DuPuis Wildlife and Environmental Area
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footTRAX
N 27° 00.630 W 080° 33.053
17R E 544555 N 2987677
The DuPuis Management Area is a 21,875 acre multi-use natural area located in northwestern Palm Beach and southwestern Martin Counties. The property is interspersed with numerous ponds, wet prairies, cypress domes, pine flatwoods, and remnant Everglades marsh. The area provides miles of hiking and horseback trails, an equestrian center, graded vehicle roads, backpack and group campsites, and seasonal hunting.
Waymark Code: WMHHZ
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 07/16/2006
Views: 228
Most of the land in the DuPuis Management Area was purchased from the State of Florida by Southern States Lands and Timber Company in 1902. The Hungryland Trail, which traverses DuPuis, appeared in the 1910s. The St. Lucie Canal was constructed on the northern border in 1915, and Kanner Highway was built south of the canal in the 1920s. Selective logging of DuPuis occurred in the 1930s, and it was purchased by Robert Chastain in the mid 1940s. The Chastain Ranch created much of the basic infrastructure at DuPuis, including the DuPuis and Jim Lake Grades, and some of the drainage ditch systems. White Belt Dairy Farm, which was controlled by the DuPuis family, purchased the western portion of the area in 1955 and the eastern portion in 1972. The L-8 Canal was constructed along the southern border of DuPuis in 1954, and additional drainage systems leading to the canal were built in subsequent years.
The fruit tree groves around the office were planted in the late 1950s, and many new firebreaks were established along section lines. In the late 1960s, many new buildings were built, including Mound House, Governor's House, the sheep shearers structures, and the maintenance compound. Many of the cattle watering holes were dug at this time and the landing strip was created. The DuPuis family bought the eastern portion of the management area from U.S. Sugar in 1972. New ditches were dug at this time along the southern and eastern borders of the area, and new management roads that followed section lines were created. The buildings in the equestrian complex were built in the mid-1970s and the high voltage electrical lines on the eastern edge of DuPuis were constructed in the late 1970s.
John G. DuPuis, Jr. died in 1984. His wife, Susan DuPuis sold the management area to the South Florida Water Management District in December 1986. DuPuis was managed as the DuPuis State Forest from 1990 to 1996. It is now managed as the "DuPuis Management Area" by the South Florida Water Management District in cooperation with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The Florida Trail Association, in cooperation with the water management district, has developed a network of 22 miles of hiking trails. The trails are part of the Florida Trail system and are arranged to provide hikes of various lengths. There are four loop trails that range from 5 miles in length to nearly 16 miles, and a 7-mile extension from the last loop that connects to the J. W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area hiking trail.
The Florida Trail Association provides all trail maintenance. Rectangular orange blazes on trees and posts mark the main hiking trail routes. Blue blazes mark side trails. Two blazes generally designate an abrupt change in direction. Carefully locate the next blaze before continuing. Remember to carry adequate water with you. A quiet hiker might see deer, wild turkey and bobcats.
If you would rather take a shorter hike and picnic, you may want to pack a sandwich and drink and take a 2-mile round trip walk from Gate 2 to the old "Governor's House." The house, which no longer is in use, is a small structure the previous owners used as a hunting camp. Today, there are several picnic tables under cover immediately next to the house and a charming old hand pump well that your children will enjoy (but don't drink the water-it isn't safe). The Governor's House is about one mile from the trailhead at Gate 2.
Three primitive campsites are located along the hiking trail. The first is located on the east side of loop two; the second is at the south end of loop four; and the third is about three miles into the Corbett Trail at the south end of DuPuis.
Managing Agency:
Managed in cooperation with
South Florida Water Management District
County: Palm Beach County
Cluster Name: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
To claim a log for this waymark, some proof of a visit is required. This proof can be a simple photo of a GPS, a photo of the person logging the waymark, or a photo of a signature item that a person uses for photographs, similar to using a gps.