In 1921 the Indian River Land Co. deeded Pocahontas Park to Vero Beach. In the 1920's the park had…read morea small zoo that included alligators, a bear, and a bobcat. The tennis courts were added in 1925. The town's first community center was built in the park in 1935. During WWII it served as a club for Navy personnel training at the airport. After the war it was again used as a community center until a new one was built just north of it. The original center is now The Heritage Center with a museum dedicated to the citrus industry. A plaque outside the building commemorates the spot in Pocahontas Park where on July 2, 1925 William Jennings Bryan delivered a speech for the county's inaugural festivities. Today families visiting the historic Vero Beach downtown area can still enjoy this charming park that has delighted generations of families. The park has pickleball courts, a playground, restroom. shuffle board court, and tennis courts. Standing guard at the entrance to the park is Patriot the fiberglass horse. Pocahontas Park is the perfect place to take the kids to play or to enjoy a game of tennis.

Pocahontas Park is a pleasant enough place located in the Main Street Vero Beach section of the…read moretown. It is more designed for kids, however there are plenty of benches out front and it seems to be a popular place for people just to chill for a bit.

This trail was suggested as a place to ride a bike or walk from the Disney Vero Beach property. I…read morewas staying there with friends and decided to rent a bike for an afternoon and get some riding in. The rental window gave me a map and directed me to the Jungle Trail. It was easy to get to and to find from the hotel property. Lovely flora, lovely fauna along the way. And it takes you to the Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge, for more nature and exploring. I wish I hadn't waited until my last day in the area to explore the trail and the refuge, because I would have gone back another time....or more times! It was a lovely nature escape among golf courses and developed neighborhoods. Definitely worth a ride or a drive through if you are close by!

I don't know who maintains this pathway, but they should post signs that the road is impassable a…read moregood portion of the year. I was coming back from lunch, in Melbourne, and decided to finally take the Trail. I almost turned around as the roadway was starting to look bad, but I noticed a car ahead. They were stuck, with a handicapped woman as passenger, who couldn't get out of the car. I was told he had called towing companies, but none would respond. I turned around and then my car disappeared in the mud, too. No one will tow my or his car out. The FD Rescue responded, but said they couldn't help, either. Now my nice car is completely ruined(it's a hybrid), and I have no way to recover the car--it's still stuck. Nor do I have the money for a new or used one since I am on SSI and just above the poverty level. Well, that was a nice afternoon drive. Did I mention: I'm partially handicapped, too, and had to walk out on my own, too?

The trails to view the island are beautiful! There are binoculars located at some stations to see…read morethe wild life from afar. I am so greatful to have found this place. There are real restrooms near the entrance not just which is great because there are a lot of trails.

A very nice hike and view inside Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge…read morePelican Island National WIldlife Refuge is located south of Sebastian inlet on the river, not ocean, side of the island. It has the distinction of being America's first National Wildlife Refuge. It may be a little island in the Indian River Lagoon but it is 5400+ acres of protected waters and lands. There is no fee. The roads to drive to the various places are hard dirt. There are several trails located within the refuge. One of the is Pete's trail. Joe's Overlook is off of that trail and is accessed by a short drive off Jungle trail and parking in the Viewing area and then hiking about 0.8 miles to the overlook. Bicycles are not allowed on Pete's trail but the hike is level and flat and typical Florida grass path through the mangroves until you come to the overlook. It is a very nice walk but I would suggest bringing a hat, water and possible bug spray depending on the time of year. Joe's overlook is a wooden walkway to a shaded viewing platform overlooking a pretty wetland area. It is a very pleasant trail, walk and view that I would recommend for the nature lovers in the crowd.

This huge preserve is 35 square miles. Admission is free. The preserve was created when the state…read moreof Florida bought up large tracts of land in 1995 to preserve the watershed to the St. Sebastian River and the Indian River Lagoon. In addition to protecting the water the land also protects rare and endangered species of plants and animals. The preserve is made up of grassy forests and the long leaf pine that was common before the development of Florida. Here you will find the biological communities of cypress dome, scrubby flat woods, sand hills, and strand swamp. The preserve contains one of Florida's largest populations of scrub jays, a species listed as vulnerable. Many native plants and animals make their home here including over 50 protected species. Animals that can be found here include the red-cockaded woodpecker, Bachman's sparrow, Eastern indigo snakes, bald eagles, wild turkeys, river otters, bobcats, and tortoises. This preserve is part of the Great Florida Birding Trail. Travel in the preserve is along unpaved roads. There is a buffer road that runs along the C-54 canal. In November through March you can find manatees in the canal. There is a platform to view them at the end of the buffer road. The preserve is divided into quadrants by the Fellsmere Canal and by I-95. Each quadrant has long hiking trails. There are over 60 miles of hiking trails through 22,000 acres of wilderness. There is a visitor's center at the entrance that is staffed Friday through Sunday. You can hike, bike, or horseback ride the preserve. From this preserve you can canoe, boat, and fish the St. John's River. There are six primitive camp sites which can only be reached by hiking. Hiking trails include red, yellow, and blue and can be rough because they are also used by horses. Along some of the trails you can see the remains of homesteads from when the land was used for growing citrus, ranching, turpentining, and logging. The preserve contains a portion of the rails to trails path, a hiking and biking trail along the abandoned Trans Florida Central Rail incorporated in 1924. The surface of the trail hasn't been decided on yet and there are few signs marking it. As a sign in the park says this is the real Florida. Photographers, nature lovers, hikers, and equestrians will love exploring this vast open wilderness. Come see Florida the way Mother Nature intended.

