Osprey Acres Stormwater Park and Nature Preserve is an 83.7 acre park created in 2019 at a cost of…read more$7.4 million dollars. It serves the primary function of removing nitrogen and phosphorous from Osprey Marsh next door and from area canals. Since 2015 Osprey March has been removing dissolved nutrients from canal water and from the South County Water Treatment Plant's reverse osmosis brine discharge. Osprey Acres was going to be a 400 home development but was saved from development when Indian River County purchased the land to create a stormwater treatment facility to clean the water before it enters the Indian River Lagoon. While the main purpose of the park is to clean the reclaimed water, a welcome byproduct is that it attracts a lot of wildlife. Wetland parks are some of my favorite kind of parks because they attract a variety of wildlife including wading birds, migrating birds, lizards, turtles, and alligators. Osprey Acres preserved over 60 acres of native upland habitat and created 17 acres of aquatic habitat for fish and waterfowl. Some of the animals you might see here are gopher tortoises, osprey, southern black racer, alligator, river otter, coral snake, marsh rabbit, bobcat, water moccasin, great horned owl, racoon, and eastern indigo snake. Natural earth walking trails traverse through Florida ecosystems that include uphill pine, mesic oak hammock, a small scrub area, and manmade wetlands. There are five hiking trails totaling about 3.8 miles: a 1.8 mile main trail, two .6 mile trails called Marsh Rabbit Run and Bobcat Run, and two .4 mile trails called Woodpecker Way and Gopher Tortoise Trail. Osprey Acres brings together much needed stormwater treatment with recreational and wildlife viewing opportunities making them accessible to the community. Osprey Acres is open every day except Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Note that there are no restrooms and dogs are not allowed.

Bonsteel Park is a tranquil 2.34-acre beach park located two miles north of the Sebastian Inlet…read more The park is operated by Brevard County which purchased the land to preserve it in a natural state. The park was named in honor of Louis Bronsteel, a prominent figure in Melbourne Beach, Florida, with a long history of involvement in local government and community organizations. Bonsteel Park amenities include free parking, restroom facility, ADA accessible wooden beach crossover, and a boardwalk that goes from the park to the Barrier Island Ecosystem Sanctuary next door. On A1A at the entrance to the park there are hiking trails. Dolphins and sea turtles have been spotted here. This park is popular destination for swimming, surfing, and surf fishing. The Brevard Zoo Sea Turtle Healing Center uses the beach in Bonsteel Park to release rehabilitated sea turtles. Interestingly Spanish coins have been found from Spanish ship wrecks from 1715 and 1733. Treasure hunters with metal detectors can be spotted combing the beach. While I didn't find any treasure I did have a nice visit on the boardwalk and while exploring a few of the hiking trails.

We live in south FL, so we've never been to this beach before. But we decided to make the 2 1/2…read morehour drive to visit with some friends. The husband LOVES to fish, and he had 3 rods set up on the beach. There were tons of fishermen, definitely a popular place to fish. But also a great place for shelling. My husband caught a Pompano, and I roasted it for dinner. So delicious!! Really nice beach, free parking.

I love this place but recently an employee decided to take the closed at sunset very seriously…read more Don't be a minute late from the time Google says the sun will set or she will lock you in the park. Ask me how I know...lol. You have been warned.

