Mary Brogan Park is named in honor of a Martin County educator and advocate for breast cancer…read moreawareness. Mary Brogan was the wife of Frank Brogan who served as Florida's lieutenant governor under Jeb Bush. Mary grew up in Cincinnati along with her childhood sweetheart who would later become her husband. In Florida Mary Brogan worked in Martin County as a third-grade teacher at Port Salerno Elementary School in Stuart and later as an assistant principal at two schools. After her husband was elected education commissioner, she went to work at Florida State University as an education consultant. Mary was diagnosed with cancer in 1997 and after undergoing treatment it went into remission. Sadly it came back a year later and she passed away at the age of 44 in 1999. Mary Brogan Park is a beautiful park with a lot of nature elements. Park amenities include a restroom with water fountain, basketball court, playground, and picnic pavilion with tables. The most popular feature of the park is the skatepark with ramps. This is one of three parks in Martin County with skateparks. My favorite part of the park was the exercise path in the rear of the park. There is a paved path and a natural earth trail. This is a great park for exercise, walking a dog, play, skate boarding, or a game of basketball.

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.

Twin Rivers Park is a great park at the junction of the St Lucie River and the Intercoastal…read moreWaterway. There are several boardwalks offering great views of the water and an island state park. The park also features great, paved walkways and trails and is a great place to walk. There is also a large open (grassy) area for recreational activities.

Twin Rivers Park is a 26 acre park located where the Indian River Lagoon meets the St. Lucie River…read moreand the St. Lucie Lagoon. Construction of the park began in 2005 at which time the county added mangroves to prevent shoreline erosion. It was decided that the park would be dedicated to passive recreation. Fishing piers were installed along with a picnic pavilion, benches, restrooms, and a quarter mile long paved trail and a .4 mile natural earth loop trail that runs through the park. Throughout the park are the burrows of gopher tortoises which are listed as a threatened species in Florida. Gopher tortoises have been hunted for meat, run over by vehicles, and sold as pets but the greatest blow to their population has been the destruction of their habitat. It was so nice to see so many safely protected in the park. The view of the water from this park is stunning. I wish I could have hung around until sunset and I plan to go back for that. Other than just sitting back and relaxing this park is excellent for fishing, a picnic, or just tossing a frisbee around. You can combine a trip to this park with a visit to Maggy's Hammock a half mile away where you can hike and see even more gopher tortoises. I love Martin County. It has so many beautiful parks like this one to discover and enjoy.

Osprey Acres Stormwater Park and Nature Preserve is an 83.7 acre park created in 2019 at a cost of…read more$7.4 million dollars. It serves the primary function of removing nitrogen and phosphorous from Osprey Marsh next door and from area canals. Since 2015 Osprey March has been removing dissolved nutrients from canal water and from the South County Water Treatment Plant's reverse osmosis brine discharge. Osprey Acres was going to be a 400 home development but was saved from development when Indian River County purchased the land to create a stormwater treatment facility to clean the water before it enters the Indian River Lagoon. While the main purpose of the park is to clean the reclaimed water, a welcome byproduct is that it attracts a lot of wildlife. Wetland parks are some of my favorite kind of parks because they attract a variety of wildlife including wading birds, migrating birds, lizards, turtles, and alligators. Osprey Acres preserved over 60 acres of native upland habitat and created 17 acres of aquatic habitat for fish and waterfowl. Some of the animals you might see here are gopher tortoises, osprey, southern black racer, alligator, river otter, coral snake, marsh rabbit, bobcat, water moccasin, great horned owl, racoon, and eastern indigo snake. Natural earth walking trails traverse through Florida ecosystems that include uphill pine, mesic oak hammock, a small scrub area, and manmade wetlands. There are five hiking trails totaling about 3.8 miles: a 1.8 mile main trail, two .6 mile trails called Marsh Rabbit Run and Bobcat Run, and two .4 mile trails called Woodpecker Way and Gopher Tortoise Trail. Osprey Acres brings together much needed stormwater treatment with recreational and wildlife viewing opportunities making them accessible to the community. Osprey Acres is open every day except Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Note that there are no restrooms and dogs are not allowed.

