Edging the Indian River Lagoon at its confluence with the Loxahatchee River, Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area is a rare piece of Federal land in Florida.
Managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), it protects not just the historic natural waterfront but habitats atop the bluffs in the shadow of the iconic lighthouse.
In a tropical hammockThe preserve is bisected by A1A crossing to Jupiter Island, with trailheads on both sides of the road.
On the south side, the South Trail is a mazy loop through tropical habitats under restoration right at the foot of the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse.
At one point, the trail is right below the historic lighthouseResources
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Overview
Length: 1 mile loop
Trailhead: 26.95201, -80.08226
Address: 601 SR 707, Jupiter
Fees: Free
Restroom: At adjacent Jupiter Lighthouse Park
Land manager: Bureau of Land Management
Phone: 561-295-5953
Open sunrise to sunset. Dogs and bicycles are not permitted. Use caution walking barefoot on lagoon beaches and in the lagoon due to sea urchins and jellyfish.
Directions
From Interstate 95 or Florida’s Turnpike in Jupiter, drive east along Indiantown Rd for 3.2 miles. Turn left onto Old Dixie Hwy (A1A) north. After the bridge over the inlet, it curves to cross US 1 and it becomes Beach Rd. The parking area for the South Hiking Trail is on the right, past the entrance for Jupiter Lighthouse Park but before the bridge.
Hike
Beneath a large ficus tree, the starting point for the hike is distinguished by a handful of signs and a kiosk with map next to a bench.
Walk into a tropical coastal hammock with wild coffee growing in the shade. This is an interpretive trail pointing out plants and habitats. A marker for sea grape is along a curve.
Trailhead with huge ficus treeThe habitat shifts as the trail emerges full sun after a tenth of a mile, reaching a trail junction in a coastal scrub.
This is the beginning of the outer loop of the South Trail. Keep left to continue through a corridor carved into a thicket so dense it feels like a garden maze.
Corridor through the coastal scrubAt a wall of taller trees, a small clearing to the right contains benches and a sculpture. It’s the first of a handful of outdoor spaces along the trail inviting visitors to pause.
Silver-tinged saw palmetto edge the footpath as it enters a tunnel of shade cast by sea grape and ficus.
Entering a shady corridor beyond the scrubAs the trail meanders in and out of stands of tropical trees, signs point out the direction of the kayak launch. At junctions, follow them.
Passing an old concrete building behind a chain link fence, the trail makes its way downhill to a trail adjoining the shoreline of the Indian River Lagoon.
Lagoonside tunnel of trailAt this T intersection at 0.2 mile, the kayak launch is down the shaded corridor to the left.
A brief walk down it leads to a small but beautiful beach framed by sea grapes and mangroves.
The trail ends at the put-in next to the bridge. It’s jarring to see the drawbridge and density of condos beyond it versus the pretty view towards Jupiter Inlet.
Tiny beach on the lagoonThat’s why we recommend hiking this loop clockwise. Turn around and continue along the perimeter trail, passing the beach and incoming trail.
Pass another small beach before the canopy opens, the trail rising into a thicket of nickerbean overlaid with morning glory vines.
A profusion of nickerbeanKeep left at the next junction to walk to the lagoon again. The sweep of beach here is natural and more substantial.
It, too, is a counterpoint to the manicured lawns and docks and seawall along Jupiter Island across the channel.
Facing the south end of the Indian River LagoonClimbing back upslope, the path curves between cabbage palms and the thicket of vines before reaching an incoming trail on the left. Pass it by and enter the oak hammock.
A bench sits in the shade of the oaks, with an unexpected and steep staircase beyond it for the climb to the bluffs.
Stairs under the oaksEnter a palm hammock, the trail curving through it to reach another “outdoor room,” the Hammock Hangout.
Posts are provided for you to bring a hammock and set it up in this shady spot to enjoy the sea breeze.
Hammock HangoutThe trail continues through the shady stand of palms and sea grapes, fronds and leaves rustling in the wind. Gumbo-limbo towers above, while wild coffee thrives in the understory.
Opening up onto a plateau, the trail reaches views from the bluffs a little over a half mile into the hike as it approaches the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse complex.
Where waters convergeThe best of them is right above the convergence of the Indian River Lagoon and Loxahatchee River, flowing east to Jupiter Inlet.
The trail curves to face the lighthouse, neatly framed by the forest below. A turnoff marks a central trail that’s worth coming back to after a walk under the lighthouse.
Jupiter Inlet LighthouseIn this corner of the preserve, the perimeter trail beneath the lighthouse ends up along the outer chain link fence, so backtrack to the trail in the tropical hammock.
It winds through deep shade, and both trails meet up quickly. Continue to the right at the junction. A low-spreading gumbo-limbo adjoins a shaded bench.
Bench in deep shadeThis is the shadiest corner of the preserve, and so there are more benches as well as more interpretive signs as the trail curves through the hammock.
Cabbage palm fronds hang low. There are many native tropical trees in this forest, including paradise tree, hercules’-club, and poisonwood.
The tropical hammockThe canopy opens up soon after the poisonwood tree, the trail gaining a little elevation where a tall condo rises above the low forest.
Entering another corridor through the dense coastal scrub, the footpath turns from bark chip to sand and climbs through it.
Sandy path in the scrubOrange streamers of love vine cover the myrtle oaks, Chapman oaks, and scrub live oaks making up this thicket of short trees.
Reach the junction in the scrub to seal the loop. Turn left to meander beneath the sea grapes and ficus, returning to the trailhead to complete this mile hike.
The final trail junctionIf you haven’t hiked the North Trails, they start at the trailhead immediately across A1A. A portion of that trail system is accessible.
JILONA North Trails On the Atlantic Coastal Ridge above the Indian River Lagoon, this loop hike ranges from a mangrove overlook in a tropical forest to an immersion in sand pine scrub.Trail Map
Explore More!
Learn more about Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area
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. Video
A virtual walk on the South Trail
Slideshow
See our photos along the South Trail
Nearby Adventures
More worth exploring while you’re in this area.
Coral Cove A spectacular example of a rare type of Florida coastline, Coral Cove features a dramatic rocky shoreline carved into unusual shapes by the waves of the Atlantic Ocean.
Blowing Rocks Preserve At one of Florida's most dramatic shorelines, explore a limestone bluff battered by Atlantic Ocean and beaches along the Indian River Lagoon.
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.
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.
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