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    Blowing Rocks Preserve

    4.6 (103 reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

    Blowing Rocks Preserve Photos

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    Sarah P.

    This is a wonderful un spoilt beach. I was thrilled to meet a volunteer that was greeting visitors right at the beach entrance. He told me about the resident crow that he feeds whilst there. I sat for a while and had a wonderful conversation about the area, the beach, the environment and the crow. This crow kept coming back time and time again for snacks to take back to his/her nearby nest. This is un spoilt Florida at its finest. Make sure you add to your list of places to visit.

    Max K.

    This place is super cool! If you want to see the water actually do cool things, you need to come during high tide. If it's a beautiful calm day, there might not be enough wave action to actually push through the rocks and spray out. I would visit just for the cool stretch of beach. The view and color of the water is just gorgeous. Very cool place to explore. But know, you won't always see anything like some of the iconic photos from this place.

    Jeanette N.

    Beautiful hidden gem. Best time to come is at high tide to see the sea spray through the limestone. Beautiful and peaceful. Be sure to bring shoes band cause the limestone is sharp. Parking is limited and fills up fast.

    Sand Dunes
    Dave O.

    Florida has approximately 1,350 miles of coast line, that's the most in the lower 48 and is second only to Alaska over-all in the US. I can't say I've explored every linear inch of it but I have visited and enjoy my fair share of it over the past several decades. Blowing Rock Preserve is certainly one of the more unique beaches that I've been to fortunate to visit, if you were to arrive here blindfolded I doubt you'd know you were in Florida. This rocky coast line is nothing short of amazing and is absolutely breathtaking and was surprisingly deserted on the day we visited which made the experience that much more enjoyable. On average this part of Florida gets about 234 days of sunshine a year so there are plenty of days to enjoy the amenities this preserve offers and besides it's beauty there are a number of things to take in, a nature center across the road from the beach that is filled with treasures from the sea and interesting facts, a beautiful elevated shaded wooden walk through the man-groves and of course lots of exposed coral on the beach that will have you wanting to keep those flip-flops on as you explore all it's secrets. One of the most fascinating features here is the clear blue water that washes through the openings in the coral and explodes into the air hence the name "blowing rocks". The granite colored sand is loose and will test your stamina if you walk any distance on the beach and if you drive here you'll definitely want to maximize the opportunity to explore it all...

    Breaunna O.

    GREAT PLACE TO VISIT! This is a definite must see. I was born and raised in FL and I haven't been to this place as of yet. My first visit really blew me away. This place is definitely underrated. Not too crowded, beautiful blue water. The waves were not too strong so we didn't get to see the "blowing rocks" but still worth the 3 hour drive from Tampa. Not much parking, so get there early because the park does closed pretty early to (4:30pm).

    Sarah C.

    The water is great, the waves are minimal, and the sand is hot! We went to relax at the blowing rocks preserve while visiting the area. The rocks were nice and the beach was not too busy. The parking lot is on the smaller side, which may play a part in the location not being over crowded. There were also a couple of taped off areas with turtle eggs which was cool to see. Would definitely recommend if in the area and looking for a place to take pictures at.

    Education
    Jennifer C.

    Blowing Rocks Preserve is what brought me to Jupiter and it was everything I hoped it would be. Visit during high tide and witness waves crash against the limestone shoreline, or come during low tide when you can explore the limestone formations in full. Please note: parking is extremely limited. However, during my visit, I was surprised at the visitor turnover rate. Many people were coming for selfies or a stroll and then heading back out. Very few were sunbathing or swimming. This may or may not be the norm. There was 1 lucky spot open when I arrived in the morning and I stayed for an hour and a half. When I left, 4 others were leaving simultaneously. Law enforcement was visible approx 50 feet away, I suspect to keep visitors from street parking. It would be tempting. If you are in Jupiter or just passing through, Blowing Rocks Preserve is a must!

    Robert S.

    We drove from Fort Lauderdale to Jupiter to witness these Blowing Rocks....We had seen some video on it and we were intrigued about the natural scenery and beauty of the place. There are two parking areas, one on the left as you come from the south that is large and is next to the Education center and trails...the other one, smaller, right off the road on the right side. That one only holds like 12 cars. As you enter, you can see much information about the history, preservation and information on the preserve. Winter storms and extreme high tides offer the best opportunities to see the Blowing Rocks live up to their name. In a scene more reminiscent of Hawaii than Florida, waves surging against the craggy limestone shore can force geysers of water as high as 50 feet into the air. It's an impressive sight. Though the dark, jagged rocks do--at first glance--look like the remains of a misplaced lava flow, they are actually a specific type of sedimentary rock called Anastasia limestone. Scientists disagree on exactly how far inland the limestone extends, exactly when it was formed (most likely around 125,000 years ago, in the Pleistocene Age) and whether it was formed by a single event or by multiple changes in sea level. A few things scientists can agree on: - Anastasia limestone extends along Florida's coast from St. Augustine to Boca Raton, and - Blowing Rocks Preserve harbors the largest outcropping on the U.S. Atlantic Coast. Blowing Rocks Preserve, is a barrier island sanctuary and a well-known model for large-scale, native coastal habitat restoration. The natural features found here are disappearing fast from many Florida islands, and a number of endangered plants and animals call this special place home--including rare loggerhead, green and leatherback sea turtles. We saw many people beaching, snorkeling, sun bathing and just walking and relaxing. Some areas of the beach allow for beach umbrellas, some don't based on where the turtles nest. It's free and unspoiled. A treasure of conservancy. There's an Education Center that you can visit to learn more about the area and wildlife.

