February is Florida Hiking Trails Month – Here are 5 Trails to Explore in Martin County

February may be best known as the month of love, but it also marks the start of Florida Hiking Trails Month and American Heart Health Month. To celebrate, get outdoors and take a heart-healthy hike to explore the beautiful trails found throughout Martin County.

The federal Centers for Disease Control recommends staying physically active and trails provide safe, clean, open spaces where people can exercise and enjoy fresh air. The network of hiking trails in Martin County provide opportunities for a variety of activities for every type of visitor, including walking, running, wildlife watching, nature photography, and more. Some of the health benefits of outdoor recreation include lower blood pressure, improved fitness, elevated mood, and so much more.

Many families enjoy outdoor recreation on trails and realize the benefits of building strong bonds and making happy memories of time spent together. Hitting the trails also makes for a fun date activity with your special someone. You can even go solo to reconnect with Mother Nature and clear your mind. So without further ado, here are 5 hiking trails worth exploring in Martin County. For even more ideas, visit the Martin County Nature Trails Map.

Jonathan Dickinson State Park Trails, Hobe Sound

Located just south of Stuart, Jonathan Dickinson State Park is home to 16 natural communities, including pine flatwoods, mangroves, river swamps, and sand pine scrub. Jonathan Dickinson State Park’s three scenic nature trails allow visitors to explore each of the park’s unique habitats. The Kitching Creek and Wilson Creek Trails take you through pine flatwoods and along the creeks. Meanwhile, the Hobe Mountain Trail is short and sweet, offering a beautiful boardwalk that climbs up through sand pine scrub. Make sure you take in the view from the observation tower.

Halpatiokee Regional Park Trails, Stuart

Halpatiokee Regional Park is the largest park in Martin County with 65 acres of active park land surrounded by approximately 500 acres of wetland preserve area. The landscape varies from pine flatwoods, oak hammock, scrub and river land. The property includes approximately four miles of river frontage on the west side of the South Fork of the St. Lucie River. Halpatiokee boasts miles of hiking trails, plus biking trails, paddling trails and riverside primitive campsite that offer high-quality nature-based recreational opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts of all ages and abilities.

Blowing Rocks Preserve, Jupiter Island

Get a glimpse of one of Florida’s rarest surviving landscapes at Blowing Rocks Preserve. The preserve features five short trails and scenic walks, which include the Beach Trail (a short pathway that leads visitors through a shaded maritime hammock habitat to the main staircase to the beach); the Dune Trail (a half-mile, one-way trail guides visitors on top of the beach dune with sweeping views of the beach); the Mangrove Boardwalk (a 300-feet long elevated boardwalk with accessible ramp that offers panoramas of the Indian River Lagoon); the Lagoon Trail (a 0.4-mile loop trail that traverses through saltwater marsh and coastal strand habitats); and the Pollinator Garden Scenic Walk (a short stroll that’s perfect for little ones and highlights grasses, shrubs, and flowering plants).

Allapattah Flats Trail, Palm City

Allapattah Flats Trail is a relaxing recreation zone that protects a large area of marsh and slash pine flatwoods. Allapattah Flats features park facilities and a network of well-maintained nature trails perfect for hiking, biking, and primitive camping. This area provides seasonal hunting and has equestrian trails along the northern perimeter. This site is a cooperative effort of the Martin County Board of County Commissioners, the South Florida Water Management District, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for sandhill cranes, wood storks, crested caracaras, and game animals such as white-tailed deer and wild turkey.

DuPuis Park, Indiantown

Spend a relaxing day at the DuPuis Management Area, tucked away in rustic Indiantown. Managed in cooperation with the South Florida Water Management District, this area consists of nearly 22,000 acres in southwestern Martin County and northwestern Palm Beach. Be sure the Check out the Ocean to Lake Hiking Trail, which covers 61 miles in total. A spur of the Florida Trail that leads from Port Mayaca to Hobe Sound Beach on the Atlantic Ocean, treating hikers to unexpected wild landscapes of this secluded area.

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