Palm Beach Pack & Paddle Club

4.8•1230 ratings

West Palm Beach, FL, US

5,525 members · Public group

What we’re about

Membership Application - Please join the Palm Beach Pack & Paddle Club.
Tap "Read More" and Scroll down for more information.
The Palm Beach Pack & Paddle Club plans several events each month for exploring and appreciating nature. Some of these last a day, some last a week or longer. They are local and they are long-distance. Activities include kayaking and canoeing, backpacking, hiking and biking, snorkeling, car camping and wilderness or river camping. In addition, we have monthly meetings at Okeeheelee Nature Center with guest speakers on environmental and other topics of interest.

This site and these events are functions of Palm Beach Pack and Paddle Club. In addition to these activities, our Conservation Committee raises funds to send children to summer nature camp and donates to local organizations that help to preserve our unique Florida environment.

You're welcome to attend our Meetups and be a Meetup Member only, but we would like you to become a member of our club. The cost is only $20 a year. Most of our trips are on the Meetup site, but there are many trips available to club members only, particularly those that involve long-distance travel or overnight stays. There is never a charge by the club for any of our activities.

If you wish to join Palm Beach Pack & Paddle Club, the application link is above. You may join by mailing the completed application (above) with a check payable to Palm Beach Pack and Paddle Club to the address at the bottom of the form. Or, come to an event, join and pay in cash, or, use the Paypal link below.
Pay Pal Payment
You can also use Zelle for paying membership dues and making donations to the club and its conservation efforts. Use **PalmBeachPackAndPaddle@gmail.com** in your bank's Zelle transfer feature. Please put your email address in the memo line so we can greet you and send you a newsletter and activities list. Thank you.

We hope you will become part of our Club family. Bruce, Gerry & Geoff

Upcoming events

See all

Sat, Oct 18 · 9:00 AM EDT
Join us at Pack & Paddle’s 50th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday, October 18
Location not specified yet
PLEASE NOTE: THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT!
*All tickets have been sold.
*The final registration deadline was Tuesday, October 14, at 4 p.m.
*Only those who sent in registration forms can attend.

The Palm Beach Pack & Paddle Club’s signature event during the 50th Anniversary weekend will be a four-hour celebration on Saturday morning and afternoon, October 18, in West Palm Beach

The enjoyable, four-hour event will last from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., but guests will be allowed on the meeting event grounds from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Check-in will begin at 9 a.m.

The event will feature:

--Keynote speaker Janet DeVries Naughton, a professor at Palm Beach State College
--A catered lunch, provided by TooJay’s
--Fun Facts about the club’s rich history
--Musical slide shows featuring pictures from throughout the decades
--Door prizes
--Awards for longtime members and officers

The cost of the event is $25 per person.

You can sign up for the 50th Anniversary Celebration (and all weekend events and offers) by completing the full 50th Anniversary Electronic Registration Form:

https://forms.gle/g28uA98erShXSWyB6

ADVANCE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED

The 50th Anniversary Celebration is open to current and former club members, club guests and Meetup visitors.

The cost for the celebration? $25.

Important: We require advance reservations for this event.

Attendees MUST fill out the registration form and submit payments by the registration deadline.

(Simply expressing an interest on Meetup will not be enough.)

The club’s deadline to receive registration forms is Saturday, October 11.

Please note: Anyone showing up at the event who has not registered in advance would unfortunately be turned away at the reception table.

Sign up for the celebration (and all weekend events and offers) by completing the full 50th Anniversary Electronic Registration Form:

https://forms.gle/g28uA98erShXSWyB6

If you have questions about the event, please text us at 561-312-2765.

P&P’s 50th CELEBRATION TO FEATURE SLIDE SHOW COVERING CLUB’S FIVE DECADES

The 50th Anniversary Task Force is creating an exciting slide show featuring vintage photos from the club’s 50 years of adventure.

The slide show features club pictures from the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s and 2020s.

The slide show will be shown in segments during the four-hour 50th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday morning and afternoon, October 18.

Each decade’s slides will be accompanied with music that evokes the various periods of the club’s memorable 50 years.

You will see the club evolve from canoes in the early years, to kayaks in more recent years. You will see vintage tents from the 1970s and ‘80s, and the beautiful designs today. You will see how bicycle styles have changed through the decades. We’ll also take you to the snorkeling and hiking trips of the past.

And we’ll venture back to memorable holiday parties, fun competitions and visits to interesting parks in Florida, around the country and in other nations as well.

TOOJAY’s TO CATER LUNCH AT 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

The Palm Beach Pack & Paddle Club’s 50th Anniversary Task Force is excited to announce that TooJay’s Gourmet Deli will be catering the lunch at P&P’s 50th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday, October 18 in the Mounts Botanical Garden’s Exhibition Hall.