    Bouldering at blowing rocks, not much rock to work with but made the most of the unique feature on the beach! Very neat!

    It was neat! Not much rock to work with but made the most of the unique feature on the beach!

    Nicole P.

    Great time!!! We really enjoyed taking in the views and nature trails here. There is so much to see and you get to explore different trails. You can take your time and relax. There are various spots along certain trails with a bench that you can sit down and taken in your surroundings. The beach was definitely my favorite spot and there's tons seashells in the sand. The waves were pretty intense the day I visited so you also some people surfing. Overall it's a great place to check out and I will definitely visit again.

    Tiffany C.

    This place was so cool! Unfortunately we didn't get to see the fully uncovered rocks due to the time of year when the sand is covering majority of it from the tides. However, we did get to see a little bit of it! Such a great local surf spot as well, little to no people on this beach. The water is so clean, and feels amazing. Lots of shelling opportunities, as well as sea turtle hatchlings! We didn't get to actually see them hatch, but there were tons of egg shells on the beach from a recent hatch. Would love to go back and see the rocks when the sand is all washed away! A natural occurrence, which is also really amazing.

    Map
    PJ C.

    Timing is everything for this park. It does have a beautiful wide beach but you need to be there when the tide is high and the waves are high to get the blow hole effect. Interesting geology and thankfully it has been preserved and not developed. The path through the sea grape tunnel is pretty cool. There usually is a $2 fee (honor system) but at the time we visited it was not being collected - Covid? Across the street are restrooms and an education center but we did not check out either.

    Ariel W.

    On a barrier island along a mile long stretch of Jupiter Island, is a tall limestone terrace that is the longest and most dramatic stretch of rocky shoreline in Florida. Parking for this preserve is available on both sides of the road. The west parking lot and Lagoon Loop trail are now open to the public but the Hawley Education Center, restroom facilities, and other west side trails remain closed. The entrance fee is $2 per person on the honor system. Blowing Rocks Preserve was protected by local residents in 1969 and turned over to The Nature Conservancy. Today Blowing Rocks Preserve protects 73 acres of Jupiter Island, including the blowing rocks, environmentally sensitive estuarine habitats, mangroves, tropical and oak hammocks, and the beach dunes. Many endangered plants and animals call this preserve home including loggerhead, green and leatherback sea turtles. During the summer more than 600 sea turtles will nest on the beach. The preserve takes its name from water that spurts out of holes in the Anastasia limestone rocks along the coast. Sometimes in the winter during storms and high tides, the spouts can reach more than 50 feet into the air. To reach the blowing rocks, you hike from the parking area through a trail of sea grapes that form a tunnel. Along the way you will pass gumbo limbo trees, nicknamed the tourist tree for its peeling bark that resembles a sunburned tourist. When you emerge from the tunnel you will have arrived at the rocky coastline and the crystalline blue water of the Atlantic Ocean. I love looking in the tidal pools for tiny sea creatures. A lot of the east coast beaches of Florida look the same but Blowing Rocks is unique. If you have not been here, it is definitely worth a visit.

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    I love coming here!!! This beach is the best. Been going there since I was a kid! Beautiful scenery, rocks, and cool shells!

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - Blowing Rocks Preserve

    Is it open during the weekdays?

    It's open all year, all day! It's a free beach. Just before sunset is best though! Enjoy! It's awesome!

    How is the parking?

    In front of the restaurant there's 6 spaces But plenty on each side of the building Only a few feet… Read more

    View All 4 Questions

    Review Highlights - Blowing Rocks Preserve

    The beach rocks are a delight, showing lovely, twists and at high tide, wave splash up and through them.

    Mentioned in 24 reviews

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    Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge - ROSARIO S. CASSATA AT NATHANIEL P. REED HOBE SOUND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE IN HOBE SOUND, FLORIDA.

    Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge

    4.8(6 reviews)
    4.3 mi

    The Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge is part of the U.S. National Wildlife…read moreRefuge System. It is located in the Town of Jupiter Island in Florida. This is the perfect spot to learn about the local animal habitats. This great for the kids to enjoy and explore nature at its natural beauty. The Staff and Rangers are very friendly and extremely knowledgeable. The trails are nice and lead to an amazing white sandy beach.

