Departments and Services » Environmental Resources

Preserves of St. Lucie County

A flooded marsh at Indrio Savannahs Preserve reflects a pink and orange sunset, with a wooden boardwalk running along the right edge toward a distant treeline. Tall sea oats on the dune at Ocean Bay Preserve with breaking surf and a blue Atlantic horizon behind them. Still dark water in a cypress slough at Bluefield Ranch Preserve, with fern covered trunks and cypress knees reflected on the surface. Aerial view of the floating kayak launch at Petravice Family Preserve, with paddlers in colorful kayaks on a narrow green creek. Three white-tailed deer stand on a grassy trail at Pinelands Preserve in low golden backlight between walls of scrub.

Twenty-one miles of Atlantic coastline on one side, cattle country on the other, and 28 preserves in between.

St. Lucie County protects more than 11,000 acres of wild Florida, and almost all of it is open to you from dawn to dusk, every day, at no charge. You can stand on a 60-foot tower above the Indian River Lagoon in the morning and walk a cypress slough out in the western ranch country the same afternoon.

These are working wild places, not manicured parks. Trails are sand, shell, grass, and boardwalk. Ospreys fish the impoundments. Gopher tortoises cross in front of you and take their time about it. Scrub-jays, which live nowhere on earth but Florida, still hold territory in the scrub near Indrio and Sheraton.

Pick one from the list below, put on real shoes, bring water, and go see what is out there.

Why Preserves

Free, Every Day

No gate fee, no parking fee, no reservation. Preserves are open dawn to dusk, seven days a week, including holidays.

Every Habitat the County Has

Beach dune, maritime hammock, mangrove swamp, scrub, pine flatwoods, wet prairie, cypress slough, and floodplain forest. Each preserve protects a different piece.

Habitat That Cannot Move

Florida scrub-jays, gopher tortoises, wood storks, and manatees depend on specific ground. Buying that ground outright is the only protection that holds.

Bought by the People Who Use Them

Voters approved a $20 million bond in 1994 to buy this land. County staff have since more than tripled it through state and federal partnerships.

By the Numbers

11K+ Acres Protected
28 Preserves Open to Explore
3x+ Bond Funding Multiplied Since 1994
$20M Voter-Approved Bond, 1994

Find Your Preserve

Twenty-nine preserves, grouped by where they sit in the county. Every one of them is also listed in the menu at the left.

Along the Coast and the Lagoon

Barrier island beach, mangrove impoundments, and the scrub ridge north of Fort Pierce.

Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie, and the North Fork

Oak hammocks, riverfront kayak launches, and the county's easiest trails to reach.

The Western Ranch Country

Big acreage, long trails, and the quietest ground in the county.

Across the Preserves

Paddlers in kayaks move away from the camera down a narrow creek lined with overhanging trees, backlit by low sun. Richard E. Becker Preserve
A narrow wooden boardwalk runs into a dense tunnel of mangrove branches and leaves. Kings Island Preserve
A bobcat stands on a sandy trail at dawn, looking directly at the camera, with backlit trees behind it. Hackberry Hammock
A sand path runs between walls of sea grape toward an opening onto the beach and the ocean beyond. Ocean Bay Preserve
A line of hikers walks away from the camera along a sandy trail through pine flatwoods and tall grass. Pinelands Preserve
A Florida scrub-jay with blue wings and a pale breast perches at the edge of green scrub above open white sand. Sheraton Scrub Preserve
A disc golfer follows through on a throw across a grassy fairway, with the blue disc in flight beside a stand of oaks. Gordy Road Preserve
A gopher tortoise walks across open white sand scrub dotted with low green plants. Walton Scrub
A barred owl perches on a branch draped with Spanish moss, looking down toward the camera. Teague Hammock
A stone monument carved with the words Spruce Bluff Pioneer Settlement stands among pines and palmetto. Spruce Bluff Preserve
A long wooden fishing pier with metal handrails reaches out over calm open lagoon water under an overcast sky. Vitolo Family Preserve
A low shrub covered in small pale purple tubular flowers grows over sandy ground and pine litter. Lake Indrio Preserve

Plan Your Visit

Guided Nature Programs

County naturalists lead hikes, paddles, and wildlife walks on the preserves from October through June. Some places, including the 750 acres at Pinelands, can only be visited this way. Nature hikes and family programs are free. Kayak programs are $20 per person. Reservations are required and space is limited.

See the current program schedule

Greenways and Paddling Trails

Several preserves double as launches on the North Fork of the St. Lucie River, an Outstanding Florida Water since 1972. Becker and Petravice both have ADA kayak launches, and the blueway links to more landings up and down the river.

Plan a paddling trip

Explore St. Lucie County Preserves with Guided Nature Programs

How the Preserves Came to Be

The St. Lucie County Environmental Lands program started in 1994, when voters approved a $20 million bond to buy and protect land before it was developed. Since then the county has more than tripled that money through local, state, and federal partnerships, working with the Florida Communities Trust, the South Florida Water Management District, Save Our Rivers, and the Conservation and Recreational Lands program.

The mission has not changed: preserve, protect, and restore these ecosystems in their natural state while keeping them open for the public to use. Land is still being acquired. The focus now has shifted toward the visitor experience, adding trailheads, boardwalks, observation towers, and accessible launches to preserves the county already owns.

Before You Go

  • Preserves are open dawn to dusk, every day. There is no fee.
  • Trails are natural surface and can flood in the wet season. Some access roads are unpaved.
  • Bring water, sun protection, and insect repellent. Wear closed shoes.
  • Pack in, pack out. Keep pets leashed. Stay on marked trails.
  • Alligators and venomous snakes live here. Give wildlife distance and never feed it.
  • Visitors are reminded that using these sites is at your own risk.

Our Mission

To preserve, protect, and enhance St. Lucie County's environmental resources through sustainable land management practices, regulations, public education, and outreach.

That is the Environmental Resources Department's mission, and these preserves are where most people meet it. Every acre is held for the public, and every acre is meant to be used.

About Environmental Resources