The huge, sprawling trees with extensive aerial root systems often found near Green Turtle Cove and…read morealong NE Ocean Blvd in Jensen Beach are Banyan trees (Ficus benghalensis or similar species). Also in the surrounding area. Banyan trees are Known for their immense, wide-reaching canopies, these majestic, historic trees are iconic to the Treasure Coast's coastal landscape. Beautiful and amazing creation! I fully was in awwwww all the way thru! These trees can tell a story or two. Beautiful homes are lined up next to these majestic creation. I was amazed by the height and thickness of these beautiful canopies. If only they would talk? I stood beneath them and stared straight up for a long period of time (actually until my neck gave me a kick). They are just so unique it has a historical feeling to it! You definitely will enjoy a drive thru these tunnel of beautiful trees. Specially when is bright morning and the sun peeks thru these branches. Perfect for photography, or just for a Facebook and Yelp pic. If you are near please take a moment to appreciate them and connect, it will be worth the while! You're welcome wink ;)

Don't listen to the crude person - the trees and Stuart are the most amazing parts of our area…read more Take the drive. The trees will give you more insight than the comments before me.

Tucked away off the interstate exit, Halpat is the quintessential outdoor space of Stuart, FL. I…read moreonly used the nature trail while there so I can only comment on that. The trail is mostly flat and sturdy ground and is a wide walking path. Folks like to take their dogs there so you'll likely encounter some while there! The trail is clean of litter and other major debris and is mostly shaded. It also runs pretty closely with the disc golf course. Amenities seen at the park: - Tennis and pickleball courts - Baseball field - Soccer field - Covered roller hockey rink - Park shelters with picnic tables - Air pumps for bikes and balls - Parking throughout the expanse of the park

Halptiokee is a regional park in Stuart Florida. This park has everything including disc golf,…read morebatting cages, athletic fields and walking trails. This park is very dog friendly nearly everyone I encountered during my walk had at least 1 dog, all on leases. This is a very friendly park, nearly everyone I passed by had a friendly greeting. When I was there, I saw several sports teams practicing, as well as what appeared to be a CrossFit group working out. I went specifically for the walking trails, I had high expectations, they fell a little short. I expected more and longer trails. There were a lot of signs on the paths but most were very faded and you could barely read them. This park is great for families. If you live in the area and have children, I bet they are practices and games are held at this park.

Peck Lake Park is located south of the St. Lucie Inlet. When you drive in to the park there is a…read morepaved loop road lined with picnic pavilions and grills. There is also a restroom. At the back of the loop is a hiking trail that leads you through mangroves to the intracoastal waterway which runs between the park and the Hobe Sound Wildlife Refuge. The walk is about 15 minutes each way. Part of the path is gravel and part of it is an elevated wooden boardwalk that takes you over the wetlands. The 1/2 mile trail takes you through mesic flat woods, hard woods, mangrove swamps., and brackish slough. You cross over a spoil island that was created from the dredging of the intracoastal. There are interpretive signs along the way providing information on the Ais who were the Native people in this area thousands of years ago, and the plants and animals in the park. The park is a good place to spot birds during the spring and fall migration. You can find American Redstarts and Common Yellowthroats and Spotted Sandpipers along the shore in the winter.

Nice place to walk and take in the fresh air. Might get lucky and spot dolphins out by the…read moreintracoastal. Bug spray recommend.

North trail offers straight and firm opportunity to get a sweat via walk/run/bike…read more South trail offers scenic and partly rugged areas to stroll and leisurely pace through if desired. Plus, Indian burial mounds and pioneer cemetery adds to the enjoyment

