairview Dr) and park in the Shoppes on the Green strip mall, or enter from the south (Northlake Blvd and Ryder Cup Blvd) and park in PGA National Park. PGA National is a gated community. Please skate slowly, as this route is shared by pedestrians, bikers, and the occasional golf cart, and there are several blind turns in some areas. Palm Beach Gardens (Leg 1) Distance: 2.7 miles (approx) This route will take you from the south west to the north east part of Palm Beach Gardens. It's a "medium" difficulty level because you'll be skating on either the sidewalk, the bike lane, or the street depending on which part of the route you're on. Leg 1 (PGA National Park to Military Trail and Gardenia Drive; 2.7 miles): Starting at PGA National Park, skate eastward on the sidewalk on the north side of Northlake Blvd. Turn left at Military Trail and continue on the sidewalk (either side), ending at Gardenia Drive. Leg 2 (Military Trail and Gardenia Drive to Prosperity Farms Rd and Burns Rd; 2.9 miles): Starting at Military Trail and Gardenia Drive, head east on Gardenia. This will take you into a residential neighborhood without sidewalks or shoulders but traffic is extremely light and slow. Make your first left at Honeysuckle Ave and continue north (the road will snake left and right) until you emerge at Holly Drive. Turn right on Holly (no shoulder so watch out for cars) and head east until you get to the railroad tracks, where Holly will fork right and Ironwood Rd will fork left. Turn left on Ironwood Rd and follow the tracks north until you get to Burns Rd. Make a right on Burns Rd and cross the tracks. There should be a nice rolling sidewalk on the north side of Burns Rd. Continue east on Burns Rd until it ends at Prosperity Farms Rd. Leg 3 (Prosperity Farms Rd and Burns Rd to Prosperity Farms Rd and PGA Blvd; 0.9 miles): From the corner of Burns Rd and Prosperity Farms Rd, cross to the far (east) side of Prosperity Farms Rd and head north on the sidewalk. End at the corner of Prosperity Farms Rd and PGA Blvd. To continue your skate, continue north on Prosperity Farms Rd (see route above). Dyer Park (West Palm Beach / Palm Beach Gardens) Distance: 1.1 miles Dyer Park is located off Haverhill Rd, a little southwest of the VA Center. Directions: I-95 to Blue Heron Blvd, exit west. Merge onto Beeline Hwy (Rt 710). At the first traffic light, make a left onto Haverhill Rd. Take the first right into Dyer Park, go to the far parking lot (soccer fields on left, large mound on right). Dyer Park is build on landfill adjacent to the Solid Waste Authority's waste treatment plant. It can have a slight odor, especially in the summer, but is otherwise quite pleasant for skating. Note that the park is open between sunrise and sunset, and lighted facilities (e.g. ball fields) are open until 11:00 pm. The main skating trail consists of a 1.1 mile loop around the northern "mound" which is not lit at night. Dyer Park is rather isolated and cars have been known to be broken into, even during the day. If you park here, make sure you do NOT leave valuables in your car and do NOT leave anything visible that may tempt thieves. Distance: 2.0 miles Burns Road, which runs between Military Trail in the west and Prosperity Farms Rd in the east, has a sidewalk on both the north and south sides, which is separated from the road by a five-foot grass buffer for most of the route. I prefer the sidewalk on the north side for the eastern part of the route since it has gentle curves. Distance: 6.2 miles The stretch of Congress Ave that runs between Northlake Blvd in the north and Palm Beach Lakes Blvd in the south has a nice sidewalk on at least one side of the street, most of which is separated from the road by a grass buffer. Leg 1: The stretch of Congress Ave that runs between Northlake Blvd in the north and 45th St in the south has a nice wide, smooth, asphalt sidewalk on the west side of the street. Note that there is a small bridge (which the sidewalk continues over) just north of 45th St. Leg 2: The stretch of Congress Ave that runs between 45th St in the north and Palm Beach Lakes Blvd in the south has a nice wide, smooth, asphalt sidewalk on the west side of the street. It's separated from the road by a grass buffer and borders a water-filled canal that separates it from I-95. The southernmost 1/2 mile or so of this route turns into a standard sidewalk that runs adjacent to the road.
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Copyright © 2000 by Kim Moser
Last updated 6/19/2013