In 1921 the Indian River Land Co. deeded Pocahontas Park to Vero Beach. In the 1920's the park had…read morea small zoo that included alligators, a bear, and a bobcat. The tennis courts were added in 1925. The town's first community center was built in the park in 1935. During WWII it served as a club for Navy personnel training at the airport. After the war it was again used as a community center until a new one was built just north of it. The original center is now The Heritage Center with a museum dedicated to the citrus industry. A plaque outside the building commemorates the spot in Pocahontas Park where on July 2, 1925 William Jennings Bryan delivered a speech for the county's inaugural festivities. Today families visiting the historic Vero Beach downtown area can still enjoy this charming park that has delighted generations of families. The park has pickleball courts, a playground, restroom. shuffle board court, and tennis courts. Standing guard at the entrance to the park is Patriot the fiberglass horse. Pocahontas Park is the perfect place to take the kids to play or to enjoy a game of tennis.

Pocahontas Park is a pleasant enough place located in the Main Street Vero Beach section of the…read moretown. It is more designed for kids, however there are plenty of benches out front and it seems to be a popular place for people just to chill for a bit.

Humiston Beach Park is one of those places that just works…read more Ocean views, tons of palm trees, clean grass, and plenty of shade so you're not getting cooked by the Florida sun. The covered pavilions are perfect for a quick break, a picnic, or post-run cooldown. Always a good mix of families, runners, cyclists, and beachgoers without feeling overcrowded. Best part? You're steps from the beach, food, and ice cream. Easy to park, easy to enjoy, hard to leave. Simple, scenic, and exactly what a beach park should be.

This is a great park with a little bit of everything -a play area with swings several covered…read moreareas for gatherings, seating options with sidewalks and grass options for walking around .There are bathrooms with changing rooms , sinks, soap, mirrors, hand dryers and usually they are kept clean and stocked to use. The covered areas and open areas have lots of seating and entertain with frequent festivals sometimes in mornings and others in the evenings with free parking. There are always extra toys and beach items left for others to use .I come here at least biweekly and it's a great place to enjoy!!

Took a long walk with my wife along the trail with beautiful views of the Indian River with small…read morewildlife and ducks wandering around. Today was super breezy so only went partially down the wooden dock leading into the river. Took some time in the Veterans Memorial across from the park. I love that Sebastian is so patriotic with American flags everywhere.

Walked around the Riverview Park with my hubby and parking was free. Most kids were at the…read moreplayground and the River was very rough today and my hair was blowing everywhere which made some funny pictures. Spent some time at the Veterans Memorial reading all of the dedication stones.

I took a hike through here on a recent trip to Vero Beach. The parking is limited but you can also…read morepark at the nearby South Vero Square Shopping Center located just east of the conservation area. If you didn't bring bug spray or water pick it up at the Publix because you will need both. Trails are open sunrise to sunset and run 2.4 miles or more and there are no restrooms. Be aware the trail can get quite muddy at points. The conservation area is quite large, 298 acres!, and the back trail loops around the wetlands so you can see a lot of birds. It is jointly owned by St. Johns River Water Management District and Indian River County. There are boardwalks, an observation tower (currently closed), and a canoe launch. You enter the conservation area through the Herb Kale Trail which is named for one of Florida's most respected ornithologists. The ecosystem is made up of coastal hammock, scrubby flatwoods and estuarine wetlands. The conservation area is a designated stop on the Great Florida Birding Trail. In the coastal hammock you can find live oaks that are hundreds of years old. Ground plants are wild coffee, myrsine, marlberry, firebush, native wildflowers, saw palmetto, and cabbage palms. There are at least 20 rare plants living in this area including coral-root orchids and whisk fern. Along the hammock loop you may spot songbirds, woodpeckers, hawks, squirrels, snakes, raccoons, armadillo, and opossum. A bridge takes you over a mangrove swamp where you will encounter the most mosquitoes. Many years ago, the University of Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory used this area as an outdoor lab where they studied how mosquitoes transmit diseases. The Scrubby Pine Flatwoods trails are at a higher elevation. Expect to find bromeliads, large sand pines, saw palmettos and native wildflowers. This area hotter and dryer with little shade. The ground is sandy soil. At the rear of the preserve is the Coastal Wetlands managed by mosquito control. Here the trail leads to the closed observation tower as it loops around the wetlands. I was so disappointed to see the observation tower closed since this seemed to be the best place to bird watch. All that is there now is a sketchy looking bridge of single boards that stretch over the lagoon. At the end of the hike I had gone over 2 miles, was soaked in sweat and mosquito bitten. I always think of that scene in Lilo and Stitch when Cobra saves Earth from the alien race by convincing them that the mosquito is an endangered species. LOL Anyway mosquitoes are always a treat. Despite the bugs t was a fun hike and probably even more fun in January. I don't recommend it in June although I did see a lot of people on the trail. Who would have thought all of this can be found behind a Publix!

I've been to Oslo Riverfront Conservation on several occasions. There's not a lot of parking but…read moreearly morning it's not a problem. It's a pretty good place to hike but not the best. I mean, it's behind Publix supermarket. I tend to forget about Florida's weather. Still not used to it and never will be for that matter. Florida weather always lulls me into thinking it's nice while looking out the window and once outside it's almost always not. It's hot, muggy and lots of misquotes. Fairly clean place with occasional trash here or there but pretty well maintained. I've run into a homeless person every now and then but that doesn't bother me as long as they're doing the part and not trashing the place. Worth going but I'd recommend February or March. Watch for a cold front.