    Nathaniel Reed Hobe sound National refuge is not far from Johnathan Dickenson state park. We decide…read morethat we would take a hike to discover more about nature. The center is closed but you can walk on the trail and get a sense of what old Florida was like. On our walk, we saw a pretty turtle that I named Anastasia she was a sport when it came to taking pictures with her. This trail led us to the beach with its beautiful pristine white sand that looked like snow. Many turtles come to nest at this beach I am told. About this Refuge. The National Wildlife Refuge, a part of the United StatesNational Wildlife Refuge System, is a refuge on Jupiter Island in Florida. Its official name as of 2019 is the Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge. Part of the refuge is inside the town of Jupiter Island, while the rest is in the unincorporated areas of Martin County. The 1,035-acre refuge was established in 1969, to protect the loggerhead and green sea turtles. It is administered as part of the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge Within the refuge is the 173-acre Reed Wilderness Seashore Sanctuary, designated a National Natural Landmark in November 1967. According to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, a significant amount of coastal erosion in Florida is directly attributable to the construction and maintenance of navigation inlets. In July 2013, approximately 200,000 cubic yards (150,000 m3) of beach-quality material was dredged from the St. Lucie Inlet Federal channel and impoundment basin and placed on the downdrift beaches of Jupiter Island in the vicinity of the Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge, with funding provided to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from the U.S. Congress. Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge was established on September 30, 1969. It is a coastal refuge bisected by the Indian River Lagoon into two separate tracts of land totaling over 1000 acres. The 735-acre Jupiter Island track provides some of the most productive sea turtle nesting habitats in the United States, and the 300-acre sand pine scrub mainland tract is valued because more than 90 percent of this community type has been lost to development in Florida. Sand pine scrub habitat is restricted only to Florida and an adjacent county in Alabama. Hobe Sound Nature Center The Hobe Sound Nature Center is a private non-profit nature center that cooperates with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to conduct environmental education and awareness programs about the Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge. The center was founded in 1973 by and continues to receive major support from the Jupiter Island Garden Club.

    Photos
    Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge - ROSARIO S. CASSATA AT NATHANIEL P. REED HOBE SOUND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE IN HOBE SOUND, FLORIDA.

    ROSARIO S. CASSATA AT NATHANIEL P. REED HOBE SOUND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE IN HOBE SOUND, FLORIDA.

    Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge - ROSARIO S. CASSATA AT NATHANIEL P. REED HOBE SOUND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE IN HOBE SOUND, FLORIDA.

    ROSARIO S. CASSATA AT NATHANIEL P. REED HOBE SOUND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE IN HOBE SOUND, FLORIDA.

    Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge - Coconut soccer on private beach!

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    Coconut soccer on private beach!

    Cove Road Park - Small Beach area just beyond shade tree

    Cove Road Park

    5.0(4 reviews)
    13.1 mi

    At the dead end of Cove Road you'll find Cove Road Park. A lovely, very small park complete with…read moresea breezes, picnic tables, shaded and sunny spots, with a small sandy beach area. Launch your kayak here, and use their posted paddle trail map to navigate! A lovely spot to eat your lunch, too! No public restrooms, however.

    This tiny park is located at the east end of Cove Road where it meets the Intracoastal Waterway …read more It is the kind of small waterfront park you see in Stuart that looks like it was going to be a house lot but the city somehow managed to save it for a park. The park only has three picnic tables and a dirt parking lot. Although the view is stunning, the real reason to come here is to launch your kayak. This park is part of the Martin County Paddling Trail. If you have your own kayak you can launch from the sand beach and head east across the 3/4 of a mile intracoastal to reach the St. Lucie Inlet Preserve State Park which is the northern tip of a barrier island, ending where the St. Lucie River meets the ocean. It is one of the few undeveloped barrier islands on the east coast of Florida. This state park can only be reached by boat but it has restrooms, a free tram, picnic shelters, a 3,300 foot boardwalk, and an unspoiled hidden beach, From Cove Road Park you can also paddle south to Pecks Lake or north to the St. Lucie Inlet. You can have a lot of paddling fun launching from the park but note that the small parking lot fills up fast.

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    Cove Road Park - Signage

    Signage

    Cove Road Park - On site Paddling map

    On site Paddling map

    Cove Road Park

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    Hobe Sound Nature Center

    Hobe Sound Nature Center

    4.3(6 reviews)
    4.3 mi

    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.

    Photos
    Hobe Sound Nature Center
    Hobe Sound Nature Center
    Hobe Sound Nature Center

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    Jonathan Dickinson State Park - River Store Goods!

    Jonathan Dickinson State Park

    4.1(118 reviews)
    2.3 mi

    Every time we come to this Park we are just so delighted. The trails are in great condition. The…read morestaff is always helpful friendly and respectful. It is an hour drive for us but we find it so worth while. The food concession is a tremendous value and the food is great. They have bikes, kayaks and a river tour. Or you can pay the $6.00 per car and pack a lunch for one of the best values for a family. Great place to spend a day.

    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!

    Photos
    Jonathan Dickinson State Park - Camp Food :: Pan-Seared Asian Style Wings!

    Camp Food :: Pan-Seared Asian Style Wings!

    Jonathan Dickinson State Park - Another outstanding weekend of training for Camino de Santiago. Love this park so much.

    Another outstanding weekend of training for Camino de Santiago. Love this park so much.

    Jonathan Dickinson State Park - The long boardwalk to the tower

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    The long boardwalk to the tower

    Blowing Rocks Preserve - beaches - Updated May 2026

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