On a 270 acre triangle of land just south of the Jupiter Riverwalk, a double loop trail system explores a treasure trove of habitats within the sound of the Atlantic surf.
One of the earliest natural areas established in densely populated Palm Beach County in 1993, it is bisected by the Atlantic Coastal Ridge, ancient dunes topped with scrub habitat.
Diminutive scrub atop ancient dunesResources
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Overview
Location: Jupiter
Length: 2.5 mile loop
Trailhead: 26.91605, -80.07298
Address: 1800 US 1 South, Jupiter
Fees: Free
Restroom: None
Land manager: Palm Beach County
Phone: 561-233-2400
Open sunrise to sunset. No pets permitted. A 0.4-mile round-trip is accessible, the remainder is natural surface. Bring hiking sticks for the climbs in soft sand.
Directions
From Interstate 95 / Florida’s Turnpike at Jupiter at Indiantown Rd (SR 709), drive east 4 miles to US 1. Turn south and continue 1.3 miles to the preserve entrance on the right.
Hike
From the trailhead kiosk, the Little Blue Heron Trail provides an accessible entrance to the preserve.
Descending quickly, its views of a dense sand pine forest are supplanted by a boardwalk across a low wet prairie edged by willows.
Boardwalk across the marshJogging left, the boardwalk deposits you on a sidewalk in the scrub, paralleling a two-track road in deep white sand bounding the sand pines.
Leave this easy walking surface to follow the Scrub Lizard Trail at a sign that says Ski Beach.
Sidewalk leading to the trail junctionThe immersion in the sand pine scrub is immediate, its understory a thicket of scrub oaks. In leaf litter and pine duff, deer moss and reindeer lichen thrive.
Pass a marker with a yellow circle, indicating the trail route through deep soft sand. As the trail curves and the elevation increases, Florida rosemary becomes prominent.
Florida rosemary atop the ridgeA gap in the forest provides a long view with condos in the far distance. A descent through the soft-needled sand pines reveals hog plum.
The shift in habitat is confirmed by a kiosk adjoining Ski Beach a half mile into the hike.
Beach kioskStep behind the kiosk to walk out to this surprising ribbon of sandy beach along the Intracoastal Waterway, a natural counterpoint to the seawalls on the other shore.
Continue beyond the beach through sand pine scrub, gaining elevation as the trail aims towards a power line.
Ski BeachIt turns off the defined road beneath the power line to proceed under it and south through scrubby flatwoods with a low understory beneath scattered slash pines.
Along a two-track through wildflower-dotted grasses, sweep uphill past a thick mass of hog plum, footing becoming sandy and scrubby again.
Uphill sweepSand spike moss rises in small clusters from the brilliant white sand, which bears the imprint of footprints. At a peak on this ancient ridge is a rosemary bald.
At 0.9 mile, an unmarked cross trail vanishes down the slope towards the power lines. Continue straight ahead.
Looking down off the ridgeLargely comprised of diminutive oaks, the scrub is a low thicket with occasional openings where deer moss and young mints thrive.
Orange masses of love vine smother portions of the thicket where the broadening trail makes another ascent, more steeply pitched.
Steep climb over a ridgeGoing up and over a rise, turn east and descend sharply, with US 1 and a line of condos beyond it visible.
Scattered sand pines resume before the trail rounds a stand of them just before crossing the power line road at 1.4 mile.
Level approach to the road crossingFollowing a two-track road through deep soft sand, the trail curves through a dense, seemingly infinite expanse of low scrub rising up and over a distant ridge. It’s slow going.
Soft sand yields to firm as the habitat shifts and the road curves left around the sand pine forest, meeting the entrance boardwalk at 1.8 miles.
Approaching the entrance boardwalkPass the boardwalk it and hop onto the sidewalk at the “Ski Beach” sign, passing the turnoff you took earlier.
Bear right this time to follow the accessible path up and over a low ridge topped in low scrub.
Accessible path over a low dune ridgeA tenth of a mile past where you joined it, this path culminates in at a covered observation deck on Old Lake Worth Creek.
The surrounding mangrove forest lines both sides of this still-wild creek off the Intracoastal.
Old Lake Worth CreekLeaving the observation deck, make a left to take the northerly loop through the preserve, the Pawpaw Trail, signposted “Red Trail” on our visit.
Starting as a narrow path along the ecotone between mangrove forest and scrubby flatwoods, it is grassy, earthy, and sometimes damp underfoot.
The Pawpaw TrailHog plum and loblolly bay quickly obscure the mangroves. The trail is marked with red squares on posts.
Pass a double trunked slash pine as the trail turns away from the creekside forest and into the scrub onto a broader path with white soft sand, strenuous to traverse
Deep soft sandReach a trail intersection at 2.2 miles. An unmarked path leads left towards a line of condos south of the Jupiter Riverwalk.
A paved trail leading to the Riverwalk parallels the north side of the preserve, but we saw no opening in the fence to reach it.
Path leading towards the RiverwalkKeep right at the junctions, the blaze posts a confirmation of the route through the scrub.
As the trail draws close to the wetland crossed by the boardwalk at the start of the hike, the footing changes to more firm-packed sand.
Wildflowers in the footpathThe two track curves through grasses dotted with saw palmetto and wildflowers. Climb the rise into softer sand where gopher tortoises graze on patches of grass.
Look for a tortoise burrow in a sand bluff behind one of the trail markers just before reaching the trailhead at 2.5 miles.
Gopher tortoise grazingTrail Map
Explore More!
Video
A virtual walk at Jupiter Ridge Natural Area
Slideshow
See our photos of Jupiter Ridge Natural Area
Nearby Adventures
More worth exploring while you’re in this area.
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.
Juno Dunes West Traverse a gradient of habitats interrupted by a basin marsh along the scrubby slopes of the Atlantic Coastal Ridge to the mangrove-fringed edge of Frenchman's Creek.
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.
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.
- Michael Crotty Bicentennial Park - November 3, 2026
- A.J. Henry Park - November 1, 2026
- Okeeheelee Nature Center Trails - October 22, 2026