Riverside Park is located on a barrier island in Vero Beach. You reach it by crossing over the…read moreMerril P. Barber Bridge. The park dates back to 1944 when Government Lot 2, a 115 acre parcel of land was purchased by the city of Vero Beach for $11,000 for use as a park. Today this park is one of the cultural crown Jewels of Vero Beach. Inside the park is the The Riverside Theater, a 692 seat performance theater that hosts Broadway quality shows throughout the year. The theater also hosts Live in the Loop, free outdoor concerts most weekends. In the middle of the park is the Vero Beach Art Museum. Opened in 1978 it hosts traveling art exhibits throughout the year as well as classes and educational events. It also has an outdoor sculpture garden. It you find yourself hungry, go to the north end of the park under the Merril P. Barber Bridge where you will find a The Riverside Cafe. It is a casual restaurant serving seafood and burgers. In the evenings they often have live music. Also located in this area of the park is the Cole Coppola Memorial Fishing Pier where you can fish and possibly spot dolphins and manatees. The park is also home to the Memorial Island Sanctuary, a beautiful and peaceful Veterans Memorial on an island that you reach by walking over a bridge. Other park amenities include walking and jogging paths, fitness trail, tennis courts, a playground, boat ramps, and picnic tables. Some of the many festivals held throughout the year in the park include the Under the Oaks Fine Arts and Craft Festival, Gardenfest, the Annual Orchid Show, Vero Beach Boat Show, and the upcoming Fourth of July firewoman on the Indian a River. There is so much to see and do here. You could visit several times and have a different experience each time. Whether is a concert, show, exercising, paying tribute to our national heroes, fishing, grabbing a bite to eat, or taking the kids to play, this park has something for everyone in Vero Beach.

A perfect Sweet Sixteen celebration thanks to all of the staff and the fabulous rock & Roll Band!…read moreWe rented a cabana and the service was excellent! Thanks to Mia who served and Linda who helped me plan and Danika who made the delicious food! I can heartily recommend this venue! We had a blast.

Grateful for the tribute to the man who took the time to submit to the state the reasons that this…read moreland along the Indian River Lagoon should be set aside and kept from being rezoned for industrial or commercial use. Went when the wild magnolia trees were blooming along the boardwalk path through the woods. Observation platform with picnic table once you reach the river shore from the park entrance.

This park was formerly named the St. Lucie Village Heritage Park. The name was changed to honor St…read more Lucie Village community leader Donald B. Moore who passed away in 2012. Moore was a veteran of the Coast Guard and Navy and served as the fire chief for the St. Lucie County Fire District. This 78 acre park is believed to be the site of the Russell/ Barker skirmish that led to the 3rd Seminole Indian War. John Barker was a trader who tried to cheat the Seminoles with faulty gun powder and bad alcohol. In 1849 he was walking with his brother in law William Russell when Barker was confronted by four Seminoles. They shot Russell causing the men to run. Barker was caught and stabbed to death Russell and family members of both men were able to escape by boat. The park is located along the Indian River Lagoon. It has a disc golf course, an observation tower and two hiking trails. The northern trail contains interpretive signs explains about the plant life while the southern trail contains historical signs relating to the skirmish and a small homestead, an illegal still, and the turpentine industry in the area. Unfortunately I wasn't able to explore the trails as much as I would have liked due to the heavy mosquito infestation. There are no restroom facilities or water so plan accordingly. The trails are natural ground which are not wheel chair accessible but are easy to hike for most people. Occasionally naturalists will lead hikes here.

Museum Pointe Park is locate at the base of South Bridge. This is the park that surrounds the St…read more Lucie Regional History Center and the St. Lucie County Aquarium. If you plan on visiting either pack a picnic and enjoy it in the park after for a fun and inexpensive family day out. Museum Pointe Park is on the Indian River so it has great water views. The park also has plenty of free parking, picnic pavilions, a playground, and a lot of large shade trees The paved walkway along the water was my favorite part of the park. I noticed that there were a number of rock agama lizards sunning themselves on the rocks. Rock agama lizards are an invasive species from Africa. They were first introduced to Florida in 1976 from the pet trade. Adult males have distinctive red heads and black bodies and can grow up to a foot long. Their range has been expanding and they are now found as far north as Jacksonville and as far south as Big Pine Key. Unfortunately they like to feast on Florida's endangered butterfly species. Scientists are currently studying their effect on the environment. If you enjoy fishing there is a pier underneath the South Bridge close to the right of the park and South Causeway Park is to the left for more picnicking and swimming. Museum Pointe Park is filled with history, science, and nature. It is the perfect place to take the family this summer.

This park is located in the historic Lincoln Park neighborhood which is one of the oldest…read morecommunities in Fort Pierce. Famous residents have included Zora Neale Hurston, author of "Their Eyes Were Watching God." And the Highwaymen artists, a group of 26 African-American artists who painted Florida landscapes and sold them out of the back of their cars up and down the Florida Coast. They were inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame in 2004. The Ilous Ellis Park is operated by St. Lucie County in the city of Ft. Pierce. It is an athletic park with a baseball/softball diamond, basketball court, football field, playground, restrooms, and a pool that costs $1.50 entrance fee. The pool is used to give the neighborhood kids swim lessons and for recreation. The park is part of the neighborhood's revitalization effort. The Lincoln Park neighborhood saw it's hey day in the 1950's and 60's and the city of Ft. Pierce is working with the community to make the houses attractive and to bring businesses into the area. Although this park has nice amenities for the residents in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, if you don't live here there isn't anything to draw you in.