Maturing beautifully over the past few decades to better obscure its origins as a failed subdivision with a grid of roads, Indrio Savannahs Preserve is truly a haven for wildlife.
Several scrub-jay families swoop through the scrubby flatwoods above freshwater wetlands which formed west of the Atlantic Coastal Ridge and largely lie east of the trail system.
Restored flatwoodsA former mine creating a man-made puncture in those verdant marshes, Lake Indrio sits between the original South Trailhead off US 1 and the newer North Trailhead.
It’s based at seven acre Lake Indrio Preserve, where this hike begins.
By using the South Trailhead once it reopens, you can shorten this hike by a mile by eliminating the scenic lakeside round-trip on the Green Trail.
Bench near the North TrailheadResources
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Overview
Location: Indrio
Length: Up to 5 miles
Trailhead: 27.533654, -80.363532
Address: 5501 N US 1, Fort Pierce
Fees: Free
Restroom: None
Land Manager: St. Lucie County
Phone: 772-462-2526
Open sunrise to sunset. Leashed dogs welcome; pick up after your pet. Bicycles permitted. Take a photo of the map on the trailhead kiosk, as not all turns are clearly signposted.
Directions
From Interstate 95 exit 138, follow Indrio Rd 6 miles east to US 1. Turn north. Our hike uses the North Trailhead, which is at Lake Indrio Preserve, a mile north on the left. Also on the left, the South Trailhead is 0.6 mile north of the traffic light at 5275 Tozour Rd. As of March 2025, that trailhead is closed for marsh restoration.
Hike
Facing the trailhead kiosk and the blue expanse of Lake Indrio, turn right to start the Green Trail along its shoreline.
Pass the kayak launch and a waterfront bench before a brief dip into the shade of an oak hammock.
North TrailheadA mowed corridor atop a levee between lake and marsh, the trail offers expansive views but is low enough to the water for alligators to cross.
Making a sharp left, turn away from the marshes to walk alongside the lake.
The first straightaway is betwen the lake and the marshLargely hidden by the underbrush beneath the pines, a ditch now parallels on the right.
A couple mowed openings to the lake’s edge may have anglers trying their luck.
The elevation provided by this levee allows a glimpse of the main loop and the scrubby flatwoods the scrub-jays call home.
Walking along Lake IndrioAt a half mile, past a screen of willow marsh, reach a trail junction in a broad grassy area at the south end of Lake Indrio. An orange trail marker points to the left.
It leads to the South Trailhead and to a bridge to the levee walk on the east side of the preserve. Both were closed during our visit.
Bridge to main part of preserveContinue straight ahead towards the pines, crossing the broad bridge. Make a right at a sandy curve, veering right immediately at a blue trail marker with a tower symbol.
This straightaway parallels the trail you came in on but on the west side of the ditch, with views across the scrubby flatwoods.
Looking towards the lake from the Blue TrailA quarter mile along it, a view opens up across the ditch and the Green Trail of the lake. Soon after comes a sharp left.
Reaching a perpendicular ditch bordering a herbaceous marsh along the savannas, turn west.
Blue Trail along the ditchTurn right at the junction with a blue marker and tower symbol to follow a footpath due north.
Walk from scrubby flatwoods into an oak hammock, emerging onto a levee with a view of the observation tower straight ahead.
LeveeAlong the approach, Virginia willow dances in the breeze. Turtles plop into the lily-dotted water of the adjacent ditch.
Climb the staircase to the observation deck for a sweeping view of the savannas 1.1 miles into the hike.
View north from the towerOddly linear patterns of lily growth in the water mirror dredging of deeper channels when this landscape was being prepared to become a subdivision.
In the 1990s, St. Lucie County bought the property and has added to it since by opening Lake Indrio Preserve in 2024.
Between these two adjacent preserves, the conservation footprint now covers nearly 300 acres of uplands and marshes.
Leaving the towerLeaving the tower, return along the 0.2 mile connector trail to the Blue Trail and make a right.
The trail system is largely laid out across the grid of roads the developer plowed before the county bought the property, but the next turnoff breaks that pattern.
Where the Blue Trail leaves the gridAt 1.4 miles, turn right and cross a low bridge at a blue marker.
Entering a healthy scrubby flatwoods, slip past shiny lyonia with brilliant pine blooms in spring.
