North Lake Trail, Palm Beach

It's blissful to walk along the North Lake Trail! There are plenty of tall hedges and palm trees, but not thick shade. Morningtime is when you would get the most shade but on a winter afternoon this walk is fantastic too. You will pass each gorgeous hotel and mansion yard with tropical trees, flowers, ornate gates, sculptures and fences. On the other side of you is the blue intracoastal glistening in the sun. There are docks and lots of landscaping at their entrances. There is nothing lovelier than all these sights!

The path is wide and goes for three miles from the Flagler Memorial Bridge in the south to the end of the path near the top of Palm Beach island.
After your walk, get some refreshments at Via Flagler shops on Royal Poinciana Way. It is across Bradley Park, a short walk to the east from southern end of the trail. Kids will enjoy going to Sprinkles Ice Cream.
You can continue the walk, run, or bike ride to the south by taking Cocoanut Row south (this is a busy street but not too bad), then Whitehall Way to the west. This is a half mile stretch without any trail but on a sidewalk along the road. Then you will come to Flagler Museum, and the northern end of the South Lake Trail, which lasts for 0.7 miles, ending at Society of the Four Arts.
The lake trail was the main way to get around the island in the early 1900s. Palm Beach residents and visitors caught rides on chariots, three-wheeled wicker rickshaws, along the trail. 
You can rent a bike at Palm Beach Bicycle Trail Shop, in the south parking lot of the Royal Poinciana Plaza, then ride under the bridge to the beginning of the North Lake Trail.
After checking out the North Lake Trail, you can continue your walk by heading toward the ocean and walking along S. Ocean Blvd. There is a sidewalk along the beach, with a cute wavey wall, for half a mile. At this point the sidewalk ends and it is too dangerous to run or walk along the narrow road where drivers are checking out the ocean view.
You can also walk along the shady sidewalks on the beautiful side streets on the island. There are no sidewalks on the far north or south end of the island, but there are sidewalks on the side streets from Wells Rd in the north to Gulfstream Rd in the south. The side streets off S. Ocean Blvd have coconut trees galore (Brazilian Ave, Chilean Ave). Also check out the incredible architecture of the little Spanish alleys on ritzy Worth Ave, another side street off S. Ocean Blvd that is a shopping area. At the end of each of these side streets is S. Lake Dr, where you will see Banyan trees like in Hawaii.
Where the N. Lake Trail ends in the south at Bradley Park, you can continue under the Flagler Memorial Bridge (there is a great view from underneath the bridge). On the other side of the bridge, check out Royal Poinciana Plaza, a high end place with stark architecture but a pretty courtyard and some fancy cafes such as Sant Ambroeus Cafe. 
A shady way to head back to your car if you've walked up the North Lake Trail and want to walk a different way back is the Banyan Tree Walk.
If you bike the N. Lake Trail all the way to the end in the north, make sure you check out Annie's Dock and its crystal clear water.

Directions

You can park at Bradley Park just north of Flagler Memorial Bridge, on Sunset Ave, for free for two hours. You can also park on the side streets nearby. Check the signs because the parking authority people go around all day and they are ruthless.

Click on map for interactive view