TooJay’s will be providing a variety of sandwiches from their lineup. Breads that you may see in the buffet line include artisan rye, brioche bun, sun-dried tomato wrap and wheat. The sandwiches may include corned beef, egg salad, ham, roast beef, chicken salad, turkey breast and roasted veggie.

Sides may include coleslaw, potato salad, potato chips and pickles.

TooJay's was founded in the Town of Palm Beach in 1981 by friends Mark J. Katzenberg and Jay Brown, who derived the name from the "J" in both their names. Many may recall their first location in the Royal Poinciana Plaza.

50th CELEBRATION SPEAKER WILL MEET CLUB MEMBERS FOLLOWING THE EVENT

The Palm Beach Pack & Paddle Club is pleased to announce that Janet DeVries Naughton, our keynote speaker, will be available to meet club members following the conclusion of the club’s 50th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday, October 18.

For about an hour, Janet will be signing books and flyers, posing for pictures with attendees and handing out information on how to purchase all of her local history books.

A History Professor and Faculty Librarian at Palm Beach State College in Lake Worth, Janet will be the keynote speaker at the club’s 50th Anniversary Ceremony at Mounts Botanical Garden.

Janet’s topic will be “Preserving Paradise: Parks and Growth in Palm Beach County.”

Janet is an award-winning author of many Florida history books and publications and past president of the Boynton Beach Historical Society. Her books include “Pioneering Palm Beach,” “Legendary Locals of West Palm Beach,” and “Sport Fishing in Palm Beach County.”

50TH WEEKEND EVENTS, SPECIAL OFFERS AND PRICES

Here are the 50th Anniversary Weekend events, special offers and prices:

--Friday night, October 17: 50th Anniversary Campfire in Loxahatchee: $0 per person

--Saturday morning/afternoon, October 18: 50th Anniversary Celebration in West Palm Beach: $25 per person

--Sunday morning/afternoon, October 19: 50th Anniversary Picnic in West Palm Beach: $6 per person

--50th Anniversary T-shirts: In Small, Medium, Large, XL, 2XL, 3XL or 4XL. Colors: Kiwi or Carolina Blue. $18 per T-shirt

(Note: To pick up a T-shirt at the 50th events, orders must be received by October 4. T-shirt pickups for orders received after October 4 will be arranged on an individual basis.)

SIGNUP, PAYMENT INFORMATION ON 50TH WEEKEND EVENTS

Pack & Paddle must receive your 50th Anniversary registration form, payment by Saturday, October 11.

TO SEND US THE ELECTRONIC FORM

After you click on the link and fill out the electronic form, please remember to hit SUBMIT on the last page so that it will be sent to the club’s email address.

Here is the electronic form link:
https://forms.gle/g28uA98erShXSWyB6

TO MAKE YOUR PAYMENT

Here are the options for making your payment:

--Send a check via U.S. Mail to cover total amount due.
Please make check payable to: Palm Beach Pack and Paddle Club.

Send via U.S. Mail to: Palm Beach Pack & Paddle Club, P.O. Box 16041, West Palm Beach, FL 33416.

--Pay using Zelle to cover total amount due. Send the Zelle payment to: palmbeachpackandpaddle@gmail.com

Please include your name and phone number in the memo or message field when submitting your Zelle payment.

--Pay using PayPal to cover total amount due.
Please return form then pay by PayPal at this link: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/wpbpnp

ANOTHER REGISTRATION OPTION: SIGN UP AT OUR OCTOBER CLUB MEETING

Join us for our October club meeting on Saturday, October 11 – your last chance to sign up in person for the 50th Anniversary Weekend events.

The Palm Beach Pack & Paddle Club’s regular October meeting is Saturday afternoon, October 11 at the Okeeheelee Nature Center.

We will have printable 50th Anniversary Weekend registration forms that you can fill out at the meeting. We will have our new printable membership forms as well if you wish to sign up for 2026.

This will be the last opportunity to sign up and make payments in person for the 50th Anniversary Weekend events.

OCTOBER MEETING REMINDER
--Who: Palm Beach Pack & Paddle Club
--What: October club meeting
--When: Saturday, October 11, 2 p.m.
--Social time: Starts at 1:30 p.m.
--Where: Okeeheelee Nature Center, 7715 Forest Hill Boulevard, West Palm Beach, FL 33413
--Directions: From Jog Road, take Forest Hill Boulevard 1.2 miles west to Eshleman Trail (the second Okeeheelee Park entrance). Turn right (north) and follow the signs and road 1.6 miles to the Nature Center, which is in the back of the park.
--Information: Please text 561-312-2765.

