Florida Hikes

Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides

Footpath in a sand pine scrub forest

Delaware Scrub Natural Area

For a tiny patch of land in the midst of bustling Jupiter, Delaware Scrub surprises with the amount of habitat diversity in such a small space.

Jupiter (26.93515, -80.11780)   0.7 miles  

Hidden in plain sight in the middle of Jupiter, Delaware Scrub Natural Area edges Indiantown Rd west of the Southwest Fork of the Loxahatchee River to Delaware Blvd.

Being next to a busy road means this isn’t a quiet hike, although you rarely see traffic from its trails. But this 16-acre preserve has an immersive beauty to its gradient of habitats.

Boardwalk in cypress swamp Boardwalk through the cypress strand

Resources

Resources for exploring the area
Hikers Guide to the Sunshine State book cover Florida Trail Hikes book cover The Florida Trail Guide book cover South Florida Explorers Guide book cover 50 Hikes in South Florida book cover Paddlers Guide Florida
 
Disclosure: As authors and affiliates, we receive earnings when you buy these through our links. This helps us provide public information on this website.

Overview

Location: Jupiter
Length: 0.7 miles
Trailhead: 26.93515, -80.11780
Address: 47 N Delaware Blvd, Jupiter
Fees: Free
Restroom: None
Land manager: Palm Beach County
Phone: 561-233-2400

Open sunrise to sunset. No pets or bicycles permitted.

A 0.4-mile round-trip is accessible, the remainder is natural surface. Be sure to close the entrance gate for the sake of the gopher tortoises.

Directions


 
From Interstate 95 or Florida’s Turnpike, follow Indiantown Rd east for 1.7 miles to Delaware Blvd. Turn left. The trailhead is immediately on the right.

Hike

A entry gate adjoins the trailhead kiosk at the start of the accessible walkway leading into pine flatwoods at Delaware Scrub.

The preserve’s name is deceiving, as scrub is only one of the array of habitats the trail traverses. Start out in scrubby flatwoods with towering South Florida slash pines.

Warning sign next to sidewalk in pine forest Start of the trail

The trail turns away from the bustle of Indiantown Rd into the forest, curving towards the unmistakable shape of a cypress strand.

Join a boardwalk through the marsh edging the strand, where pond apple drape heavy fruits over the railing and marsh mallow sports pink blooms in summer.

Boardwalk in marsh Pond apple along the boardwalk

As the boardwalk enters deep shade under the cypress, it zigzags. Look over the railing to see water spangles floating on this freshwater swamp’s placid surface.

The boardwalk ends and the paved path curves around a corner, with a side path to the left and a marked trail post on the right. Skip both for now.

Trail markers along a sidewalk The pair of trail junctions after you pass them

Entering a stretch of sand pine scrub with a dense understory of saw palmetto, the path gains elevation.

A thicket of scrub oaks then edges the trail, the tall slash pines behind them. Sand and slash pines co-mingle in this stretch of forest.

Tall pines above scrub Two species of pines above a scrubby understory

Unexpectedly, mangroves rise along the forest edge to the left. This is thanks to a nearby fork of the Loxahatchee River known locally as Jones Creek.

Pass another marked trail post on the right and continue along the paved path, which culminates in an observation deck on the mangrove-lined creek at a quarter mile.

Mangroves along a creek Jones Creek

Backtrack the brief distance to the trail marker with the yellow circle and make a left to start the loop portion of the hike.

This footpath follows a tight corridor through the scrub forest, curving into a beauty spot as it nears the traffic noise of Indiantown Rd.

footpath in scrub Curve in the trail

The trail twists and turns through the scrub. Watch for a patch of open sand on one curve where clusters of sand spike moss, uncommon in this region, thrive.

Follow the footpath through a stand of cabbage palms. It emerges at a broad path where a witch’s broom needle cluster is prominent on one sand pine.

Green fingers of moss rising from sand Sand spike moss

Walk another pretty corridor of sand pine scrub and emerge onto the paved path again a half mile into the hike. Turn left.

Take the paved sidewalk to the right. It ends at the edge of the cypress strand at an overlook with a bench, a birding spot.

Swamp view from bench View of the swamp

From this point, you’re retracing the walk in along the paved trail, the boardwalk through the cypress strand offering another opportunity to linger.

Pass the pond apples and continue beneath the pines, reaching the gate at the kiosk to complete a 0.7 mile hike.

Gate and kiosk at trailhead Gate at the trailhead

Trail Map

Delaware Scrub Natural Area Trail Map

Explore More!

Video

Slideshow

See our photos of Delaware Scrub

Nearby Adventures

More worth exploring while you’re in this area.

Footpath through forest amid ferns and red maple Limestone Creek Natural Area Centered on pine flatwoods along a historic creek basin lined with mangroves, Limestone Creek Natural Area is a green gem in a busy corner of Jupiter.
Long pedestrian bridge along Intracoastal Waterway Jupiter Riverwalk Fronting the eastern shore of the Intracoastal Waterway for more than two miles, the Jupiter Riverwalk is a scenic urban walkway connecting hotels, dining, and natural areas.
Aquamarine waters and coconut palms along a Florida inlet DuBois Park Fronting Jupiter Inlet where the Indian River Lagoon meets the Loxahatchee River, this breezy park has one of the most beautiful waterfronts in the region.
Bluffs overlooking an aquamarine inlet Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area One of only three federally designated ONAs in the United States, Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area combines a unique location with botanical beauty and history.

Official Website

Sandra Friend
Latest posts by Sandra Friend (see all)
Category: , , , , , Tag: , , , , , , , ,