Message from the Manager

Spring is in the air. Many of the park’s seasonal visitors (birds!) are heading north. We will not see many of the raptors till next Fall and Winter. However, this is the start of the growing season for many plants that remain dormant even in south Florida’s mild winters. The Hercules’-club tree, Gumbo-limbo and Seaoats, are but a few of the plants starting to push out new growth. As you walk along the boardwalk to the beach, you might become alarmed as your senses detect the smell of skunk. No fear, that aroma is from the White stopper tree also known by some as Skunkwood. While the White indigoberry has fruit ripe and ready to drop to the ground in the hammock, the Inkberry will start to flower soon and bear fruit late in late Spring or early Summer.

Spring is also the start of sea turtle nesting season. Although there have been turtle nestings as early as February, March and April are the more common months for the ‘giants’ of the sea turtle family to begin nesting. These are the Leatherback sea turtles, one of largest living reptiles on the planet and second only to the saltwater crocodiles of Australia. Leatherbacks can reach nearly 10 feet in length and range from 700 to 2,000 pounds. In April, the Loggerhead sea turtles begin to nest followed by the Green sea turtles. The renewal of life is constant in nature. We only have to slow down and observe. There is no better place to slow down and enjoy the rhythm of life than in “the Real Florida,” Florida’s State Parks.

St. Lucie Inlet Preserve State Park comprises the northern 928 acres of Jupiter Island. Abundantly endowed with mangrove-lined creeks and more than 2.5 miles of Atlantic beach, this stretch of a Florida barrier island offers an enjoyable, pristine environment.

Hours of Operation

Florida state parks are open from 8 a.m. until sundown 365 days a year.

Driving Directions

St. Lucie Inlet Preserve State Park is located in Port Salerno, on the Intracoastal Waterway, 2/3 of a mile south of the inlet.

St. Lucie Inlet Preserve State Park 4810 S.E. Cove Road Stuart, Florida 34997 Phone: 772-219-1880 Fax: Contact Park for Number Park Manager: John Griner