I was so impressed with this park. It's located on the Indian River with stunning views of the…read morewater. There is a fountain for the kids to play in that opened in 2001 and I gather that when it is on there is a $1 entrance fee but no one was around when I visited. Other park amenities include restrooms, art, benches, and a fishing pier. In March of this year a historical marker was placed in the east part of the park relating the history of the three bridges connecting the Vero Beach mainland and beaches. Vero Beach was the first community to have a bridge to Orchid Island when one opened on Labor Day of 1920. The first cars to cross it were Model T's. In 1951 the concrete Merrill P. Barber bridge was opened and replaced by a concrete arch bridge in 1995. The marker in this park is one of twenty two in Indian County. This park also has beautiful art. There are four large mosaic pillars that represent the natural setting of Vero Beach, the ocean, the Indian River Lagoon, the upland hammock, and the wetlands. Each side of the pillar depicts a different time of day and the animals that live in each habitat. Usually water front property is taken up by million dollar mansions. It is so nice to see that Vero Beach preserved this prime piece of property so that everyone can enjoy it. You can come here to take the kids to cool off, fish, picnic, or just drink in the the glorious view of the Indian River.

Amazing pier like a lot better than I expected I came here to have a picnic with my man before…read moregoing to McKee botanical garden and it was so well kept together and very clean. I had a lot of fun walking around . Looks like fishing is available and lots of space for relaxing . Lots of seating too!

A nice spot to park near the water and maybe do some fishing. A constant parade of boats going…read morepast was a nice distraction. The park does have a basic restroom. This was a nice stop to enjoy some waterside time without going all the way across the causeway and dealing with beach traffic. There is a boat launch but it was blocked off with a barricade. Maybe it's only open during certain times of the year? The kayak/canoe launch was open and there is a kayak rental company on the far side of the parking lot. At least one security patrol passed through while I was here. [Review 19269 overall - 1618 in Florida - 239 of 2023.]

The Jones Pier Conservation Area is a 16 acre parcel of land acquired by Indian River County in…read more2011. It is one of several culturally and naturally significant properties bought by the county with funds from the Indian River County Conservation Lands Program. Entrance to the preserve is located one-mile south of County Road 510 on the Historic Jungle Trail which is a State designated greenway and a byway of the Indian River Lagoon National Scenic Highway. The Jungle Trail is not paved and is frequented by bike riders so you must travel very slowly on it. Seaborn Jones was among the earliest settlers to the area. In 1889 the Jones family homesteaded 160 acres on Orchid Island where they farmed beans, mango, coconut, pineapple and citrus and sold it at their roadside fruit stand where it was purchased by tourists. Jones Pier was built in 1907 and was tended by three generations of the Jones family. It was a lifeline for shipping citrus to the mainland and getting supplies to the island before bridges were built. The family resided on the property for more than 115 years until Richard Milton Jones' death in 2011. The Jones family home is still on the property and there are plans to turn it into a museum The conservation area is currently undergoing a renovation. The pier has already been restored. Volunteers from the Pelican Island Audubon Society, Florida Native Plant Society, and University of Tampa students have been installing native plants and making other improvements to the site. 1.700 native plants and 50 live oaks were planted on the property. Soon to open will be a one mile hiking trail. To improve the health of the Indian River lagoon, a four acre salt marsh was dug out. It will eventually be connected to the lagoon through a series of culverts. The salt marsh was created to have different depths so different plants can grow that will filter and clean the water. An enhanced gopher habitat and community garden will also be added to the preserve. This preserve is a work in progress. I love how the history of the land is being preserved while at the same time improving the environment. I think the jones family would be happy to see that their generations long community service is being honored in a preserve bearing their name. I can't wait to go back when the hiking trail opens.

We always enjoy this park but it was BUSY this weekend!!! You have 3 areas to park and one…read morebathroom, you can launch and park across the street. We always enjoy ourselves here!

Nice day at the Causeway. No waves is good for my knees,…read morethe estuaries are cool, one can walk out 50 yards and still touch the ground. It's so beautiful this time of year, although the water is cold but it gets better as you acclimate. The beauty of Florida is its 80 degrees in the middle of November. :)) Fish jumping, the boyfriend throwing out a line, dragonflies hunting, birds and bugs doing their thing. A really nice afternoon today at the Causeway. Thank you Wabasso! You can trust me, I don't have to get out of the house. ;D

This is a 28 acre conservation area in Sebastian, Florida. It is open every day of the year from…read more7'30 AM to sunset. The parking area is located in Canoe Launch Park. There are no restrooms or water. There are however a half mile of hiking trails with more under development. Dogs are allowed on the leash. The Ansin Riverfront Conservation Area was purchased by Indian River County in 2005. It helps to buffer the Sebastian River from the developments nearby preserving the water quality of the river and providing a safe refuge for the wildlife attracted to the river. Ansin Riverfront Conservation Area also acts as greenway to protect hikers traveling between CR 512 and the Trans-Florida Central Railroad grade to the County Canoe Launch Park. This preserve also protects the South Prong of the St. Sebastian River from runoff and future development. At the eastern end of the railway corridor there is a boardwalk that goes over a mixed hardwood swamp. To the west along the railway, there are live oaks covered in ressurection ferns and bromeliads. The final portion of the paved goes through mesic and scrubby pine flatwoods, home of the endangered Florida gopher tortoise and saw palmetto. I had so much fun discovering and hiking this preserve. Even though there is a shopping center across the street, you feel you are in Florida before all of the development. I am so glad that this tract of land was saved to preserve the health of the river and to provide a refuge for all of the wildlife. If you bring your own canoe or kaya you can go for a paddle on the river at Canoe launch Park next door.

I love this place but recently an employee decided to take the closed at sunset very seriously…read more Don't be a minute late from the time Google says the sun will set or she will lock you in the park. Ask me how I know...lol. You have been warned.

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.

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.

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!

The Jungle Trail is a 7.8 mile sand, scenic public road that acts as a buffer between the housing…read moredevelopments and the refuge waters of Pelican Island. The road traverses through the hammock habitat of Florida's barrier islands north of Vero Beach as it passes between gated communities and the shores of the Indian River Lagoon. The trail was created in the 1920's so citrus growers could haul their crop through the barrier islands. The people who lived along the trail were pioneers. They traveled by foot, horse, and the occasional buggy. Today you can drive the road but it is used mainly by hikers and bike riders. At it's north end the trail begins at Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge was created to protect the birds that were being wiped out by hunters who were killing the birds for hat plumes at the turn of the century. Today you can see the descendants of those birds all along the trail. During the 1980's developers wanted water front lots but the local citizens rallied and were able to save the road. The road is now a designated Florida Greenway and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places through the efforts of Dr. Ryan Wheeler and county historian, Ruth Stanbridge.