I visited here for playing the violin at a destination wedding, and wow. The beach is stunning…read more There are plenty of restrooms and public areas, it has places to play volleyball, there are food trucks, and plenty of parking. Simply lovely.

A lot of the beaches on Hutchinson Island do not have restrooms or lifeguards. If you are looking…read morefor a beach with those amenities plus more, Jensen Beach Park is here for you. Jensen Beach Park, also called Sea Turtle Beach has a huge free parking lot. You can grab a snack, breakfast, or lunch or rent a beach chair and umbrella at the Sand Dune Café which is open 7 days a week. You can also bring your own food to enjoy at several picnic pavilions. The park also has a sand volleyball court and bathrooms and showers. There is a oversized Adirondack chair for a fun photo op near the café. The park is also home to the Martin County Ocean Recue Headquarters. The soft sand and clean water along with all of the amenities makes this a great spot for enjoying a peaceful beach day. I loved seeing all of the sea turtle nests on the beach. I hope the little guys make it to their ocean home.

Beach in the wintertime? Yes please!…read more I love Hobe Sound Beach since it's not too crowded for a later morning walk. The views were stunning on the day we went with bright blue skies and seas with not too much by way of waves. I think the guard stand had a yellow flag for conditions that day but the water looked nice for a cool, refreshing swim. The beach itself is pretty clean with no litter that I could see, and the shelter has plenty of picnic tables to sit at and take in the views. They have a foot sprayer that's located a bit far from where it is needed at the entry. I did not use the bathrooms while there but it is nice to know there is a permanent standing structure there.

The most gorgeous beach. Highly recommend coming early to watch the sunrise, it's stunning…read more It's so calm and has a new surprise every day. I saw sea turtles near shore as well as cute crabs on the sand digging holes. It's perfect. Also has the cutest summer surf camp going on where you can see kids learning to surf. It's my favorite beach ever. It's magical. Free parking as well which is awesome!

Santa Lucea Beach is located on the southern end of Hutchinson Island. There are no lifeguards so…read moreswim at your own risk. There is free parking in the lot. The beach is accessed by a wooden boardwalk. The thing that interested me the most was informative sign display next to the beach that explained how this area was the site of a prehistoric Native American village of the Ais Tribe. I had never heard of the Ais before so it was interesting to learn about them. They fished, hunted, and traded with other villages. The Indian River Lagoon got it's name because of the way the Ais commanded the waterway in their dugout pine tree canoes. Jonathan Dickinson who has a park named after him met the Ais and spent several weeks with them after he was in a shipwreck in 1696. Most of what is known about them come from the account in his journal. The Ais were extinct by the 1700's after having been attacked and sold into slavery. All that is left are their middens which were garbage piles that tell archaeologists a lot about how people lived. The beach takes it's name from the 1566 Spanish fort Santa Lucía that was placed at an Ais town by Pedro Menéndez de Avilés who founded St. Augustine, Florida. The Ais attacked the fort killing 22 Spanish soldiers forcing them to abandon it. There is more information about the Ais up the road at the House of Refuge at Gilbert's Bar. They even have some artifacts. This is a lovely beach that it is not usually crowded. I love that the area is filled with ancient history. You can enjoy the same amenities that attracted people to the area 5,000 years ago.

My favorite beach on hutchinson island. two showers, two trails to the beach, pretty big parking…read morelot. Beautiful water, not rocky like the other beaches further down the island

Chastain Beach is named in honor of Robert LeRoy "Sam" Chastain (1904-1964). Mr. Chastain purchased…read morethe beach property and donated it to Martin County for a public beach. Chastain Beach is located on the south end of Hutchinson Island between the House of Refuge at Gilbert's Bar and Bathtub Beach. Parking is free but sparse so be prepared to wait a long time to park, especially on the weekend. What makes this park unique is it has both beach and river access so you are competing for parking spots with the beach goers and the canoe and kayak people. Lack of parking aside, Chastain Beach is a wonderful place to experience the unspoiled, natural beauty of a Martin County beach. Note that it is only lifeguarded during certain months of the year. There are bathrooms, showers, picnic tables and grills. Fishing is allowed and dogs on a leash are welcome. The beaches on this part of Hutchinson Island have rocky looking outcroppings known as the Anastasia formation which was named by E. H. Sellards in 1912. The formation was deposited during the late Pleistocene and the "rocks" are really sand and coquina limestone embedded with shells and sparry calcite. It forms cliffs and caves that form a habitat for sea life. It is not very comfortable on bare feet but it makes a lovely backdrop for pictures. Interesting fact, Chastain Beach is an ancient cemetery. In 2022 heavy beach erosion from Hurricane Nicole disturbed the bones of members of the ancient indigenous Asis tribe that used to inhabit Hutchinson Island. The burial ground is federally protected and passersby are prohibited from digging up other remains, pottery, or jewelry of the Ais tribe.

