Pratt Whitney and Indiantown Roads
Indiantown, Martin County

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Of all the preserves, parks and conservation areas we've visited over the last few years, this place, the Jones/Hungryland Wildlife and Environmental Area ranks among the most beautiful. It's vista after vista, pinelands, marsh and wet prairie. Water is the defining feature throughout its 16,000-plus acres, which is what you'd expect since the land is part of the historic Hungryland Slough.

Indiantown Road forms the southern boundary of Jones/Hungryland, with Pratt Whitney Road essentially splitting it in east-west. The main entrance is along Pratt Whitney about 1.5 miles north of the Beeline Highway, just north of the Palm Beach/Martin county line, as is access to the Old Jupiter Indiantown Grade, now a hiking, biking and equestrian trail. There is parking at the trailheads on both sides of Pratt Whitney, plus a restroom at the main gate. Maps are also available at a kiosk. As we said, water is the defining feature, but it's also a limiting feature. We visited in September and found the roads and trails generally passable but muddy and wet in places. We visited again during a dry spring and still found conditions mucky off the roads and trails.

Jones/Hungryland is part of the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail, and we did see hawks, osprey, anhingas, cormorants, cranes, wood storks, mockingbirds, cardinals, doves, egrets and herons. Late winter and spring would seem to be the ideal time to visit, when conditions are drier and migratory species are still here. Also note that Jones/Hungryland is open to hunting part of the year. There are also fishing and camping.