PAYMENT QUESTIONS?

If you have questions about event or item purchases, please text 301-800-8835.

OUR ELECTRONIC FORM LINK:

Here is the electronic form link:
https://forms.gle/g28uA98erShXSWyB6
8 attendees
Sun, Oct 19 · 11:00 AM EDT
Join us at P&P’s 50th Anniversary Potluck Picnic on Sunday, October 19
Location not specified yet
PLEASE NOTE: THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT!
*All tickets have been sold.
*The final registration deadline was Tuesday, October 14, at 4 p.m.
*Only those who sent in registration forms can attend.

The Palm Beach Pack & Paddle Club’s 50th Anniversary Potluck Picnic will be held Sunday, October 19, in West Palm Beach.

The formal potluck picnic will include main dishes provided by the club.

What to bring: Attendees will be asked to bring appetizers, salads and side dishes to round out the feast.

Picnic activities: The 50th Anniversary Task Force’s Program Team has begun to put the schedule together.

Some of the possible games include cornhole, bocce ball, jenga or giant jenga, backgammon and other fun games.

Dessert Contest: A Dessert Contest is also planned during the afternoon.

Do you have activity ideas? Please contact us via text at 561-312-2765.

Formal toast: One of the highlights of the afternoon will be a champagne toast marking the Palm Beach Pack & Paddle Club’s 50th anniversary.

ADVANCE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED

The picnic is open to current and former club members, club guests and Meetup visitors.

The cost is $6 per person.

Important: We require advance reservations for this event.

Attendees must fill out the registration form and submit payments by the registration deadline.

The registration deadline is Saturday, October 11.

PLEASE NOTE: Anyone showing up who has not registered in advance will unfortunately be turned away at the reception table.

Sign up for the picnic (and all weekend events and offers) by completing the full 50th Anniversary Electronic Registration Form:

https://forms.gle/g28uA98erShXSWyB6

If you have questions about the event, please text us at 561-312-2765.

CALLING ALL BAKERS AND DESSERT LOVERS!

To help us celebrate our 50th year, we are delighted to announce the first-ever Pack & Paddle Dessert Contest to be held during our 50th Anniversary Picnic on Sunday, October 19.

Just bring your homemade dessert to the event, where our members will vote on their favorite entry.

Homemade desserts only please. Cake, cookies, pies, pudding -- the choice is yours. We are expecting approximately 50 attendees.

There will be a prize for the winner!

DO YOU OWN A CORNHOLE GAME? BOCCE BALL? JENGA? BACKGAMMON?

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

The 50th Anniversary Task Force is reaching out to club members and attendees with some requests.

If you own the following games, please contact us:

--Cornhole

--Bocce Ball

--Jenga (giant or regular games)

--Backgammon

--Other games that are fun, but not too complicated or time-consuming

We will be playing these games on Sunday, October 19 during our Potluck Picnic.

Can you help with our requests? Please contact us via text at 561-312-2765.

Thank you!

50TH WEEKEND EVENTS, SPECIAL OFFERS AND PRICES

Here are the 50th Anniversary Weekend events, special offers and prices:

--Friday night, October 17: 50th Anniversary Campfire in Loxahatchee: $0 per person

--Saturday morning/afternoon, October 18: 50th Anniversary Celebration in West Palm Beach: $25 per person

--Sunday morning/afternoon, October 19: 50th Anniversary Picnic in West Palm Beach: $6 per person

--50th Anniversary T-shirts: In Small, Medium, Large, XL, 2XL, 3XL or 4XL. Colors: Kiwi or Carolina Blue. $18 per T-shirt

SIGNUP, PAYMENT INFORMATION ON 50TH WEEKEND EVENTS

Pack & Paddle must receive your 50th Anniversary registration form, payment by Saturday, October 11.

TO SEND US THE ELECTRONIC FORM

After you click on the link and fill out the electronic form, please remember to hit SUBMIT on the last page so that it will be sent to the club’s email address.

Here is the electronic form link:
https://forms.gle/g28uA98erShXSWyB6

TO MAKE YOUR PAYMENT
Here are the options for making your payment:

--Send a check via U.S. Mail to cover total amount due.
Please make check payable to: Palm Beach Pack and Paddle Club.

Send via U.S. Mail to: Palm Beach Pack & Paddle Club, P.O. Box 16041, West Palm Beach, FL 33416.

--Pay using Zelle to cover total amount due. Send the Zelle payment to: palmbeachpackandpaddle@gmail.com
Please include your name and phone number in the memo or message field when submitting your Zelle payment.