This huge preserve is 35 square miles. Admission is free. The preserve was created when the state…read moreof Florida bought up large tracts of land in 1995 to preserve the watershed to the St. Sebastian River and the Indian River Lagoon. In addition to protecting the water the land also protects rare and endangered species of plants and animals. The preserve is made up of grassy forests and the long leaf pine that was common before the development of Florida. Here you will find the biological communities of cypress dome, scrubby flat woods, sand hills, and strand swamp. The preserve contains one of Florida's largest populations of scrub jays, a species listed as vulnerable. Many native plants and animals make their home here including over 50 protected species. Animals that can be found here include the red-cockaded woodpecker, Bachman's sparrow, Eastern indigo snakes, bald eagles, wild turkeys, river otters, bobcats, and tortoises. This preserve is part of the Great Florida Birding Trail. Travel in the preserve is along unpaved roads. There is a buffer road that runs along the C-54 canal. In November through March you can find manatees in the canal. There is a platform to view them at the end of the buffer road. The preserve is divided into quadrants by the Fellsmere Canal and by I-95. Each quadrant has long hiking trails. There are over 60 miles of hiking trails through 22,000 acres of wilderness. There is a visitor's center at the entrance that is staffed Friday through Sunday. You can hike, bike, or horseback ride the preserve. From this preserve you can canoe, boat, and fish the St. John's River. There are six primitive camp sites which can only be reached by hiking. Hiking trails include red, yellow, and blue and can be rough because they are also used by horses. Along some of the trails you can see the remains of homesteads from when the land was used for growing citrus, ranching, turpentining, and logging. The preserve contains a portion of the rails to trails path, a hiking and biking trail along the abandoned Trans Florida Central Rail incorporated in 1924. The surface of the trail hasn't been decided on yet and there are few signs marking it. As a sign in the park says this is the real Florida. Photographers, nature lovers, hikers, and equestrians will love exploring this vast open wilderness. Come see Florida the way Mother Nature intended.

Very lovely park. Clean, peaceful, and love the water views. Saw a dolphin. Highly recommend.read more

This park is named for Anthony William Young (1866-1948). He was the first mayor of Vero Beach,…read moreFlorida, when the city was incorporated as Vero (the Beach was added to the name 6 years later) on June 12, 1919. He was also the fifth mayor from December 10, 1935 to December 15, 1937. Young also served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives (1921 to 1925), and as a member of the Florida Senate (1929 to 1931). Young was an official in the Indian River Farms Co. that dug the canals to drain most of what is Vero Beach. He also authored the legislative act creating Indian River County from St. Lucie County. To get to the park you travel through the Vero Isles neighborhood which ends at the park on the Indian River. Pulling into the park there were little marsh rabbits hopping around everywhere. So adorable. Once you enter the park you are surrounded by the gorgeous views of the Indian River and the bridges that carry people over the river. Park amenities include picnic shelters and tables and it even has a restroom. This is a popular spot for fishing, picnicking, or just taking in the vista of the Indian River.

I was so impressed with this park. It's located on the Indian River with stunning views of the…read morewater. There is a fountain for the kids to play in that opened in 2001 and I gather that when it is on there is a $1 entrance fee but no one was around when I visited. Other park amenities include restrooms, art, benches, and a fishing pier. In March of this year a historical marker was placed in the east part of the park relating the history of the three bridges connecting the Vero Beach mainland and beaches. Vero Beach was the first community to have a bridge to Orchid Island when one opened on Labor Day of 1920. The first cars to cross it were Model T's. In 1951 the concrete Merrill P. Barber bridge was opened and replaced by a concrete arch bridge in 1995. The marker in this park is one of twenty two in Indian County. This park also has beautiful art. There are four large mosaic pillars that represent the natural setting of Vero Beach, the ocean, the Indian River Lagoon, the upland hammock, and the wetlands. Each side of the pillar depicts a different time of day and the animals that live in each habitat. Usually water front property is taken up by million dollar mansions. It is so nice to see that Vero Beach preserved this prime piece of property so that everyone can enjoy it. You can come here to take the kids to cool off, fish, picnic, or just drink in the the glorious view of the Indian River.

Amazing pier like a lot better than I expected I came here to have a picnic with my man before…read moregoing to McKee botanical garden and it was so well kept together and very clean. I had a lot of fun walking around . Looks like fishing is available and lots of space for relaxing . Lots of seating too!

