The Kiplinger Nature Preserve Park is a 164 acre natural area in Stuart. The land used to belong to…read morethe Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. and the Kiplinger Foundation Inc. until Martin County purchased it to preserve the land. In 2020 the Kiplinger family donated another 7 acres to the preserve protecting it from retail development. Ecological communities making up the preserve include freshwater and mangrove swamps, wet prairie and estuarine river. The preserve contains stands of sand pine and scrub oak as well as pine and scrubby flatwoods. Animals that have been spotted here include the Great Blue Heron, Snowy Egret, the Golden Silk Spider, raccoons, and alligators. In the past I have seem sandhill cranes and this time I spotted a marsh bunny hopping across the trail. The trail that runs through Kiplinger is an easy one mile loop. It runs behind condos, past wetlands, across some raised boardwalks and back along the river. The nature center was closed for improvements to the parking lot and I was delighted to see that they are back open although parts of the trail were muddy. In addition to the trail there is a free parking lot, three foot bridges, a floating fishing dock, and a place to launch a kayak or a canoe. It is a great place to enjoy nature, get some exercise and fresh air.

This park is a natural area in Stuart. The 164 acre mangrove area is located in the South Fork of…read morethe St. Lucie River. There is easy public parking at the entrance and a picnic pavilion. I walked the easy picturesque hiking trail and crossed two of the three footbridges before reaching the river. There is a floating dock for fishing. I only spotted one ibis and the crabs in the mangrove and a variety of Florida wild flowers.

Cool park! We drive by often and it's always something we've wanted to stop and check out. I had no…read moreidea this park is so huge! You could drive for 30 minutes and still not see everything! We stopped by on a weekday and the park was pretty and relaxing. Not too many people on the couple of trails we did. The observation tower is closed but they still have a nice boardwalk up to that area that makes for a great walk! It's pretty highly elevated for Florida - kind of impressive in person! Entry is $6 per car, and the lady provided a map and recommended her favorite trail. We checked that trail out as well (the white trail), but the height of the observation tower trail was really the star! We decided to drive around after doing both trails, and we saw their campgrounds. So surprising at how busy this place was! It seemed there was hardly an empty spot! Must be a happening place to camp! We'd definitely return for more adventures, as this is a cool park!

This place is great for those into the outdoors or nature in general. Kayaking, camping, fishing,…read moreand plenty of wildlife you might run into. There's overlooks and and an endless supply of trails to choose. I will definitely be back with some chairs and hoping for some quiet time to myself. The environment is so unique here you feel like you're in a different country at times.

Gorgeous nature preserve. A wonderful walk to the water that loops around. I've taken many friends…read morehere over the years and have always enjoyed it. I would suggest this to anyone who loves to be outside. There is a floating dock by the water and it's pretty fun to pretend it's gonna detach every time a fast boat passes by and sends it tumbling in the waves. 10/10 nature preserve

The Kiplinger Nature Preserve Park is a 157 acre natural area in Stuart. The land used to belong to…read morethe Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. and the Kiplinger Foundation Inc. until Martin County purchased it to preserve the land. Ecological communities making up the preserve include freshwater and mangrove swamps, wet prairie and estuarine river. The preserve contains stands of sand pine and scrub oak as well as pine and scrubby flatwoods. Animals that have been spotted here include the Great Blue Heron, Snowy Egret, the Golden Silk Spider, raccoons, and alligators. On my visit I spotted a Sandhill Crane but it was too far away to take a picture. I was excited because I have seen the large birds all over the campus at UCF when I visit my daughter but we don't have them in Broward County. They are funny because when I see them they are usually blocking traffic and they do not care. The cranes will nest here in the prairie in the late spring. The trail that runs through Kiplinger is an easy one mile loop. It runs behind condos, past wetlands, across some raised boardwalks and back along the river. In addition to the trail there is a free parking lot, three foot bridges, a floating fishing dock, and a place to launch a kayak or a canoe. It is a great place to enjoy nature, get some exercise and fresh air.

The 27 acre Hobe Sound Scrub Preserve is located south of Saturn Street between SE Federal Highway…read moreand SE Dixie Highway, near the Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge. The preserve was opened on Oct. 24, 2018. It was formerly known as the Hamm property because it was owned by Jupiter Island resident Edward Hamm. Mr. Hamm recognized the environmental importance of the land and sold it at a reasonable price so that it could be turned into the preserve. The Martin County Land Acquisition Selection Committee's had been trying to obtain it since 2008. In 2017 with the assistance of Senate President Joe Negron and Representative MaryLynn Magar, the Florida Legislature approved the purchase of the land. A Department of Environmental Protection grant paid for most of it. Scrub habitats are some of the most endangered in Florida because they are at the highest elevation which is where builders want to do their construction. Consequently many of the scrub preserves have been wiped out in Florida which has endangered animals like gopher tortoises and scrub jay's who call it home. They are certain plants and animals that only exist in a biologically significant scrub habitat so conservation of the land is extremely important. To prepare the preserve to open, invasive species of plants were removed and replace with native species. The preserve contains a loop trail, benches, a pavilion and a parking lot. The preserve contains an ancient sand dune so when you hike there is elevation which is extremely rare in flat Florida. It is quite a workout on your legs to go uphill in sand. This trail is not ADA accessible There are markers along the trail so you can't get lost. There are no restrooms on site so keep that in mind and bring water. Although I didn't see any animals it was still an interesting hike and a good work out. Thanks to people working together plants and animals have been protected and this land will be preserved for generations to enjoy.

