The Preserve is located at the southern end of the City of Port St. Lucie’s Port District.
Within the preserve, a family-friendly set of trails offers a half mile main loop on crushed shell pathways, bisected by a few cross routes.
Boardwalk along the St. Lucie RiverA quarter mile segment of the loop utilizes concrete sidewalks and boardwalks with composite decking.
The Port District complex includes botanical gardens, history museum, and a large playground at Pioneer Park.
Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens (Sandra Friend)Resources
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Overview
Location: Port St. Lucie
Length: 0.7 miles
Trailhead: 27.267750, -80.320028
Address: 2454 SE Westmoreland Blvd, Port St. Lucie
Fees: Free
Restrooms: At adjacent Pioneer Park
Land manager: City of Port St. Lucie
Phone: 772-871-1775
Open sunrise to sunset. Leashed dogs welcome.
Directions
From Interstate 95 exit 120, head east on Crosstown Pkwy 3 miles. Turn right onto SW Bayshore Blvd. In 1.7 miles make a left onto SR 716, continue for 2.4 miles, then turn right onto SE Westmoreland Blvd. Take the first right and follow the road to the parking lot next to Pioneer Park.
Hike
From an accessible parking area at the southwestern corner of the parking lot, head towards a concrete sidewalk with a ramp.
Follow the walkway a hundred feet to the river. A robust boardwalk weaves out over the water towards an overlook.
It serves as a popular fishing spot. Wading birds peruse the shallows alongside a sandy shoreline.
Young mangroves on the riverbankA left turn leads back to the shore, where a sidewalk cuts through a forest of slash pines and saw palmettos.
Reach another bridge heading up to the parking lot in another tenth of a mile. Continue straight on the boardwalk as it traces the river for a tenth of a mile.
Turn east into a scrubby community of sand pines and twisted oaks.
Bridge to accessible loopA carpet of pine needles defines the edges of a crushed shell path leading into the forest. In a hundred feet, a cross trail heads northward.
Intersect with the sidewalk loop. Stay on the outer loop, reaching another junction in less than a tenth of a mile, this one leading back to the parking area.
Crushed shell pathwayThe loop continues westward, crossing a swampy baygall on a wooden boardwalk. At the other end, emerge from the forest onto a sidewalk along Westmoreland Blvd.
Follow the sidewalk northward for 200 feet before dipping back into the woods.
Baygall boardwalkOn this side of the wetlands, the habitat is noticeably different, with taller slash pines casting abundant shade.
In a tenth of a mile, the trail ends at a sidewalk. Head west to return to the start of the loop.
Pine flatwoodsAt the north end of the parking area, a wooden archway marks the entrance to Pioneer Park.
A network of sidewalks wind through the complex, passing an impressive collection of playgrounds, a splash pad, and artwork featuring native animals.
Pioneer ParkTrail Map
Explore More!
Video
Hiking The Preserve
Nearby Adventures
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.
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.
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.
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.
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