--Pay using PayPal to cover total amount due.
Please return form then pay by PayPal at this link: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/wpbpnp

ANOTHER REGISTRATION OPTION: SIGN UP AT OUR OCTOBER CLUB MEETING

Join us for our October club meeting on Saturday, October 11 – your last chance to sign up in person for the 50th Anniversary Weekend events.

The Palm Beach Pack & Paddle Club’s regular October meeting is Saturday afternoon, October 11 at the Okeeheelee Nature Center.

We will have printable 50th Anniversary Weekend registration forms that you can fill out at the meeting. We will have our new printable membership forms as well if you wish to sign up for 2026.

This will be the last opportunity to sign up and make payments in person for the 50th Anniversary Weekend events.

OCTOBER MEETING REMINDER
--Who: Palm Beach Pack & Paddle Club
--What: October club meeting
--When: Saturday, October 11, 2 p.m.
--Social time: Starts at 1:30 p.m.
--Where: Okeeheelee Nature Center, 7715 Forest Hill Boulevard, West Palm Beach, FL 33413
--Directions: From Jog Road, take Forest Hill Boulevard 1.2 miles west to Eshleman Trail (the second Okeeheelee Park entrance). Turn right (north) and follow the signs and road 1.6 miles to the Nature Center, which is in the back of the park.
--Information: Please text 561-312-2765.

50th ANNIVERSARY PAYMENT QUESTIONS?

If you have questions about event or item purchases, please text 301-800-8835.

OUR ELECTRONIC FORM LINK:

Here is the electronic form link:
https://forms.gle/g28uA98erShXSWyB6
17 attendees
Fri, Oct 24 · 9:30 AM EDT
Phil Foster Park Snorkel & Screen for Gems
Phil Foster Park, 900 Blue Heron Blvd, Riviera Beach, FL, US
Meet us Friday morning at the Phil Foster Park Snorkel Trail around 9:30 under the Blue Heron Blvd Bridge for a 10:48 high tide. Shared event with RFAR (Recess For Active Retirees) .Get there early, though, to find a parking place as they fill up fast...the earlier the better.

In addition to snorkeling, we will be screening for gems, as member Ben Smith has brought us buckets of ore from gem mines in North Carolina. Last time, we found amethysts, other gems, and a lot of pretty minerals. This will be an extra treat.

**Look for a blue Conch Republic Flag and a pirate flag to the west of the lifeguard and near the corner, in the usual place. This is at the far southwest end of the park, near the old broken-off fishing bridge.

Bring a chair, beverages, lunch, and sunscreen. If you plan to snorkel off the trail under the fishing pier (old bridge), bring a dive flag and float, although I will bring mine and you can use it if you don't have one.

Expect to see a variety of tropical fish including sergeant majors, angelfish, starfish, butterfly fish, parrot fish, and others, as well as colorful coral varieties. You can pick up fish id charts for a fee at any dive shop (there are 2 shops on Riviera Beach Blvd. near our site).

After a refreshing look at this impressive snorkel trail, we take out our packed lunches or snacks and enjoy the shade and breeze, both of which always make this a comfortable place to relax and socialize after snorkeling.

Here's some information on the snorkel trail from the county:
"Completed in August of 2013, the 800-foot-long tract of artificial reef incorporates more than 600 tons of Anastasia rock boulders. Loosely strung together in easily accessible depths ranging from six to ten feet. Part of Palm Beach County’s Environmental Resources Management’s Artificial Reef Program, the snorkel trail has added to one of the most prolific dive spots in the entire county..."
30 attendees
Sun, Oct 26 · 9:00 AM EDT
Loxahatchee Slough Natural Area Kayak 9am
8311 PGA Boulevard, Palm Beach Gardens, FL, US
Palm Beach County's Largest and Most Biologically Diverse Natural Area! Nine native Florida ecosystems at this 12,957-acre site.
The kayak trail is at 8311 PGA Blvd, don't go to the bee-line highway hiking trail, called the Loxahatchee Blueway Trail. See location on the map below. There are bathrooms at Sandhill Crane Park across the C-18 canal. Please arrive by 9am, in time to launch by 9:30am. This trail is in full sun so dress appropriately and bring sun block. No rentals at this location. We will paddle approx 4 miles through a beautiful cypress swamp with a loop around Anhinga Island. This is considered an intermediate trail, due to a bit of a steep launch (not that bad but some experience helpful) and a portage. A shorter, narrow kayak is recommended, since we will be paddling through cypress trees. Also plenty of lily pads. There will be one portage, and we will have a few steps in shallow mucky water, so your shoes will get wet and dirty. Bring water and snacks. Most important, bring an adventurous spirit. Gorgeous scenery. Birds, flowers, etc.
16 attendees