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.

Pepper Beach Park is a nice beachside park in Port St Lucie county. It is next to the Navy Seal…read moremuseum which is certainly worth a visit as well. You'll find lots of parking here. The times SCW and I have been through here it's never been full. You'll also find restrooms, a kids playground, tennis courts and a baseball field. Of course the expected beach access as well. They have outdoor showers as well. Pepper Beach Park is a great Park along the A1A.

This is a 54 acre beach front park in Ft. Pierce. This park is named after long term democratic…read moreFlorida senator Claude Pepper who passed away in 1989. Pepper Park is located directly behind the National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum. The Fort Pierce Amphibious Training Base opened here on Jan. 26, 1943 to train soldiers for WWII. This base trained the soldiers who stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. 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 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. This park is popular with snorkelers and divers because are several shallow nearshore reefs located less than 100 yards off the beach. Pepper park also the site of state's first underwater archaeological preserve, the Urca de Lima, which is located in about 20 feet of water. The shipwreck was discovered in 1928 by William J. Beach off of the coast of Ft. Pierce. Attempts to salvage the cargo yielded little except for one silver bar and cannons since the Spanish recovered most of the ships cargo in 1715. In 1985 and 1987 the wreck was mapped and in 1987 Florida's first archaeological underwater preserve opened. In 2001 the wreck was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The Urca de Lima is featured in the Starz show Black Sails which was devised as a prequel to Treasure Island. Captain Flint buried the gold from the Urca de Lima on Treasure Island. Other park amenities include lifeguards on the beach, fishing, picnic pavilions with tables, grills, restrooms, and a playground shaped like a ship. There is so much history here and so much to enjoy and they don't even charge for parking. There is even overflow parking across the street. This is a great alternative if you don't want to pay the $6 entrance fee at the nearby Fort Pierce Inlet State Park.

Super cool to see remaining wildlife: alligators, manatees Hope it stays like it is foreverread more

Sooo, this morning rather than go to the gym. I went to White City Park in For Pierce and Kayaked…read moredown the St. Lucie River. Thanks to Steve Ware for the invite. We paddled thru the scenic St. Lucie River on the North Fork and observing all the gorgeous oak hammocks bordering either side. Amazing how tranquil the trip is, you would have thought you were in a time warp, because this surely represents how Olde Florida used to be. Just think it is in our backyard and it is FREE. White City Park has a Pirate playground for the kids, boat ramps, fishing access, plenty of picnic tables and much more. #lovingtreasurecoastlife #ftpierce #treasurecoast

This park is located on the corner of Indrio and Emerson. What caught my eye was the historic 1914…read moreone room school house on the property. This was the first public school in Saint Lucie County. This area was originally known as Fort Pierce Farms but it was given the name Indrio by Alice Stead Binney. Alice's husband was Edwin Binney, the inventor of Crayola Crayons. Alice took the first three letters from Indian and added the Spanish rio meaning river. Today the schoolhouse was closed but it can be rented for private events such as dances, parties, and weddings. In addition to the historic school this park has a playground designed for children ages 2-12, picnic tables with grills, and a restroom. There is a large natural area for play, walks, or bird watching. On the weekends there are food trucks. The trees provide shade and beauty to this rustic park.

This is a wonderful park complete with picnic tables and grills, plenty of space for people or pets…read moreto get a good walk in.

The 16 acre Lyngate Park opened in 1979 in Port St. Lucie on the north fork of the St. Lucie Rive…read moreAquatic Preserve. The park takes its name from the Lyngate neighborhood built in the 70's and 80's and which is made up of a mix of open neighborhoods, gated and ungated subdivisions with community amenities such as clubhouses and tennis courts, condos, and single family homes. Lyngate Park amenities include a 3/4 acre dog park with separate fenced-in areas for large, medium and small dogs along with shade structure and water fountain, a 36'x40' pavilion with lights, electric, water, two grills and eight 8' tables, a 24'x24' pavilion with four 10' tables, one grill, lights, and electric, two baseball/softball fields, two lighted tennis courts, basketball court with lights, four racquetball courts with lights, restrooms, sand volleyball court, and lighted playground for ages 2 to 12. Lyngate Park is home of the American Little League. Lyngate Park has well-maintained walking trails, picnic areas, and a playground that's perfect for kids. The green spaces are ideal for lounging or playing, making it a great spot for family gatherings or a peaceful afternoon. The abundance of shade trees is an especially welcome feature during the hotter months of the year. This park is a welcoming and peaceful environment that truly enhances the community spirit of Port St. Lucie. With its wide variety of amenities there is something to appeal to everyone.