Spruce Bluff Preserve is 97 acres. In the 1990's a community of more than 60 homes was planned for…read morethe area but in 1995 the St. Lucie County saved the historic spot by buying the land and making it into one of the county's first preserves, The hiking trail is on the marsh and scrub land in between the houses off Southbend Boulevard along the North Fork of the St. Lucie River. This is one of the more interesting hiking trips I have taken because there is so much history here. If you take the trail from the parking lot about half a mile down you will come to the site that was a pioneer settlement and cemetery along the banks of the St. Lucie River. The trail itself was the roadway for the development that never happened. The area was settled in 1891 after the Second Seminole War ended in 1842. Spruce Bluff founder John Enos Fultz Jr. came from South Carolina to farm pineapples which did well in the sandy soil. Spruce Bluff was a community of several families with a school, post office and sawmill. To make $10 a month Fultz rowed the St. Lucie River to Stuart to deliver the mail to Stuart. In 1894 and 1895 a winter freeze killed the crops and the families moved out of the area. Fultz moved to Ft. Pierce where he became the first Clerk of the Circuit Court for St. Lucie County when it was created in 1905. To find the cemetery look for the two wooden posts on the side of the right hand trail that leads to a sandy trail that takes you to it. The cemetery is surrounded by a fence with a monument. It is owned privately but you are welcome to visit. The seven headstones of the Spruce Bluff pioneers buried inside the fence were vandalized so one monument was put up instead. If you take the trail behind the parking lot it leads to an Ais midden which was their trash dump. Middens are important because they can tell you a lot about the people who lived in the area. This midden has yielded fish bones during excavations. To get to the site you travel along a one mile trail. As you make your way down you come to two boardwalks that cross over the wetlands. The Ais were a tribe of Native Americans who inhabited the Atlantic Coast of Florida from present day Cape Canaveral to the St. Lucie Inlet. They became extinct in the 1760's when they were sold off for slaves or succumbed to disease. The best knowledge we have of these people came from Jonathan Dickinson's journal when he was taken prisoner by them. There is no sign for the mound. It's 20 feet high and 180 feet wide and may be hundred of thousands of years old. If you didn't know it was back there it would just look like a hill. In addition to the hiking trails which can also be biked there is canoe access. A saw a lot of birds on the trail as well as many adorable rabbits. It's an easy hike and the history of this area makes it a very special place to visit.

Haney Creek Trail is actually two trails. The trails are primarily used by dog walkers, people…read morelooking to exercise, bird watchers, and nature photographers. Some of the wildlife that had been seen along the trail include foxes, turtles, black indigo snakes, and butterflies. Some of th plants you will find here are sweetbay magnolias, dahoon hollies with red berries, white water lily, and tarflowers. Amenities at the trail include restrooms, pavilions with picnic tables, water fountains, and trail maps. The north track is a 1.1 mile loop trail that goes through scrub habitat around wetlands and through sandy pine trails. This is the trail that takes you to the dog park. In 2017 Stuart completed a water restoration project involving 153 acres of wetlands that created a fresh water and tidal wetland that cleans storm water run off and improves water quality in the St. Lucie estuary. It improves the health of the ecosystem. The water in the ponds remove pollutants and provide a habitat for wildlife. The project also added 1/3 of a mile to the nature trails. The southern trail requires you to cross over roads and is not very clearly marked. This trail goes through a pine woods habitat. I only had time to visit the north trail and had a pleasant walk. If I lived nearby I would be a regular visitor. I applaud Stuart for working to preserve the wetlands to ensure the health of the nearby St. Lucie River.

I'm determined to try every walking/hiking trail around Martin County. I had to ask around to find…read morethis one. There are two trails, the North Trail and the South Trail. The North Trail, in my opinion is better. There isn't a lot of shade and most of it is sugar sand, but the sand isn't super soft so it's not that bad to walk on. It's impossible to get lost here. There are numbered markers everywhere along the walking path. There's also a small dog park near the parking lot with different sections for large and small dogs. Now, the South Trail is just bizarre. The first part of it runs along a busy road. Then you have to cross a busy street. Kinda strange, no? Then it loops around and you're in back of someone's house. There's also a lot of glass bottles people have thrown so be careful if you bring your dog here. Guess what? After that there's a SECOND busy road you have to cross. Well now I was just annoyed but the trail got better after that. If that section was longer, I would have enjoyed this trail more but it was wasn't long at all. All in all, I think the North Trail is a lot better, it's quieter and you don't have to cross any streets during your walk.

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!

This place is great for those into the outdoors or nature in general. Kayaking, camping, fishing,…read moreand plenty of wildlife you might run into. There's overlooks and and an endless supply of trails to choose. I will definitely be back with some chairs and hoping for some quiet time to myself. The environment is so unique here you feel like you're in a different country at times.

Pretty area but a bit muddy with high puddles when we went and look out towers were closed. We…read morewill have to check it out again after good weather.

Fantastic place to walk the trails. You get to see different environments & topography. If you are…read morelucky, you see lots of birds & tortoises & and an armadillo or two. The nature center is great as well. They have a nice exhibit and resident ambassador animals. Tip: they recycle plastic bags and styrofoam here so I always save and bring to drop off. Thank you Oxbow!!!!!

Staff are so nice and I will definitely be back! The beach isn't crowded and this place is worth…read morecoming to and supporting. Saved for future!

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.

Nice trail for a quick hike. Most of the trail is soft sand flanked by low brush and very few tall…read moretrees. There is really no canopy so be prepared to be at the mercy of the weather. I spotted several Egrets and Herons while on the trail. There is a clean bathroom at the entrance of the park. I am happy they decided to save this portion of land from becoming a golf course.

Park is fantastic, clean and well kept. The only problem here is the inconsiderate dog owners who…read morerefuse to leash their animals. Guess the rules are impossible to enforce. Regardless, its a great place.