This place was very interesting and the preserve itself is massife! With more than four nearly ten…read moremile trails available this park has enough hiking experiences for almost anybody. I love the scrub forest and natural beauty of this place. The river in warmer times is a prime place to see manatees on their journeys around the area. Unfortunately for me my visit was not one of those days. This park is free to visit and they've got a visitor center that's open on Friday Saturday and Sunday. I believe they also have a number of different hikes and activities during the year as well. There are a number of different birds and other animals making their homes here and the whole place provides a wonderful natural escape. Highly recommended!

I love a stormwater park. They help the environment by capturing and retaining stormwater runoff…read morepreventing flooding in the surrounding areas. The pond plants removes pollutants from the water leaving it clean. This particular Stormwater Treatment Area removes an estimated 80% of the total nitrogen and 56% of total phosphorous, along with 79% of sediments and suspended solids. Left untreated stormwater leads to algal blooms, muck deposits, fish kills, and other environmental problems. This retention area protects the Indian River Lagoon. These ponds also attract a variety of wildlife including Florida's beautiful wading birds. There are two parking areas on the south side of Englar Drive, located between Barber Street and Schumann Drive. The first parking lot has a path through the woods before emerging at the stormwater retention ponds. If you choose to go through the woods you will go through oak hammocks, pine flatwoods, scrub and herbaceous wetlands. This area of the park is a refuge to three threatened species. In this area of the park I encountered the largest pileated woodpecker I have ever seen taking out huge pieces of a tree. The other parking lot leads right to the pond for those who would prefer not to go through the woods. Here you will find a natural earth trail that goes over a bridge and winds around the retention ponds. Expect to see herons, egrets, and ibis. This is a very beautiful place to walk around. I saw a lot of people enjoying the trails with their leashed dogs. This was such a wonderful discovery. Shout out to my friend Jim B. who is an amazing photographer and who added it to Yelp so I could find it.

Interesting park in Sebastian…read more The nature trails have many different types of habitats. Look for water birds in the wetlands. Saw several egrets and a few cranes. The park also has oak trees and pines as well. Great an unexpected find in Sebastian.

Beach / Park The…read moreimaginatively named the "Sebastian Inlet State Park" is located off / under A1A on the Sebastian Inlet. Since it is a State Park, there will be a charge to access for the day. Charges depend on how enter: Carload = $8, walking in is like $0.50 cents. There is a crescent shaped beach are primarily to the right and picnic tables and scuh primarily to the left after you pass the entry toll booth. We were there for the beach - so we went right. Parking to the right is somewhat more rural but there is a paved lot to the left and under the A1A overpass - either option works depending on your preference. The beach area is decent sized as far as available sand to set up your gear and the water is relatively shallow- this is a great spot for the littles as there are no sudden drop-offs in depth. You can walk out to the inlet proper but you don't want to pass the rope due to boating activity in the inlet. Behind the dunes there are some restrooms available and on the other side (east) there is small cafe' / gift shop available but the prices are almost as bad as going to Disney - ouch. Overall a great little spot and definitely family friendly. Give it a shot if in the area.

So we went here on a whim. My friend lives down her. We drove about 50 minutes to here.. we passed…read morea lot of beach parking areas. I was totally thinking she was lost... until we went over the bridge and turned into here. There was a fee to park (I don't remember the amount). It was worth it. There weren't waves, it's a little tide pool area. Definitely worth the parking fee and the drive! There was wooden tables to sit at. We should have brought some floats. Definitely take the time to go!!!

One of my favorite parks in Florida! I've been coming here for years and can't believe I've never…read moresubmitted a review?! It's one of Florida's most popular State Parks with camping, fishing, and beach / surfing being the primary draws. There are clean bathrooms and changing areas and multiple picnic tables for everyone's use. The Inlet's swift incoming and outgoing tides can be treacherous and only skilled boaters should attempt navigating through them from the ocean side to the river side (and vice-versa) during those times. The main fishing pier / jetty is on the north side of the inlet where on any given day the protective railings are lined with enthusiastic and faithful fishermen. There's an abundance of fish here and occasionally sharks - which doesn't seem to matter to the surfers who find some of the best wave action here on the east coast of Florida. It cost me $5.00 (motorcycle) to get in and cars are $8.00. The park operating hours are 8am to sundown, however the South Ranger Station is open for after hours access for registered campers, or visitors with an annual visitor's pass and an after hours permit. This is a great state park and I encourage you to visit it if you're in the area. 5/5 Stars!

