Blazed white, the southernmost trail in Savannas Preserve State Park is a round-trip to the edge of a showy expanse of marshes.
The preserve acts as a buffer between dense development to its west and a ten-mile string of freshwater marshes with open water between Fort Pierce and Jensen Beach.
Cradled in a basin defined by the sand bluffs of Atlantic Coastal Ridge, these immensive expanses of open water and sheltered grasslands are crucial habitat for the region’s birds.
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Overview
Location: Jensen Beach
Length: 1.8 mile round-trip
Trailhead: 27.246013, -80.250177
Address: 2541 Jensen Beach Blvd, Jensen Beach
Fees: $3 per vehicle
Restroom: At trailhead
Land manager: Florida State Parks
Phone: 772-398-2779
Open 8 AM to sunset. Leashed dogs welcome; pick up after your pet. Expect to wade along portions of the trail system.
Use sun protection, as shade is minimal. Near the marshes, mosquitoes can be fierce.
Directions
From the intersection of Jensen Beach Blvd and US 1 north of Stuart, head east on NW Jensen Beach Blvd for 1.5 miles. The park entrance is on the left just after the traffic light for Green River Parkway, which also connects this end of the park with the Education Center trailhead along Walton Rd in Port St. Lucie.
Hike
From the parking area, follow the sidewalk to the kiosk, which displays the current configuration of the south end of the White Trail.
It has changed several times since we first visited it. Starting behind the restrooms at the warning signs, it’s blazed white but is impossible to miss.
Walkway past kioskA broad, well-defined grassy corridor through the pine savanna, the path quickly immerses you in this open habitat.
Along the sandy edges of the trail, delicate wildflowers like candyroot and yellow-eyed grass sprout in spring.
White blazes mark the routeHidden in the surrounding sea of saw palmetto, shallow swales cradle small wetlands, visible when the sky reflects on patches of open water.
Where the path has been depressed by ranger’s vehicles, expect some squishiness underfoot. Carnivorous species like bladderwort and sundew thrive in damper areas.
Tire tracks in the trailA little past a quarter mile, a wooden bench sits at the junction of a worn, unmarked footpath with the white-blazed trail.
The surroundings shift to a denser concentration of understory plants, signaling scrubby flatwoods.
BenchMore slash pines dot the landscape, and clusters of marsh fern rise from damper swales. Low-bush blueberries hang heavy with ripening fruit in April.
Round a series of curves, one edged by a large cluster of silvery-tinted saw palmetto. Botanists say they are not a separate species, but the color contrast is obvious here.
Among the saw palmettoLose a little elevation before approaching a large puddle, the spillover of a marsh perched slightly above the trail.
Edging around the puddle at a half mile, note its tiny pool decorated with water lilies.
Puddle adjoining marshAscend to slightly higher ground, the surrounding flatwoods less scrubby, the pines more robust. Pass a lone cabbage palm before coming to a T intersection.
The trail once went to the right to an observation deck above the marsh; now all that remains are the posts that once held it up. A spur leads out that way if you’re curious.
Turn in the trailThe double blaze guides the new route left, almost immediately reaching a junction with a north-south forest road.
Turn left and make an immediate right to cross a footbridge carrying the White Trail east-west across a narrow ditch at 0.7 mile. Water lilies float in its open water.
Lilypads in the ditchWest of the bridge, the trail continues its northward trend through scrubby flatwoods.
Winding through the grassy understory amid the saw palmetto, the path is an actual footpath instead of a broad road.
Footpath towards the marshesCabbage palms join the pines, but trees grow sparser. Marsh ferns swarm through damp areas where the footpath becomes moist, then squishy, then downright soggy.
Emerge at the south edge of the vast open freshwater marshes that define Savannas Preserve.
Trail’s end, for nowIt’s funny to see white blazes and arrows urging you onward into the water, but just as the park map at the trailhead showed, the trail ends here.
Those blazes were painted when the park was much, much drier. Water from hurricanes and burgeoning development along its edges have changed the hydrology.
Former route from the former observation deckThe White Trail is now in two parts. This is the north end of the southernmost piece. The original route to Walton Rd is no longer viable, even on horseback.
While it may be tempting to wade further along the blazes, the water gets deep quickly and large alligators live in these aquatic expanses. Leave this habitat to them.
The line of pines defines where the East Coast Greenway runs along the western edge of the parkAt 0.9 mile, this is your turn-around point. On the return route, you may want to scout the spur trails up towards the old observation deck and the footpath behind the bench.
The park management plan shows the footpath may be developed into a loop in the future. Return along the white blazes for a 1.8 mile round-trip hike.
Bridge crossing on the returnTrail Map
Explore More!
Learn more about Savannas Preserve State Park
Savannas Preserve State Park At Savannas Preserve State Park, a grand expanse of wet prairies and pine flatwoods extends across two counties to the west of the Indian River Lagoon.Video
A walk through this hike
Slideshow
See our photos from this hike
Nearby Adventures
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.
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.
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.
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.
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