BEST BEACH 2020
FORT PIERCE INLET STATE PARK
905 Shorewinds Drive, Fort Pierce
772.468.3895
floridastateparks.org
A beautiful half-mile beach in a state park on North Hutchinson Island is waiting for you to kick back and soak up the sun, wade or swim, snorkel, surf or SCUBA dive.
At Fort Pierce Inlet State Park the wide beach is on the north side of a picturesque rock jetty that sticks out into the ocean and allows sand to collect on the beach and in the water. This makes the area closest to the jetty a good place to take the kids. The jetty itself is fascinating with small tide pools in the rocks where little fish and crabs can often be found.
Visiting this beach can be a full, rich experience. The ocean beach is one of two beaches at the park. The other one fronts on the north side of Fort Piece Inlet and is a great place to fish.
Have a picnic at one of the picnic tables or waterfront pavilions on the inlet beach. At the end of the beach you can go out on the sand and look for tiny crabs or swim or just lie in your beach chair and enjoy the view across the inlet — especially the sailboats, fishing boats and yachts going between shore and ocean.
Visitors can do more than sit on the beach. The park is a designated stop on the Great Florida Birding Trail because more than 300 species of birds migrate through the area. Look for bald eagles in the tops of trees and ospreys perched atop mangroves on the west side of the park searching for food in the Indian River Lagoon.
WHAT READERS SAY
"Gorgeous waters and a great beach. Well maintained and a popular surfer’s park."
"A year-round pass is the best deal for any surfer or beach lover. They have free beach accessible wheelchairs for anyone who needs to use one."