Allapattah Flats Management Area

 park  Add category

 Upload a photo

Fifteen miles west of Stuart on Florida’s east coast, Allapattah Flats WMA anchors 20,945 acres of marshes and slash pine flatwoods. This northwestern Martin County site is part of a vast area of marshes and flatwoods that once extended from the upper St. Johns River basin to the headwaters of the St. Lucie River. Surface water from Allapattah Flats eventually flows into the Indian River Lagoon. The area provides public recreational opportunities while protecting habitat for rare animals, particularly sandhill cranes, wood storks and crested caracaras, and game animals such as white-tailed deer and wild turkey. Wading birds frequent the wetlands.

To prepare the property for cattle and crop production, previous landowners constructed swales and ditches to drain the site’s wetlands and channel the water to the C-23 Canal. Today, the South Florida Water Management District is restoring natural water flow on the site by filling in some of these manmade waterways and installing water control structures on others. Also, they are constructing berms to protect adjacent waterways and are planting pines in some areas to reestablish uplands. Martin County and the South Florida Water Management District jointly own Allapattah Flats. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission partners with the South Florida Water Management District and Martin County to manage public use and wildlife.

The area is open to public access year-round. Recreational opportunities include hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, primitive camping, hunting. fishing and wildlife viewing. Visitors may hike or bike on the five mile long trail system leading to an open marsh popular with wading birds. There are separate trails for equestrians as well as a 150-acre riding area; horse trailer parking areas are under construction. Between September and March, high-quality quota hunts take place on limited days. They include seasons for archery, muzzleloading gun, family hunt, general gun and spring turkey. A quota is not required during the small game season, which runs from mid-November through the first Sunday in January. Fishing is permitted year-round. For more information: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) (561) 625-5122; South Florida Water Management District (561) 686-8800.