Sandpiper Bay Park is an 11.5 acre open space park established in 1999 in Port St. Lucie. I was…read morehiking in the area and decided to stop by and check it out. There is no established parking area but I noticed people were parking on the grass. The park is located on a canal where fishing is permitted but there is a sign warning about alligators. There is a small trail through the woods that runs along the canal. Along the way you will trees, pinecones, and a view of the water. The park also has picnic tables near the parking area making it a nice place to eat lunch in nature. Port St. Lucie really excels in their nature preserves. Their newest one is The Preserve in the Port District. Sandpiper Bay Park is a great spot for local families to walk their dog, have a picnic, or just taking a relaxing stroll among the trees.

Aileen's Treehouse is a tot lot in Tradition, a master planned community that opened in 2003 in…read morePort St. Lucie. This play area was dedicated to philanthropist Aileen Pruitt who along with her husband Ken is involved in community charities that include Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the Boys and Girls Club. A sign in the park says "For her love of children & animals." The play area is fenced in which is a great safety feature. The playground equipment was designed to look like it is set in trees and there are climbing components and slides. There also swings, picnic tables, and a rock climbing wall. Unfortunately one area was taped off for repair. Outside the playground area is a spacious lawn for even more play room. The treehouse park serves as a meetup location for area residents to participate in mommy and me and daddy and me playdates. The kids who were playing here looked like they were having a blast.

My heart will always be fond of Rivergate as I have so many amazing childhood memories, especially…read morethe friendly squirrels, raccoons, and sea otters that were thriving here! Oh, and a big ole alligator that had no qualms about sunbathing and showing off to us onlookers! The brush has no long overgrown where he (or she) used to hang out for us all to see (and some people would feed him too ... but he was still a hunter ... and I would see him go after birds in the water which was cool and sad all at once ... like an episode of National Geographic). Since then things have changed a lot. I haven't seen any raccoons on my last few visits. I was told feral cats and fisherman ruined the population of cute animals that called this place home. They expanded on greatly to the walkway, which would be great, except that they didn't keep it wooden. It's metal and doesn't look great. It reminds me of being back up in NY with its cold appeal and just doesn't match the vibe at all. But the worse part and what is really affecting my rating is how utterly filthy it is! Sure, the area of the parking lot and ramps are nice. But walk the walkway.. there is endless trash everywhere. To the point I was taking pictures of birds down there and yes my pictured are ruined with trash but actual important thing is the poor wildlife walking around in this! Why?? Where are the funds going to clean this park? There is no excuse for this. It is unfair for us to build and use their homes for our leisure and then not treat it with the respect it deserves. Again, I went here almost everyday of my childhood and so did my family. The only "litter" you would see is some fishing string and bobbers from some people who snagged their lines where the water is. This was literally human garbage all over while looking down from the walkway that goes in and out from the parking lot to the water where the extended walkway is. I hope someone will see this and care and have this cleaned up. I reside in NY and have no idea who to contact or what to do but if someone is down there and has a point of contact ... please walk through the trees and look down at all of the trash and see if something can be done. Floridas wildlife deserves better than to live in our filth. On the plus side, it is still a peaceful place, there are two ramps to back your boat in, the parking lot is huge, there is an area next to the ramps to clean your fish and such, with a working hose. There's crab around which is fun for the kids to see (and adults if you're me), and when the sun is going down you can see gators swimming about by watching for their eyes. You can watch for smaller pretty creatures too in the flowers, like Florida lubbers (colorful and gentle grasshopper of a larger size). The best way to see all of these is to be still and quiet and mindful of them (which I find best achieved going alone). It is truly a lovely zen place but please please please clean it up and if you're visiting put your garbage in the appropriate garbage cans or bring it home with you. Don't make the lazy choice to litter. So many creatures die or are critically injured from our litter, you just don't see it happen as you drop it and walk away. It takes no extra effort just to walk your trash to garbage can. Be kind to our planet :)

Veterans Park at Rivergate is a delightful six acre park that offers many kinds of outdoor…read moreadventures for boaters, anglers, and nature lovers. If you are a boater, the park has three boat ramps along with free car and trailer parking. You can launch your watercraft right on to the beautiful St. Lucie River. For those coming to cookout, even large groups can be accommodated in the large pavilion with 10 six foot picnic tables, one eight foot tables, lights, electricity, water, and 2 large grills. Smaller groups can make use of three family pavilions with grills. My favorite part of the park was the boardwalk that leads you through the natural habitat of the St. Lucie River. Fishing is permitted and you can get a great view of the wildlife that calls the river home. The scenic views of the river add a serene backdrop that enhances the overall peaceful atmosphere of the park. Birdwatching is a popular activity here, with various species often spotted along the riverbank. This park is a hidden gem that has something for everyone to enjoy.

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