Queens Island Preserve North – Florida Hikes - Primal Outdoor Members Portal

Whereas Queens Island Protect spans from the Atlantic to the Indian River Lagoon at its north finish, there is no such thing as a devoted parking for its northerly loop or oceanfront.

As a substitute, entry to the walk-in trailhead and seaside crossover is through the East Coast Greenway bicycle path from the principle Queens Island Protect trailhead alongside A1A.

The strategy to Queens Island Protect North

Queens Island Protect North has loops to comply with, though it additionally bristles with the identical kind of odd dead-end spur trails present in the principle protect.

Maybe future plans embody boardwalks between these factors. Encompassing extra uplands, it supplies drier trails and extra alternatives for wildlife watching.

Big leather-based ferns in a palm hammock

Assets

Overview

Location: North Hutchinson IslandLength: 1.7 milesTrailhead: 27.522389, -80.311882 (stroll in)Tackle: 4743 N Hwy A1A, Fort PierceFees: FreeRestroom: NoneLand Supervisor: St. Lucie CountyPhone: 772-462-1692

Open dawn to sundown. Leashed canines welcome. Count on mucky trails after a rain. Use insect repellent.

Instructions

From Interstate 95 exit 131 in Fort Pierce, take Orange Ave (CR 68) for 4.5 miles to US 1. Comply with US 1 north for 1.7 miles. Flip proper on A1A and cross the bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway. Previous the doorway to Fort Pierce Inlet State Park, A1A makes a 90-degree flip north. Proceed north 2.5 miles to the flip in on the left. On the cut up within the entrance street, bear proper to park within the small parking space closest to A1A.

Hike

From the small parking space, comply with the footpath into the tropical forest to fulfill the principle path inside Queens Island Protect. Flip proper.

Stroll right into a picturesque coastal panorama, crossing a broad boardwalk bridge over a mangrove-lined waterway. On the subsequent path junction, flip proper.

Coastal habitats in Queens Island Protect

A return to the tropical forest rapidly exits on the East Coast Greenway paved bike path alongside A1A. Flip left.

At 1 / 4 mile, the boardwalk to the Statement Pier tempts. In the event you haven’t already visited it, tunnel by means of tropical hammock and mangroves to a hidden gem.

Boardwalk to the lagoon

Ringed by mangroves, this saline lagoon interconnects with the Indian River Lagoon by means of the waterways inside the mangrove forest.

Return to the bike path and switch left to proceed north. At 0.4 miles, attain an indication alongside the trail that claims Queens Island. Enter the walk-in trailhead.

Entry level

The Queens Island Protect North kiosk shows a map of the loop and its spur trails. The one to the left makes a tenth of a mile round-trip.

The turn-around level is a bench within the tropical hammock. Flip proper to begin the bigger path system alongside an analogous path.

Tropical hammock

Stroll between sea grapes and marlberry to a hall outlined by the waving fronds of tall silvery-blue noticed palmetto.

At a T intersection the place an influence line is seen above the bushes, the appropriate flip results in the bike path. Flip left.

Path junction

Getting into dappled shade underneath the tropical cover, attain the following junction at a half mile. An exit signal factors the way in which you got here.

Proceed straight forward underneath the cover of a strangler fig, its trunk a set of large prop roots.

Tree with large leaves and leg-like above groundroots

Strangler fig

Rounding a curve, come to a path junction with an exit signal to the left. Flip proper amid the cabbage palms on a curving route right into a shady coastal hammock.

Grazing near the property line with an adjoining rental complicated, flip away from it right into a palm hammock.

Perimeter path

Big leather-based ferns belie the sometimes-soggy nature of this slight despair underneath the cabbage palms.

Ascend between the puzzle of palms to emerge at a sun-drenched intersection of trails. The left flip returns to the prior path junction.

Palm hammock

Flip proper to remain on the perimeter of the principle loop. White mangroves rise behind the following exit signal.

At 0.7 miles, make a proper to comply with a brief spur path into this mangrove forest, the trail generally squishy.

Mangrove forest spur

It ends at a bench in a showy clearing edged by purple and black mangroves, the place a strangler fig tries to overcome what’s left of a cabbage palm trunk.

Dotted with salt crystals, the pnumataphores of black mangroves appear to be pretzel sticks rising from the damp sand.

What look like fat pretzel sticks poking out of the sand around a bench

Bench on the finish of this spur

Return alongside the identical path and switch proper. Reaching the following spur path rapidly, flip proper.

This one is for much longer, winding to greater floor topped with sea grapes and cabbage palms earlier than getting into a tropical hammock.

Tropical hammock spur

Shedding elevation, this spur additionally involves its conclusion at a bench in a clearing within the mangroves. Return the way in which you got here.

Make a proper on the principle loop, which wiggles between stands of palms earlier than reaching a three-way junction a mile into the hike.

Three-way junction

Flip proper to burrow into the forest, crossing a broad boardwalk bridge over a creek amid a tangle of purple mangroves.

Curving, the trail emerges briefly into the solar earlier than a mangrove tunnel. A brief spur to the appropriate ends at a bench amid the mangroves.

Bridge over small creek

Backtrack and proceed straight forward, the sometimes-soft path hemmed in by sea oxeye and mangroves.

Reaching the following junction, proceed straight forward, ascending by means of a curve into the tropical hammock.

Palms and tropical trees along broad path

Greater floor

Drop into a quick soggy spot within the mangroves earlier than returning to greater floor.

Cross a boardwalk bridge throughout the following shallow mangrove-lined channel, coming to a T intersection at 1.2 miles. Make a proper.

Second bridge

Again on the broad important loop, meander a tenth of a mile by means of the coastal hammock.

Full the loop whenever you attain a significant intersection with an exit signal. Flip proper, going through a car gate up forward.

Finishing the loop

Make the following proper flip to retrace your steps by means of the preliminary hall within the coastal hammock. Emerge on the trailhead kiosk at 1.4 miles.

Exit to the bike path and comply with it south, passing the Statement Pier en route. Reaching the parking space adjoining A1A, full a 1.7 mile hike.

Exiting Queens Island Protect North

Path Map

Queens Island Preserve Trail Map — Pink: Queens Island Protect. Blue: Connector. Inexperienced: Queens Island Protect North.

Discover Extra!

Study extra about Queens Island Protect

Queens Island Protect Defending the remnants of an historical tradition, Queens Island Protect edges the Indian River Lagoon alongside the southern finish of North Hutchinson Island.