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Day trips from West Palm Beach

From West Palm Beach, the Norton Museum and the Flagler Museum are minutes away, MacArthur Beach State Park under 20, Delray Beach and the Loggerhead Marinelife Center about 20, the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse about 25, Lion Country Safari and the Morikami Gardens under half an hour, and Jonathan Dickinson State Park about 35. The best day trips from West Palm Beach, by drive time.

114 places within a 3-hour drive, by real roads.

10 day trips from West Palm Beach

  1. Wakodahatchee Wetlands 28 min south
  2. Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens 29 min south
  3. Jonathan Dickinson State Park 34 min north
  4. Clewiston 1 hr 12 min west
  5. Vizcaya Museum and Gardens 1 hr 13 min south
  6. Shark Valley 1 hr 46 min southwest
  7. Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge 1 hr 51 min southwest
  8. John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park 2 hr 15 min south
  9. Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex 2 hr 21 min north
  10. Magic Kingdom 2 hr 37 min northwest

Within an hour from West Palm Beach 9 spots

Wildlife · 28 min south

Wakodahatchee Wetlands

Boardwalk over wetlands in Delray Beach, packed with nesting birds and gators.

  • 1-2 hrs · Easy
  • Year-round
  • Free (check)

Garden · 29 min south

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens

Peaceful Japanese gardens with koi ponds, bonsai and a museum about Japanese settlers in Florida.

  • 2-3 hrs · Easy
  • Tue-Sun; closed Mondays and major holidays
  • Adult $18, senior/military $16, child 6-17 $12 (checked Nov 2026)

State park · 34 min north

Jonathan Dickinson State Park

Big park on the Loxahatchee River with a river boat tour, hiking, biking and a lookout tower.

  • Full day · Easy to moderate
  • Year-round
  • Florida State Parks fee per vehicle (check)

Historic site · 51 min south

Bonnet House

Colorful 1920s estate between the ocean and the Intracoastal in Fort Lauderdale, with monkeys in the trees.

  • 1-2 hrs · Easy
  • Tue-Sun; closed Mondays and holidays
  • ? (check)

Zoo · 29 min west

Lion Country Safari

Drive your own car through open habitats with lions, giraffes and rhinos, then walk the park.

  • Half day · Easy
  • Open daily; closed Thanksgiving
  • ? (check)

Wildlife · 33 min southwest

Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge

The northern Everglades near Boynton Beach, with a cypress boardwalk, marsh trails and a canoe trail.

  • 2-3 hrs · Easy
  • Year-round
  • $10 per vehicle (checked Nov 2026)

Garden · 40 min south

Butterfly World

Walk through huge screened aviaries full of butterflies and feed lorikeets.

  • 2-3 hrs · Easy
  • Open daily
  • ? (check)

State park · 53 min south

Hugh Taylor Birch State Park

Green escape across from Fort Lauderdale Beach with paddling, trails and a lagoon.

  • 2-3 hrs · Easy
  • Year-round
  • Florida State Parks fee per vehicle (check)

See all 9 on the map

1 to 2 hours from West Palm Beach 29 spots

Historic site · 1 hr 13 min south

Vizcaya Museum and Gardens

Grand 1916 bayfront estate with Italian-style rooms and formal gardens. Miami's most beautiful old house.

  • 2-3 hrs · Easy
  • Closed Tuesdays
  • ? (check)

National park · 1 hr 46 min southwest

Shark Valley

Bike or take a tram along a 15-mile paved loop with gators everywhere, and climb the observation tower at the halfway point.

  • Half day · Easy
  • Year-round; best Nov-Apr
  • Everglades NP $35 per vehicle, $20 per person (checked Nov 2026)

Small town · 1 hr 12 min west

Clewiston

Sugar town on the south shore of Lake Okeechobee, a base for bass fishing and airboat rides.

  • Half day · Easy
  • Year-round
  • Free

Wildlife · 1 hr 51 min southwest

Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge

Two short trails into panther country near Immokalee. You will likely not see a panther, but the habitat is rich.

  • 1-2 hrs · Easy
  • Year-round
  • Free

Bike trail · 1 hr 5 min south

Oleta River State Park

Florida's largest urban park, with miles of mountain bike trails, paddling and a calm beach.

  • Half day · Moderate
  • Year-round
  • Florida State Parks fee per vehicle (check)

Beach · 1 hr 8 min north

Fort Pierce Inlet State Park

A beach and jetty park with good surf and a calm cove.

  • Half day · Easy
  • Year-round, 8 am-sunset
  • $6 per vehicle, $4 single occupant, $2 walk-in or bike (checked Nov 2026)

Family fun · 1 hr 12 min south

Jungle Island

Animal park on Watson Island with parrots, lemurs and hands-on encounters.

  • Half day · Easy
  • Open daily
  • ? (check)

Food town · 1 hr 45 min south

Robert Is Here

Famous Homestead fruit stand known for fresh tropical fruit milkshakes. A perfect stop on the way to the Everglades or Keys.

  • 1-2 hrs · Easy
  • Seasonal (check)
  • Free entry

See all 29 on the map

2 to 3 hours from West Palm Beach 69 spots

State park · 2 hr 15 min south

John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park

America's first undersea park, with glass-bottom boats and snorkel trips to the reef off Key Largo.

  • Full day · Easy
  • Year-round
  • Florida State Parks fee per vehicle (check)

Museum · 2 hr 21 min north

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

See the Space Shuttle Atlantis, a Saturn V rocket and launch pads. A must for space fans.

  • Full day · Easy
  • Open 9 am-5 pm (check)
  • Tickets (check)

Theme park · 2 hr 37 min northwest

Magic Kingdom

Cinderella Castle, classic rides and parades. The heart of Walt Disney World.

  • Full day · Easy
  • Open daily; hours vary (check)
  • Date-based tickets (check)

Wildlife · 2 hr 56 min west

J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge

Drive, bike or walk a four-mile loop on Sanibel past roseate spoonbills, pelicans and wading birds.

  • 2-3 hrs · Easy
  • Wildlife Drive closed every Friday
  • $10 per vehicle; $1 hikers and bikers (checked Nov 2026)

Small town · 2 hr 58 min northwest

Mount Dora

A hilly lakeside town with antique shops, festivals and lake views.

  • Half day · Easy
  • Year-round
  • Free

Hike · 2 hr 6 min south

Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park

Quiet trails through rare tropical hardwood hammock in north Key Largo.

  • 1-2 hrs · Easy
  • Year-round
  • ? (check)

Beach · 2 hr 11 min north

Cocoa Beach

The Space Coast's surf town with a long sandy beach and rocket launch views.

  • Half day · Easy
  • Year-round
  • Free beach; parking fees vary (check)

Family fun · 2 hr 11 min north

Cocoa Beach Pier

An 800-foot pier with food, bars, an arcade, live music and surf lessons.

  • 2-3 hrs · Easy
  • Year-round (check hours)
  • Free to walk (check parking)

See all 69 on the map

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Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP 33401 (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.