Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge

ABOUT THIS PLACE

The Indian River Lagoon divides it. On the ocean side, seven hundred and thirty-five acres of Jupiter Island beach make some of the most productive sea turtle nesting ground in the country, used by loggerhead, leatherback, green and Kemp's ridley turtles. On the mainland side, three hundred acres hold sand pine scrub, a habitat of which more than nine tenths has been lost to building across Florida, which is why a tract this size matters out of proportion to its acreage. Nature trails cross three distinct habitats, sand pine scrub, coastal hammock and protected beach. The Hobe Sound Nature Center, a private nonprofit founded in 1973, works with the Fish and Wildlife Service on education here and keeps indoor displays of native species. In 2019 the refuge was formally renamed the Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge, for the Florida conservationist. The headquarters and visitor center sit on US Highway 1 about two miles south of Bridge Road, with an exhibit room of live animals, interactive displays and a shop run by the nature center; the number for hours is 772-546-6141. Beaches and trails open sunrise to sunset. The self-guided nature trail is a half-mile loop over sand and dirt. The mainland tract is free; the beach parking on North Beach Road takes a vehicle pass, five dollars a day or twenty-five for the year. Camping, fires, hunting and drones are not permitted