Tracking Station Beach Park is a 6.37 acre park in Vero Beach. The entrance is a little hard to see…read morebut it is located off Highway A1A between the CVS Pharmacy and 7-11 store. The park takes its name from the university ocean research facility located by the park entrance. Park amenities include a beautiful 624 feet of life guarded beach from 9:10 am - 4:50 pm, one pavilion with picnic table and grill, water fountain, restrooms, outdoor shower, and best of all there are 74 free parking spaces. I love free beach parking which is sadly lacking in Broward County. Inside the park is a memorial to 17 year old Lynn Carol Elliott (1965-1983). Elliot was a student of Vero Beach high school. She was hitchhiking with her fourteen year old friend Regan Martin when they were picked up by serial killer David Alan Gore who committed crimes with his cousin his Fred Waterfield. The pair were dubbed the killing cousins. When Elliot escaped outside of the house while Martin was being attacked, Gore followed her and shot her in the head which was witnessed by a neighbor boy riding his bicycle. The police were called and the pairs crime spree came to an end. Gore was executed by lethal injection in 2012. If not for Elliots courage in trying to escape, there may have been many more victims. This is such a sad story of promising lives cut too short. This beach is ADA accessible. It is favored by surfers and sun worshippers. It is also beloved by nesting sea turtles so stay off the dunes, watch out for the nests, and take your garbage with you. Sea Turtle nesting season is from March 1-October 31. All sea turtles are protected by state and federal laws. I was disappointed to see that a new condo complex called Indigo is going to be built at the entrance to the park. I hope that this does not negatively impact the sea turtles. For now this remains a lesser known beach in Vero and a great place to enjoy the ocean and outdoors.

Best beach in Vero beach! Parking can be difficult depending on time of day, I would suggest coming…read moreduring non-peak hours. The beach does have restrooms and showers and lifeguards do supervise the beach during normal hours.

This is a 28 acre conservation area in Sebastian, Florida. It is open every day of the year from…read more7'30 AM to sunset. The parking area is located in Canoe Launch Park. There are no restrooms or water. There are however a half mile of hiking trails with more under development. Dogs are allowed on the leash. The Ansin Riverfront Conservation Area was purchased by Indian River County in 2005. It helps to buffer the Sebastian River from the developments nearby preserving the water quality of the river and providing a safe refuge for the wildlife attracted to the river. Ansin Riverfront Conservation Area also acts as greenway to protect hikers traveling between CR 512 and the Trans-Florida Central Railroad grade to the County Canoe Launch Park. This preserve also protects the South Prong of the St. Sebastian River from runoff and future development. At the eastern end of the railway corridor there is a boardwalk that goes over a mixed hardwood swamp. To the west along the railway, there are live oaks covered in ressurection ferns and bromeliads. The final portion of the paved goes through mesic and scrubby pine flatwoods, home of the endangered Florida gopher tortoise and saw palmetto. I had so much fun discovering and hiking this preserve. Even though there is a shopping center across the street, you feel you are in Florida before all of the development. I am so glad that this tract of land was saved to preserve the health of the river and to provide a refuge for all of the wildlife. If you bring your own canoe or kaya you can go for a paddle on the river at Canoe launch Park next door.

This trail was suggested as a place to ride a bike or walk from the Disney Vero Beach property. I…read morewas staying there with friends and decided to rent a bike for an afternoon and get some riding in. The rental window gave me a map and directed me to the Jungle Trail. It was easy to get to and to find from the hotel property. Lovely flora, lovely fauna along the way. And it takes you to the Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge, for more nature and exploring. I wish I hadn't waited until my last day in the area to explore the trail and the refuge, because I would have gone back another time....or more times! It was a lovely nature escape among golf courses and developed neighborhoods. Definitely worth a ride or a drive through if you are close by!

The Jungle Trail is a 7.8 mile sand, scenic public road that acts as a buffer between the housing…read moredevelopments and the refuge waters of Pelican Island. The road traverses through the hammock habitat of Florida's barrier islands north of Vero Beach as it passes between gated communities and the shores of the Indian River Lagoon. The trail was created in the 1920's so citrus growers could haul their crop through the barrier islands. The people who lived along the trail were pioneers. They traveled by foot, horse, and the occasional buggy. Today you can drive the road but it is used mainly by hikers and bike riders. At it's north end the trail begins at Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge was created to protect the birds that were being wiped out by hunters who were killing the birds for hat plumes at the turn of the century. Today you can see the descendants of those birds all along the trail. During the 1980's developers wanted water front lots but the local citizens rallied and were able to save the road. The road is now a designated Florida Greenway and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places through the efforts of Dr. Ryan Wheeler and county historian, Ruth Stanbridge.