Park is fantastic, clean and well kept. The only problem here is the inconsiderate dog owners who…read morerefuse to leash their animals. Guess the rules are impossible to enforce. Regardless, its a great place.

Nice trail for a quick hike. Most of the trail is soft sand flanked by low brush and very few tall…read moretrees. There is really no canopy so be prepared to be at the mercy of the weather. I spotted several Egrets and Herons while on the trail. There is a clean bathroom at the entrance of the park. I am happy they decided to save this portion of land from becoming a golf course.

This is the nature center at the Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge. Originally…read morenamed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge, this preserve was established September 30, 1969. Nathaniel P. Reed's parents helped to create the preserve by donating swaths of land to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service near the Indian River Lagoon in the 1960s and early 1970s. On April 17, 2019, the name of the preserve was changed to honor their son environmentalist Nathaniel Pryor Reed who was the environmental advisor to Florida governor Claude R. Kirk Jr. in the 1960's. He also served as environmental advisor to Assistant Secretary of the Interior to presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford from 1971 to 1977. Reed was instrumental in drafting the Endangered Species Act and saving Big Cypress Swamp. The Clean Water Act is also part of his legacy. He was known for fighting for the environment before it was cool to do so. Reed was a long time Jupiter Island resident. He passed away in July of 2018 after falling and hitting his head after hooking a 16 pound salmon while fishing in Quebec. The refuge is located on the coast of Martin County and it is divided by the Indian River Lagoon into two separate tracts of land totaling over 1000 acres. The Jupiter land tract is 735 acres and is important to the environment because it contains the largest complete section (3.5 miles of Atlantic Ocean Beach) of undeveloped beach in Southeastern Florida. As a result of the uninterrupted beach it is one of the most productive sea turtle nesting areas in the Southeastern United States. The Refuge protects 40 species of sea turtles listed as either threatened, endangered, or of special concern. Florida is the only state where endangered Leatherback Sea Turtles nest. The 300 acre sand pine scrub area is rare because the high, dry land was ideal for building on, so more than 90 percent of this ecosystem in Florida has been lost to development. You only find sand pine scrub in Florida and Alabama. The preserve also contains 10 miles of mangrove communities along the Indian River Lagoon. This National Wildlife Refuge has a large biodiversity of plants and animals. The last time I visited this refuge in 2021, the visitors center was closed for renovations so I was interested in visiting this trip. The nature center is run by a private, non-profit organization, that is dedicated to promoting an environmental awareness in people of all ages. The nature center building is made up of a exhibit hall, classroom/ lab, and a gift shop. Exhibits in the nature center include the sand pine scrub, Indian River Lagoon, The Atlantic Ocean, Jupiter Island, protecting biodiversity, adaptions for survival, and information about the Hobe Sound National Wildlife Preserve. There are tanks with fish and reptiles to view. The nature center hosts turtle walks, summer camps, evening forums, scrub tours and more. It is free to visit the nature center but some of the events may have an additional charge. Check out their website for a complete list of upcoming events. On Earth Day April 22nd they will be offering free family activities, games and crafts. Before you leave be sure and check out the cute gift shop with an assortment of nature themed items. Next to the parking lot is a stairway that takes you down to a beautiful beach where you can swim. You can also hike the scrub surrounding the nature center. There is so much to enjoy at the refuge and I always enjoy my visits.

Nice trail heading to the beach and the nature center has lots of animals including fish, a snake,…read moreowl, salamander and hawk.

Beach in the wintertime? Yes please!…read more I love Hobe Sound Beach since it's not too crowded for a later morning walk. The views were stunning on the day we went with bright blue skies and seas with not too much by way of waves. I think the guard stand had a yellow flag for conditions that day but the water looked nice for a cool, refreshing swim. The beach itself is pretty clean with no litter that I could see, and the shelter has plenty of picnic tables to sit at and take in the views. They have a foot sprayer that's located a bit far from where it is needed at the entry. I did not use the bathrooms while there but it is nice to know there is a permanent standing structure there.

The most gorgeous beach. Highly recommend coming early to watch the sunrise, it's stunning…read more It's so calm and has a new surprise every day. I saw sea turtles near shore as well as cute crabs on the sand digging holes. It's perfect. Also has the cutest summer surf camp going on where you can see kids learning to surf. It's my favorite beach ever. It's magical. Free parking as well which is awesome!

Kitching Creek Preserve is a 51 acre natural area managed by Martin County. They acquired this…read moreformer vegetation recycling facility in 2009 to help restore the Central Flow Way of Kitching Creek and the Loxahatchee River. An engineering firm helped the county develop a way to capture water from a nearby ditch, hold it on-site in a series of lakes and wetlands, and then slowly discharge the water back into Kitching Creek and flowing into the Loxahatchee River. The project involved constructing a 24-acre lake with 8-acres of shallow marsh and wetland habitat. The lake and its surrounding ponds are an excellent place to bird watch. Bald eagles, roseate spoonbills, tri-colored herons, and osprey have all been spotted here. You may also come across alligators, otters, song birds, raptors, herons, and egrets. Around the lake and ponds is a mile long loop trail on natural earth. As I made my way around the lake I could hear the splash of alligators as they left the bank for the water. It is nice to know they are more afraid of me than the other way around. I also saw a few birds like a great blue heron and a couple of egrets. This an easy and scenic hike that anyone can do. Martin County offers free guided hikes of this and their other natural areas on their website along with many other great events.