The bottlebrush shapes of young longleaf pines adjoin the footpath. Tall longleaf pines rise above a dense thicket of saw palmetto draped in smilax.
Longleaf pinesTransition into a hammock of sand live oaks and cabbage palms, walking between walls of mature saw palmetto.
When loblolly bay appears, the trail is close to the hidden edge of the savannas.
Loblolly bayA bridge over a ditch leads to a slightly mucky portion of the path in flatwoods draining towards the marshes.
After numerous twists and turns through this landscape, cross a third bridge to a levee along the south edge of the savannas.
Open water beyond the leveeTurning west, catch glimpses of open water between the trees before coming to a junction at 1.7 miles. Make a left.
Under tall longleaf pines, this southward leg of the Blue Trail is on the street grid, a two track road through the pine flatwoods.
Long linear corridorAt the next four-way junction, Blue Trail signs on both sides of the intersection indicate to continue straight ahead.
The understory becomes scrubbier in this corner of the preserve, the pines far more scattered.
Roofs rise beyond the preserve fenceHouses line the western edge of the preserve, driving home the point that this road grid was put in for a subdivision.
A silvery-blue saw palmetto stands out against the many shades of green in the scrub.
Orange Trail junctionAt 2.2 miles, Blue Trail signs indicate a left turn at the four-way in the grid. Continuing south towards Indrio Rd, the Orange Trail starts straight ahead.
Hoping to encounter scrub-jays in the scrubby flatwoods, we made the left to stick with the Blue Trail.
Scrubby flatwoodsHaving seen none by the next four-way grid intersection of soft white sand, it was obvious the Blue Trail would finish its loop ahead at the next junction after 2.4 miles.
A direct return up the Green Trail from this point to the North Trailhead would complete a 3 mile hike.
With construction blocking access to the Orange Trail loop from its intersection where the Green and Blue Trails meet, we turned south to intercept it.
South on a service roadAfter two more four-way intersections in the pine flatwoods, make a left. The multi-trail junction is now due north at the next four-way intersection in the grid. Turn right here.
One more block of the grid south through the pine flatwoods intercepts the Orange Trail. Turn left to cross a bridge leading to a narrow footpath under the tall pines.
Bridge to a narrow footpathAn intriguing mixture of Virginia willow and scrub oaks edge the trail, as do more vibrant sprays of silvery-blue saw palmetto.
At 2.8 miles, cross another wooden bridge to a junction with a north-south service road along a ditch.
Plank across ditchProceed straight ahead to walk the plank and climb up through the pines into scrubby flatwoods edging the southernmost savannas of the preserve.
A broad bridge opens to a panorama of the marshes. On its east side, the footpath slips through an island of tropical hammock shaded by oaks.
Marsh panoramaThree miles into the hike, leave the island via a broad bridge over a canal to a levee facing an expanse of savannas to the east.
Turn left to stay on the Orange Trail. Of all of the trail segments in this preserve, this high levee is the best perch for spotting wildlife.
Bridge between tropical hammock and leveeLook for alligators sunning along the edge of the sawgrass and cruising the open waters in both the savannas and the canal.
Woodpeckers and flickers flit between the pines providing shade.
Alligator in the marshLined with trees and topped with stands of saw palmetto, the levee itself provides shelter for black snakes, marsh rabbits, and raccoons.
It’s a perpetual parade of scenic views for nearly a half mile.
The levee has views on borth sidesA bridge at the north end of this levee empties onto the grassy strip at the south shore of Lake Indrio, the same grassy embankment where three trails meet.
Construction barred us from the tenth of a mile walk west across it to meet the Green Trail for the return trip north along the lakeshore to Lake Indrio Preserve.
When this bridge reopens, it’s the preferred return route to the North Trailhead for a scenic 4.2 mile hike.
Bridge constructionWith the bridge closed, our only choice was to backtrack along the Orange Trail to where we’d intercepted it from the service road connector off the Blue Trail.
We then took the service road straight north to the junction of the Blue, Orange, and Green Trails to return along Lake Indrio to the North Trailhead.
With the extra half mile backtracking through showy scenery along the Orange Trail and more wildlife sightings, this route resulted in an overall hike of 5 miles.
Return across the marsh bridgeTrail Map
Explore More!
Video
Hiking Indrio Savannahs Preserve
Slideshow
See our photos from Indrio Savannahs Preserve
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