This beautiful twelve acre island park is located on the north fork of the St. Lucie River. In the…read moreearly 1960's the Kintz family, established a small fishing camp here. The marina has undergone several expansions and renovations over the years. Today it includes a boat launch and a small dockside store that carries bait and fishing supplies for people who want to fish off the platforms and piers throughout the park. River Park Marina is not just a fishing destination. The park also has restrooms, pavilions with picnic tables and grills, and a large playground. There is canoe and kayak launch and this is a great park for bird watching, both from land and from the river. There is also a hiking trail through the park. River Park Marina is the home of River Lily Cruises on a trident pontoon boat with a covered canopy. It is the longest continuously operating tour in St Lucie County. They offer an hour and a half eco tours that departs at 11 AM, October through July. They also have an Evening Relaxation Cruise on a different part of the river. Check their website for times, reservations, and prices.

Came and went to this area in FL. It had a beautiful view. Go and check it out. It'll be worth it,…read moreplus you can catch crab , fish and see dolphins there too. It's worth the drive!! Ya'll enjoy!!

Located on North Hutchinson Island, Round Island Beach Park offers recreation while also protecting…read morea historic site. This part of Florida has a lot of WWII history. You can see it all over in the parks named for key events or people who served in the war. During WWII the Germans were sinking ships in Atlantic shipping channels and hiding along the coast of Florida in their submarines. On May 5, 1942, German U-333 torpedoed and sunk the Java Arrow, a United States tanker eight miles off Fort Pierce. Two crew members were killed. A auxiliary volunteer Coast Guard rescued 22 survivors in a fishing boat but two other ships, the Amazone and the Halsey were hit by torpedoes off of Fort Pierce that same night. To protect the shore massive concrete tank traps with steel rails protruding were sunk offshore. The Fort Pierce Amphibious Training Base opened in Fort Pierce on Jan. 26, 1943 to train soldiers for WWII. Round Island became part of this base, a 19,000 acre military installation. The soldiers who stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day were trained here. Obstacles like the ones the Germans were placing to stop the Allied Forces during the war were put in the water off the shore of Ft. Pierce so boat drivers could practice eluding them and teams could practice blowing them up. At Omaha Beach one Fort Pierce based unit lost 33 men but were able to destroy 5 of the obstacles. More than 140,000 military personnel trained in neighboring St. Lucie County from 1943 to 1945, when at the time there were only 20,000 area residents. The objects remained in the water long after people started using the beach for recreation. Unfortunately some people were injured and in 1991 the government did a national cleanup of former military bases during which time the objects were removed and some were given to the SEAL Museum created by long term democratic Florida senator Claude Pepper. At the museum you can learn more about the part Ft. Pierce played in WWII. You can still see some of the underwater obstacles used for training between the picnic pavilions and parking area along with interpretive signs. In addition to some amazing history, this beautiful 11.36 acre park has free parking, beach access, five picnic pavilions with tables and grills, a playground, shower, restrooms, and a walking trail in the park. Lifeguards are on duty between 9:10 a.m. and 4:50 p.m. daily. Along the beach are areas blocked off to protect sea turtle nests. Across the street is Round Island Riverside Park where you can launch a canoe or kayak on to the Indian River Lagoon where you can see dolphins and manatees. I really enjoyed my time at Round Island Beach Park with its clean beach, clear water, well-maintained facilities, quiet setting. and WWII history.

Pretty & safe beach area that's not too crowded but not deserted either. Lifeguard's, picnic…read moretables, showers & bathrooms for convenience. Even historical/informational areas of interest.

What an absolutely wonderful mangrove kayak tour with Mark. We took the two hour mangrove historial…read moretour and loved every minute of it. Mark is so knowledgeable about the magical mangroves we toured through. It was a relaxing kayak tour of ancient growth complete with observing 500 year plus native mounds and ceramics. We were transported into a world of dense groves and learned how these marvelous plants have adopted to our ever changing planet. We did not want the tour to end. We cannot recommend River to Ocean Kayak tours more enthusiastically and give it a five star rating.

We took the four hour tour and we had a blast. The mangrove tree tunnels were so unique. We saw a…read moreton of osprey, pelicans and a couple of dolphins. Mark is great and we totally recommend this activity.

