U.S. Highway 1 and Beach Road
Tequesta

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The dominant feature of the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Natural Area is in fact the Jupiter Lighthouse. Most anywhere you go on the site, the lighthouse looms. Jupiter Inlet sits on 120 acres at the confluence of the Loxahatchee River and the Indian River Lagoon. It's both ecologically and historically important, with human activity dating back 5,000 years.

Beach Road splits the site north and south, with parking, kiosk and accessible trail all on the north. The south includes a park, some preserve and the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and Museum. The trail moves through scrub tightly packed with oaks, saw palmetto, love vine and muscadine. Farther in, the land opens, with grasses, partridge pea and eastern pricklypear. It transitions to marine hammock, with gumbo limbo, sea grape, poisonwood and other trees. The trail ends at an observation platform overlooking mangroves and the Indian River Lagoon.

Other birds and plants we saw include northern mockingbird, brown pelican, red-bellied woodpecker, tread softly, Feay's palafox, narrowleaf silkgrass and cabbage palms. The property is owned by Jupiter, Palm Beach County, the federal Bureau of Land Management and the Coast Guard. The Department of Interior has designated the property as an Outstanding Natural Area.

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