This State Inlet Park is One to be Reckoned With in such a DownToEarth Lovely Way! Come as you are!…read moreCome as you want! And Enjoy the Simple Life~ As becoming New TentLife Campers, we found this to be Our First State Park Camping Experience! The Ease of Booking, the Ease of Arriving, the Ultra Friendly Rangers, the Cleanness of the Park, the Location, and What a Lively Weekend we had! From the Start the Rangers Greet You and Welcome you to their Park! Ice($3) and Firewood($12) are Available at the South Camping Entrance. Once you are Checked-In there is a Gift Shop and Small Fishing Museum. You are Given a Site Map to Find your Location and see what is around. Site and Directions were Easy to Follow as this Camp Site is Easily Navigable. Since being on the Inlet there is Water All Around. From the Inlet to the ManGroves to the Oceanside. The Sunrise and Sunsets are Worthy of Seeing~ The Facilities are Clean and Well Maintained with Good Water Pressure and Privacy. We had a Facility right across the Street and it was Perfect at Site 37! A Full Restroom with Shower and One Main with 2 Showers and Restrooms all together. The Sites are either Lined with Gravel/Sand or Pavement. They also have Pavilions that Host Concerts Once a Month! We were Lucky enough to Attend on that November Concert Night! What a Turnout~ While Staying in the Park we got to have Sightings of Wild Bunnies, Raccoon's (Do Not Leave Food Out Anywhere!!!), Squirrels, Tortoise, Hawks, Manatees, Birds, Crab, and More! There are Publix around as we got to Explore a Couple after Our First Night Incident with Raccoon's. The Locations are not too close since you are on the Inlet as far as Timing. We left our Tent (Zipped Up) for less than 30 mins to come back to Stolen!! Stolen Banana! Stolen Fresh Hotdog Buns, and Stolen Tortillas!! LoL! Sometimes Husbands have to Learn the Hard Way when they do not want to Listen (: Long Story Short this is a Super Chill Fun State Park that you can do it all at (in a Small Form). Trail, Lagoon is Located on the other side from Camping with a Beach (Driving is Ideal), along with the Fishing Museum & Gift Shop, and the Nature Vibes of the State Park!

Garden Club Park is a passive parks at the corner of Barber Street and Rose Arbor Drive. You can…read moretake in the scenic view of the lake where you will see Florida's wading birds, relax in the gazebo, or a walk around the park and enjoy the native plantings. There are a couple of benches and a fountain in the lake. This is the perfect place to walk your dog or just enjoy the outdoors.

Place is clean. Dogs love it. Shade and sun. Places to sit. Poop bags available Plenty of fresh…read morewater. Large running area. Places for owners to sit.

We love this dog park! There's a big gazebo with a few picnic tables inside the dog park enclosure…read more Plenty of space for people and dogs to hang around under the shade of the gazebo. There's a few benches to sit around and plenty of water stations, too. There's even a couple of plastic swimming pools available for the dogs to splash around in. We also like the separate enclosure for the small dogs, but they can still sniff and say hello to the bigger dogs behind the fence. Our first visit with our 6-month old pitbull puppy at the Sebastian Bark Park was a fun and enjoyable experience!

Riverside Park is located on a barrier island in Vero Beach. You reach it by crossing over the…read moreMerril P. Barber Bridge. The park dates back to 1944 when Government Lot 2, a 115 acre parcel of land was purchased by the city of Vero Beach for $11,000 for use as a park. Today this park is one of the cultural crown Jewels of Vero Beach. Inside the park is the The Riverside Theater, a 692 seat performance theater that hosts Broadway quality shows throughout the year. The theater also hosts Live in the Loop, free outdoor concerts most weekends. In the middle of the park is the Vero Beach Art Museum. Opened in 1978 it hosts traveling art exhibits throughout the year as well as classes and educational events. It also has an outdoor sculpture garden. It you find yourself hungry, go to the north end of the park under the Merril P. Barber Bridge where you will find a The Riverside Cafe. It is a casual restaurant serving seafood and burgers. In the evenings they often have live music. Also located in this area of the park is the Cole Coppola Memorial Fishing Pier where you can fish and possibly spot dolphins and manatees. The park is also home to the Memorial Island Sanctuary, a beautiful and peaceful Veterans Memorial on an island that you reach by walking over a bridge. Other park amenities include walking and jogging paths, fitness trail, tennis courts, a playground, boat ramps, and picnic tables. Some of the many festivals held throughout the year in the park include the Under the Oaks Fine Arts and Craft Festival, Gardenfest, the Annual Orchid Show, Vero Beach Boat Show, and the upcoming Fourth of July firewoman on the Indian a River. There is so much to see and do here. You could visit several times and have a different experience each time. Whether is a concert, show, exercising, paying tribute to our national heroes, fishing, grabbing a bite to eat, or taking the kids to play, this park has something for everyone in Vero Beach.

A perfect Sweet Sixteen celebration thanks to all of the staff and the fabulous rock & Roll Band!…read moreWe rented a cabana and the service was excellent! Thanks to Mia who served and Linda who helped me plan and Danika who made the delicious food! I can heartily recommend this venue! We had a blast.