Seems like a favorite surfing spot. Plenty of waves and a beautiful beach w stairs to climb.a…read morebathroom and wash areas. Nice quiet beach.

Ocean Bay Beachside is the only beach on Hutchinson Island I did not enjoy visiting. There is a…read moresmall sand parking lot. From there if you look closely you can see an uphill trail that takes you through a coastal dune habitat to reach the beach. It is a several minute walk so you wouldn't want to drag too much beach gear with you. The worst part of it though was the mosquitoes. Unless you were moving through at a full sprint you were covered in biting insects. The Ocean Bay Natural Area to the right of the parking lot has a quarter mile long hiking trail through a tropical canopy of sea grapes, gumbo limbo, strangler fig, and sugarberry. Unfortunately again I couldn't take one step in before I was covered in mosquitoes. There are so many other beaches nearby that are just as nice or nicer and don't require a trek or a blood donation to reach them.

Can we talk about how amazing this beach was. Hutchinson Island is a perfect spot for a staycation…read more Clear waters, white sand and a relaxing atmosphere. Grab your towel and beach chairs.....life is good!!

Love coming to this beach when I am visiting family! It's dog friendly which I love, it's a clean…read moreand well maintained beach. They also have a water hook up to wash off dogs and sand! If you look closely there are chances to spot wild life as well! Beautiful beach! Check it out if you can!

Where can you beat the dog days of summer? On Hutchinson Island south of Blind Creek Beach is a…read morebeach that is for the dogs, literally! This is the only dog friendly beach in St. Lucie County. Walton Rocks Beach Park was created so canines can enjoy the beach too and play in the sand and surf. Dogs may be off leash unless they bother someone. I enjoyed meeting Duncan on the beach who was having the time of his life along with his other canine friends. This park also has free parking, a restroom and picnic pavilion but it is not lifeguarded. Walton Rocks Beach is also an area of archeological importance. More than 1,200 fossils including prehistoric horse teeth dating to 12,000 years ago and older have been found along the shores of this beach. Whether you are here to hunt fossils or just enjoy a day out with your best four legged friend, Walton Rocks Beach natural beauty, soft sand, and gentle waves is sure to delight.

Fletcher Beach is located one half mile south of Stuart Beach on A1A and just north of Gilbert's…read moreBar Refuge House Museum on Hutchinson Island. The Scott and Billie Fletcher Beach was purchased by Martin County in 1973. This is the only beach on this end of Hutchinson Island that I was easily able to find parking for. It does not have a lifeguard or restrooms so it is not as popular as some of the other beaches. While it may lack in amenities it is more secluded which is nice if you are looking for a more peaceful beach experience. From the parking area you just hike up a trail over the sand dune to the beach. The beaches on this part of Hutchinson Island have rocky looking outcroppings known as the Anastasia formation which was named by E. H. Sellards in 1912. The formation was deposited during the deposited during the late Pleistocene and the "rocks" are really sand and coquina limestone embedded with mollusk shells and sparry calcite. It forms cliffs and caves that form a habitat for sea life. It is not very comfortable on bare feet but it makes a lovely backdrop for pictures. If you are looking for a more off the beaten path beach, Fletcher Beach is ideal for sunbathing, beachcombing, wildlife watching, fishing, surfing, swimming, and photography.

This spot was a place that my parents decided to take me when I was visiting them in Florida for…read morethe holiday. They wanted to do something outdoorsy but safe so we decided to visit the beach for a bonfire. The beach was a quick drive from their condo and the parking was just off the road, and the parks department keeps the lot clean. You have to walk on a wooden path to get to the beach which is over a slight hill. The beach is large and well kept, we found a perfect spot to build a small fire and just relax and star gaze. As far as beaches go, it's a nice one! I didn't see any trash which is always impressive to me. This is a place I'd like to come back in the daylight to check out and do a traditional beach day. But if you want to enjoy a nice fire and beautiful night skies, this is your place! Kudos to to Florida and their awesome beaches.

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.

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.