Fort Pierce Inlet State Park in Fort Pierce, FL, offers visitors a variety of outdoor and recreational options. Fort Pierce Inlet State Park is a half-mile stretch of beach, as well as dunes and a coastal hammock. The beach is a nesting place for shorebirds, and the dunes are home to flora and fauna. Native species grow on the dunes of the park that are exclusive to Florida, including the Spanish bayonet and the beach sunflower.
The coastal hammock is the most diverse habitat in the park, including hardwoods like oaks and bay trees, as well as many other native plants. The Coastal Hammock Trail includes a half-mile loop trail for biking, hiking, and viewing wildlife.
Gopher tortoises find their home throughout the park. The species dig burrows that then become shelters for hundreds of other animal species.
Fort Pierce Inlet State Park and Jack Island Preserve, located nearby, include more than 1,000 acres of mangrove forests as well as the coastal hammock, dunes, and beaches.
The state park offers a number of activities and amenities. Activities include surfing on the north side of the inlet because of offshore shoals that are part of the Atlantic Coastal Ridge, as well as sunrise kayaking tours.
Dynamite Point was a training site for the Navy Frogmen during World War II but is now used by birdwatchers. At the park’s south end is a popular fishing spot, and the Marsh Rabbit Run Trail has an observation tower at its west end, offering views of Hutchinson Island and the Indian River.
Fort Pierce Inlet State Park is a saltwater dive site accessible from the shore, with the reef being about 100 yards from the beach. The maximum depth reaches 16 to 20 feet, with the average visibility being 11 to 15 feet. There’s a beach on the north side of Fort Pierce Inlet that’s minimally affected by currents, without much surf. It’s an excellent spot to see tropical fish, whether you’re snorkeling or scuba diving, and the water clarity is often comparable to the Caribbean.
There’s a paved bike path through the park, and you can canoe or kayak the Indian River Lagoon. There are equipment rentals available at the park.
Swimming is at your own risk because lifeguards aren’t on duty.
There is a shower station, restroom facilities, and a picnic pavilion on-site. Beach wheelchairs are available for free usage on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Fort Pierce Inlet State Park is open every day of the year from 8 a.m. to sundown. You pay admission per vehicle.
You can swim at Fort Pierce Inlet, as well as surfing, snorkeling, and scuba diving. You do not want to swim within the channel near boats will be operating.
The Fort Pierce Inlet is a federal project, and it’s 30 feet deep.
The inlet was built at the start of the 1900s when a storm closed in the inlet that was there naturally. The natural inlet was about a mile north of the current location. During World War II, the inlet was used by the navy to train landing craft crews, and then it became a park after that.
Located on the southeast Atlantic Coast of Florida, Fort Pierce does have clear water. It’s also very clean for the most part.
Read on about more things to do, see, and enjoy on Florida’s Treasure Coast.
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