An hour in any direction from Boca gets you somewhere that looks nothing like Boca: sawgrass to the west, limestone blowholes to the north, undeveloped barrier island to the east.
The short answer
The best day trips from Boca Raton are the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge west of Boynton Beach, Blowing Rocks Preserve on Jupiter Island, John D. MacArthur Beach State Park in North Palm Beach, Jonathan Dickinson State Park in Hobe Sound, Grassy Waters Preserve in West Palm Beach and the dike trail at Lake Okeechobee.
Local's pickThe northernmost remnant of the Everglades, with a cypress boardwalk, a marsh trail and 20 miles of canoe route west of Boynton. Sunrise here is the best wildlife hour in the county.
Local's pickA Nature Conservancy preserve on Jupiter Island where the Anastasia limestone shoreline shoots plumes of seawater into the air at high tide during winter swells. Time your visit to the tide table or it is just a pretty beach.
A 23-square-mile wetland that supplies West Palm Beach's drinking water, with free boardwalks, guided canoe trips and a nature center. Quiet on weekday mornings and full of wading birds.
Nearly two miles of undeveloped barrier island beach reached by a long boardwalk over the estuary, with kayak rentals and one of the best snorkeling reefs in the county at low tide.
11,500 acres of pine scrub and river north of Jupiter, with the Hobe Mountain observation tower, mountain bike trails, camping and boat tours up the Loxahatchee to Trapper Nelson's camp.
The paved dike-top trail around Lake Okeechobee, an hour west, with big-sky views you get nowhere else in South Florida. Pahokee Marina is the easiest access point for a short ride or sunset.