Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides
Around Vero Beach, there are many more recreational opportunities on the coastal strands than inland. The barrier islands immerse you in tropical habitats.
Vero Beach
With a sandy strand more than a mile long, Avalon State Park offers an escape to an uncluttered seashore along the Treasure Coast where sea turtles retreat to lay their eggs
Designed the first Federal Bird Reserve in 1903, Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge celebrated its century mark by creating this short, scenic, accessible trail for birding
In pine flatwoods and scrub along the Indian River Lagoon, D.J. Wilcox Natural Area features the ghost town of Indrio along its 2.3-mile loop
Immediately west of Interstate 95 at the Sebastian/Fellsmere exit, Fellsmere Trailhead Preserve provides a nature break for travelers and a trailhead for recreation
Fort Drum Marsh Conservation Area covers more than 20,000 acres, but this hike zeroes in on 3 miles in two loops – at Horseshoe Lake and Hog Island – near Yeehaw Junction.
Only a mile from the Indian River Lagoon, Indrio Savannas has 3.5 miles of hiking around freshwater wetlands where sea breezes wash across the landscape.
Atop the Atlantic Coastal Ridge, Indrio Scrub is a place where unique scrub species thrive. A short interpretive loop trail leads you through the preserve
A scenic trek in Vero Beach to an observation deck on the Indian River Lagoon provides the option of longer immersion in the coastal mangrove forest
Established as McKee Jungle Gardens by local legend Waldo E. Sexton in 1929 with the guidance of landscape architect William Lyman Phillips, this carefully designed tropical garden is a Florida gem
Lush tropical hammocks, great birding, and a dash of history along the Indian River Lagoon make Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area a diverse and interesting place to explore
The birthplace of the National Wildlife Refuge system, Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge protects more than 5,400 acres along and in the Indian River Lagoon off Sebastian
One of few places where the Indian River Lagoon mingles with the Atlantic Ocean, Sebastian Inlet is the central feature of Sebastian Inlet State Park, which protects the tips of both barrier islands