I reported the noseeum/sand-flea issue to the city and county recently. Neither entity is willing…read moreto treat the infestation of biting bugs. This is a known annual problem that reoccurs each year on the ball fields but eventually goes away depending on climate per city. Mosquito repellents do not work for these biting bugs and they swarm at night biting teammates during softball games.

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

This is a fantastic park located across from the beach on the Indian River Lagoon side. Jaycee Park…read morehas so many amenities. These include five large pavilions, six small pavilions, grills, a basketball court, tennis courts, volleyball court, and restroom. There is a also a beach for swimming in the Indian River. In 1954 Jaycee Park was the spring training home of the Pittsburg Pirates. They left after just one year for Fort Myers who promised them a renovated facility and guaranteed ticket sales. You can still see a nod to the Pirates in the park. There is a pirate flag in the elaborately themed playground. This park was very busy with families when I visited. There were many more people on the lagoon side than the beach. The lagoon is gentler and safer than the ocean for little ones and the playground has so much fun play equipment. Even big kids were enjoying it. This park is ideal for swimming, play, cookouts, and watching the sun set.

Saw a beautiful sunset at this park. Was able to see the whole sunset. Get there early to get a…read morespot!

From 2007 to 2012, Port St. Lucie leased the property that is now Winterlakes Park to the St. Lucie…read moreSchool District for the purpose of constructing a temporary school site. The District paid to prepare the land for construction and built the playground. In 2012, the School District allowed the lease agreement to expire and the Port St. Lucie Parks and Recreation Department assumed maintenance responsibilities for the 28 acre property. After holding meetings with the public the city decided to turn the land into a park. Winterlakes Park opened on January 23, 2021 becoming the largest park in Port St. Lucie. Today Winterlakes Park is a well designed park with many popular recreational amenities for residents and visitors of the Winterlakes neighborhood and the Torino area. During my visit I was impressed by how much this park has to offer. There is a baseball field, covered basketball court, dog park with sections for small and large dogs, a paved exercise walkway with fitness stations, picnic pavilions with tables, pickleball court, shade covered playground, soccer field, softball field, tennis court, sand volleyball court, fishing deck on the lake, and restrooms. All of the facilities in the park are meticulously maintained and the park still looks brand new. As I walked the park on the exercise trail I noticed a summer camp using the playground, pups playing in the dog park, and a large number of people enjoying the shaded basketball court. There is so much to do in this park, there is truly something for everyone to enjoy.

Very nice dog park with two fenced areas for off-leash dog play. One area is for large dogs - over…read more30 pounds - and the other for smaller dogs. Located at the end of Winterlakes Park, a new community park in northern Port St. Lucie, FL. Lots of parking very close to the dog park areas, so you don't have to wander through the whole community park to find the dog area. Fences are high, and the gate lock is also high, so small children cannot get in and out at will. The parks have seating areas for pet owners, and some are under cover, so that's nice when there's a lot of sunshine. The parks seem well well-maintained and are not crowded, possibly because there isn't a lot of publicity about them yet.

Visited Sportsman's Park a few weeks ago to watch our grandson play baseball. The park has a old…read moretime feel to it that I loved. Among the facilities I saw, there are baseball fields, picnic shelters, concession stands, playground, and restrooms as well as tennis and basketball courts. The restrooms were very clean. The baseball game we were watching was delayed by lightning. I was glad that this park has a lightning alarm to warn visitors to take shelter. Parking seemed a little limited so plan to arrive early if you want to find a parking spot easily.

Sportsman's Park is a 18 acre park that opened in 1975. Recent upgrades have now made it a state of…read morethe art recreational park for the residents of Port St. Lucie. The outdoor fitness area includes both cardio equipment and calisthenics and space for stretching. The two cardio bikes, elliptical cross trainer, and arm bike are bluetooth compatible which allows the user to connect the machine to the phone or tablet through the Kompan fitness app or other activity trackers which will give real time information on calories burned, speed, distance, and time. While parents are working out nearby children can enjoy a new playground that encourages group play and coordination for children of all ages and abilities. The new playground has challenging climbing spaces, spinning activities, climbing, slides, swings, and coordination and balance challenges. a You and Me swing allows a parent or caretaker to swing in a seated position facing the child so both can share in the joyful experience. Sportsman Parks is home of the National Little League. Other park amenities include four baseball/softball fields, concession stand, two basketball courts, pavilion, restroom, and two tennis courts with lights. Note that you need a free court pass in order to use the basketball courts.

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.