Along Florida’s east coast, the Atlantic Coastal Ridge is a special place. Its limestone bluffs outcrop dramatically oceanfront in places like Blowing Rocks and House of Refuge.
Inland, where preserved from development, the ridge is topped with ancient sands upon which you’ll find ancient scrub forests.
Indrio Scrub Preserve is one such spot, at the northern end of St. Lucie County halfway between Vero Beach and Fort Pierce.
Climbing the Atlantic Coastal RidgeWith rolling, sandy hills separating the freshwater savannas of Indrio Savannahs from the salty, mangrove-lined Indian River Lagoon, it’s a place where unique scrub species thrive.
Among them is Lakela’s Mint (Dicerandra immaculata), one of very few places that this endangered endemic scrub mint is found.
Numbered markers are along the trailResources
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Overview
Location: Indrio
Length: 0.4 mile
Trailhead: 27.526114,-80.355218
Address: 5187 Old Dixie Hwy, Fort Pierce
Fees: Free
Restroom: None
Land manager: St. Lucie County
Phone: 772-462-2526
Open sunrise to sunset. For the sake of the rare plants and diminutive animal species sheltered here, no pets, please.
Directions
From Fort Pierce, follow US 1 north; from Vero Beach, follow US 1 south. From Interstate 95, take the Indrio Road exit. In all cases, reach the intersection of Indrio Road and US 1. Drive east to CR 605, Old Dixie Hwy. Turn north and pass Michigan St. Trailhead parking is on the right next to the railroad tracks, with the trail starting across the street.
Hike
Cross Old Dixie Highway to the “Trailhead” sign at the split-rail fence. At the twin posts beyond, bear right.
Numbered posts correspond to an interpretive brochure that sadly is no longer provided nor online via the QR code posted on the parking area kiosk.
KioskAlthough this trail is short, the highlights along it are diminutive, making this a hike to stop, look, and sniff the tiny plants.
Don’t get your nose too close to touch-me-not, however, since its tiny white flowers are atop plants covered in hairy, painful needles.
The trail entrance is across from the trailheadAs the footpath heads upslope, the ancient sands underfoot are bright and white. Pass under the fluffy branches of a young sand pine into a corridor of scrub oaks.
Joint-weed grows beneath a sand live oak. Beyond it is the first of many scrub hickories sporting light green leaves in spring.
Start the climbTurning right past an older sand pine, discover a thicket of young scrub oaks behind Marker 4.
These include myrtle oak, with teardrop-shaped leaves, and the Chapman oak, with leaves that are more rippled.
Scrub oaksScrub plum is among the riot of plants behind Marker 5. Curve along a ribbon of white sand past cabbage palms rustling their fronds in the breeze.
Watch for gopher tortoise burrows where the slope is sharp, and you might see their own little trails through the sand.
Climbing past marker 5After marker 6, enter a patch of shade, where ferns flourish under sand live oaks with wind-sculpted branches.
An oak hammock with cabbage palms and mature saw palmetto tops the ridge. Marker 8 stands in front of a scrub hickory.
Marker 8A third of the way through the loop, a bench faces the remains of an ancient gnarled cedar trunk, now a sculpture instead of a living tree.
Younger cedars define the edges of this clearing. Leaving their shade, proceed among sand live oaks, emerging to a ribbon of yellow sand through mounds of grapevine.
Bench in cedar clearingPass Marker 11. What was once an open sand ridge is now vegetated. Within sight of a firebreak on the ridgetop, turn left at the arrow.
Curving west, descend through dappled shade beneath oaks and sand pines.
Wild coffeePast a bench and Marker 13, the understory transitions to more tropical plants, including wild coffee and beautyberry.
Enter a very pretty forest of scrub hickory, the mature trees larger than we’ve seen in other preserves. Markers 15 and 16 are in the thick of it.
The scrub hickory forestEmerging into the open, a curve of white sand beckons, the trailhead across Old Dixie Hwy now visible.
Follow the sandy path to complete the 0.4 mile loop and cross the road to the trailhead.
Final descent off the ridgeTrail Map
Explore More!
Video
Hiking Indrio Scrub Preserve
Slideshow
See our photos from Indrio Scrub Preserve
Nearby Adventures
Indrio Savannahs Preserve A haven for wildlife dependent on fresh water savannas scarcely a mile west of the Indian River Lagoon, Indrio Savannahs illustrates a success story in habitat restoration.
D.J. Wilcox Preserve Discover the natural beauty of a mosaic of habitats nourished by a freshwater spring near the Indian River Lagoon at what was once the town of Indrio.
Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area Lush tropical hammocks, great birding, and a dash of history along the Indian River Lagoon make Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area a diverse and interesting place to explore.
Sweetwater Hammock Preserve Marvel at the botanical beauty of a mature live oak hammock on this short nature trail loop to a bluff along the North Fork of the St. Lucie River.
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