Harbour Pointe Park is a remote park but well worth searching out. You need to drive down a dirt…read moreroad for a quarter mile while ignoring the numerous no trespassing signs along the way. Don't give up, you are in the right place. When you can't go any further you end up at a 20 acre waterfront park that is on the Fort Pierce Inlet and Taylor Creek. The park is rustic with no restrooms but the view is wonderful. The sandy beach is used for swimming and for fishing by people who appreciate being in nature. This hidden natural oasis might not stay a secret. Plans are in the works over the next 4 to 6 years to add a large restaurant with outdoor seating, sundries shop, boat charter offices, dock master, an event lawn with a big pavilion, landscaping with shade trees, sandy beachfront and walking paths, and a small-boat launch and public marina at the north end and a marine research and education facility. The park will connect to a greenway bike trail. The entire port project is expected to be completed by 2040 and is estimated to cost between $82 million and $130 million with some of the money coming for grants. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for this park.

Little Mud Creek is a boat launch on the Indian River Lagoon. It is located on the west side of the…read moreroad approximately one mile north of the St. Lucie Power Plant. It is also just north of Blind Creek Beach which has a nude beach. I got a chuckle from the sign at Little Mud Creek reminding folks that they need to keep their clothes on. I guess they may have had a problem in the past. If you paddle south towards the power plant, you can cut through a mangrove path to the beach area, but to reiterate it is a nude beach. Little Mud Creek is also a great place to bird watch. Species of birds that have been spotted here include the common ground dove, mourning dove, anhinga, brown pelican, and yellow crowned night heron. I think a saw a killdeer or possibly it was a semipalmated plover in a puddle. Both are small brown shorebirds.

I'm in South Beach but it is not the famous art deco Miami one. This South Beach is a laid back…read morebeach park in Ft. Pierce. South Beach Park has a lot of free parking, a deck, picnic tables and pavilions with grill, and restrooms with showers. There weren't many people present and the beach has a very relaxed and secluded vibe. More people visit Jetty Beach Park north of here. South Beach is also known by locals for having the occasional bomb warhead off the beach. During WWII this area was used for military training by the Fort Pierce Naval Amphibious Training Base that extended from Vero Beach to Jensen Beach. The military subsequently removed as many of the explosives as they could but even in 2022 military bombs used to train for the Normandy Beach invasion were still being discovered by people with metal detectors. Fortunately today you are more likely to discover a sea turtle nest on the beach rather than a bomb.

Great day swimming and jumping off the pier on the inlet! :)…read moreLots of people watching to do. Food, drink, smiles then a potential drowning rounded out the day! :/ Don't worry, the person we did not know was pulled out and walked away on his own. Making sure of your swimming capabilities is a must when walking out past the sandbar. No waves makes having small children an easygoing win. :)) You can trust me, this is the 5th boy I will raise up with help from my friends. ;D

Round Island South Conservation Center is a 59 acre natural area in Vero Beach on the west side of…read moreSR A1A. Parking and entrance to the preserve is located on the southern boundary of Round Island Riverside Park. This conservation area is ideal for an easy hike. Habitats include mangroves, a maritime hammock, and lagoon shores. Along the trail you will enjoy scenic views of the lagoon where you may possibly see native wading birds, manatees, and dolphins. Twenty species of wood-warbler have been recorded here including Cape May, Blackpoll and Wilson's. There are also boardwalks and kayak launches. This conservation area is part of the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail, one of the longest running programs of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. It was created with the goal of encouraging conservation by encouraging connections between people and Florida's wildlife and natural land. I enjoyed my visit to this lovely conservation area that is a complement to Riverside Park. You can enjoy the amenities in the park and then cross over the bridge to the conservation area for a more immersive nature experience. Admission is free and the preserves is open 7:30am until sunset, year-round.

Nice park. Walk along the wooden boardwalks or go kayaking. If you are lucky, you might even see a…read moreFlorida manatee having an early morning swim. Don't get too close as the manatees are protected by the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act. They are an endangered species. While you are in the area, check out the Round Island South Conservation area. Beautiful area to explore on a sunny day in Florida.

This past Saturday, I decided I needed some much-needed sun and drove over to Hutchinson Island. I…read moreusually park near the jetty and walk over, but unfortunately that section of the beach was closed due to sand restoration from erosion. Luckily, if you drive a bit further down the road, you can find other access points along the island. I kept going and found a small parking area with a beach entrance. I got there early, so I had no problem finding a spot--but just a heads up, parking is very limited. I always recommend getting to the beach early, especially in spots like this. The entrance itself is a little tight, and there's a random piece of wood sticking out of the ground that could easily trip someone if you're not paying attention--definitely something to watch out for. That said, this stretch of beach is really nice and much less crowded. You can even see the area where they're adding sand in the distance. It's a great option if you're looking to avoid the usual tourist crowds... although I'm sure they find their way here.

A real beautiful beach, was very clean and super quiet. No one on the beach when I went so I was…read moretoo excited about that. There's a small parking lot. Beach access isn't wheel chair accessible for those who may need it. I can't wait to come back.