Anchored by an education center off Walton Road in Port St. Lucie, Savannas Preserve State Park stretches ten miles from Fort Pierce to Jensen Beach.
Lying south of Savannas Recreation Area, the preserve cradles fragile freshwater basin marshes just a half mile from the Indian River Lagoon and only a few miles from the Atlantic Ocean.
Edged by extensive pine savannas, it is a hauntingly beautiful habitat.
Lily-dotted basin marsh along the Yellow TrailResources
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Overview
Location: Port St. Lucie
Trailhead: 27.298881,-80.272981
Address: 2541 SE Walton Rd, Port St. Lucie
Fees: $3 per vehicle
Restroom: At Walton Rd and Jensen Beach Blvd trailheads
Land manager: Florida State Parks
Phone: 772-398-2779
Open 8 AM to sunset. Leashed dogs welcome. Day use only.
Directions
From Interstate 95 exit 120 in Port St. Lucie, follow Crosstown Parkway east for 7 miles to US 1. Turn south. Drive half a mile and get in the left lane for the light at Walton Rd. Turn left and continue 1.9 mile to the Education Center trailhead. Other trailheads near this route are shown on the map above.
About the Park
Most of the preserve is a vast open landscape of pine savanna, palmetto prairie and basin wetlands not far from the Indian River Lagoon.
But there are multiple entrances as well as outlying tracts in the St. Lucie River floodplain, and a patchwork of habitats from scrub to baygall.
Evans Creek launch off US 1Paddle in either the mazy meanders of Evans Creek and the North Fork of the St. Lucie, or hit the open, windy waters of the basin marshes at the heart of the preserve.
A variety of trails, many blazed along forest roads, offer access for hikers, cyclists, and equestrians.
For an orientation to this long, skinny park, stop in at the Education Center along Walton Rd in Port St. Lucie before you begin your explorations.
Education CenterHiking
From the Education Center, take advantage of a pair of short trails for an easy introduction to the habitats within the park.
The Glass Lizard Trail starts with a tenth of a mile accessible sidewalk to an overlook on the marshes. It continues as an interpretive loop around the Education Center.
Wet prairie overlookThe Gopher Tortoise Trail rambles west into the uplands above the marshes, providing a sample of the panoramas seen along the much longer North End Trails.
Savannas Education Center Trails Explore the Glass Lizard Trail and Gopher Tortoise Trail for different takes on the patchwork of habitats protected by Savannas Preserve State Park.Both of the Education Center Trails intersect the White Trail, which extends north-south past the Education Center, linking with the North End Trails near the canoe launch.
Savannas North End Trails Expansive panoramas of wetlands and pine savannas define the North End Trails, a network of loops exploring the northern reaches of Savannas Preserve State Park.To the south, the White Trail crosses Walton Rd. While the trail once connected to the south entrance of the park, hydrological changes have made that route impassable.
The White TrailInstead, use the paved East Coast Greenway just outside the park fence. It enables a connection to a stand-alone piece of the White Trail at the south entrance to the park.
East Coast Greenway Stuart Linking Port St. Lucie with Jensen Beach, Stuart, Port Salerno, and Hobe Sound, this 17.6 mile segment of the East Coast Greenway has dedicated bike paths at both ends.Tucked away in a corner of the preserve on the edge of Jensen Beach, the Hawks Bluff Trail is a scenic interpretive loop with serious elevation changes.
It’s the only trail within the park to approach the marshes from the east, providing a different perspective to the preserve, with five habitats in less than a mile.
Savannas White Trail South Immerse in a vast pine savanna on a walk to the southern edge of the freshwater basin marshes protected by Savannas Preserve State Park.
Savannas Hawks Bluff Trail Scramble up and down the Atlantic Coastal Ridge on this hike with scenic views of the southern end of the freshwater basin marshes stretching from Fort Pierce to Jensen Beach.Biking
Forest roads offer more than 15 miles for bicyclists and equestrians to experience the uplands of the preserve north of Walton Rd. The White Trail is the backbone to this network.
Marshy conditions may require you to push your bike through water in spots along the North End Trails to get to drier habitats. Mud and sand also challenge riders.
A difficult crossing on the White Trail with deep mud and flowing waterSouth of Walton Rd, the White Trail is underwater. Use the East Coast Greenway instead, riding parallel to Green River Parkway to Jensen Beach Blvd.
From there, more forest roads await at the south end of the preserve off the southern trailhead. But where they hit a sheet of water, turn back.
The southern section of the White Trail now ends at a very full marshPaddling
An unpaved road leads north from the Walton Rd entrance to a canoe launch and picnic area overlooking the open waters of the marshes, which are also open to fishing.
Anglers and paddlers can also head for the Evans Creek tract along US 1 in Port St. Lucie to slide a kayak or canoe into the channel.
Evans Creek Launch into a tributary of the North Fork of the St. Lucie River from state park land along US 1 in Port St. Lucie.Trail Map
Explore More!
Video
A walk through one corner of Savannas Preserve State Park
Slideshow
See our photos from Savannas Preserve
Nearby Adventures
Walton Scrub Preserve Explore the high ground between the bluffs above the Indian River Lagoon and the basin marshes of Savannas Preserve State Park atop the Atlantic Coastal Ridge.
Haney Creek Preserve Conceptualized to use wetlands for stormwater filtration in a rapidly growing corner of Stuart, Haney Creek Preserve also provides wildlife habitat and recreation.
Maggy’s Hammock Park Formerly known as Rocky Point Hammock, Maggy’s Hammock Park protects 22 acres of lush tropical forest and scrub on the Atlantic Coastal Ridge in Port Salerno.
St. Lucie Inlet Preserve State Park A state park only reachable by water, St. Lucie Inlet Preserve occupies the northern tip of Jupiter Island, quiet beaches and mangrove forests defining its shores.
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