Overview: To state the obvious, the heart of Martin County's Halpatiokee Regional Park is the nearly four miles of the South Fork of the St. Lucie River that lie along its eastern boundary. The river and its watershed are Halpatiokee's main attractions, its reason for being. But they're far from the only things that it has to offer.
Halpatiokee covers about 557 acres wedged between the St. Lucie and Interstate 95. Of that, 57 acres are used for the typical park features like picnic pavilions, ballfields and tennis courts. The remaining 510 acres are permanently classified as conservation land for the protection of the river, its watershed and the plants and animals that live within. It's really a preserve with a park inside. Halpatiokee is easy to explore through a network of trails for hikers and bikers of the nonmotorized variety. Paddlers more than welcome; No horses here, however.
Beyond the St. Lucie, there are two borrow pit lakes to paddle, depression marshes and pine flatwoods to explore. The borrow pits provided fill for the construction of nearby Interstate 95 back in the 1980s, but the county has regraded their margins and planted the with natives like pickerelweed, fireflag and spike rush to give them a natural look, We'd judge Halpatiokee among the best regional parks in South Florida. One caveat: The quality of water in the St. Lucie can vary depending on tides and freshwater discharges from Lake Okeechobee by the Army Corps of Engineers.
History: In the not too distant past, Halpatiokee Regional Park was agricultural land mostly used to graze cattle. Then in 1985, a developer named Charles Greenlee unintentionally spurred interest in preserving the watershed of the South Fork when he proposed building 410 homes in an area called Otter Creek; 39 of those homes were to be built on the riverfront. Two years later, at the urging of local environmentalists and conservation groups, the South Florida Water Management District stepped in and bought 100 acres of Otter Creek through the state-funded Save Our Rivers program.
Both Martin County and the district continued to add land to the park, buying 182 acres known as the South Fork Addition that have become the core of the park in 1998 and 248 acres in 1999. In 2008, a 3.1-acre parcel known as the Spaghetti Farm (really) was added. The park now covers roughly 567 acres, of which 510 are permanently set aside for conservation and so-called passive uses like hiking, biking and birdwatching. The remaining 57 acres are dedicated to ballfields, tennis and pickleball courts, a disc golf course, picnic pavilions and an outdoor hockey rink.
What You'll See: There are seven distinct plant communities, or habitats, within Halpatiokee, making it a fairly diverse place. The largest, mesic pine flatwoods, at 272 acres, covers roughly half the park. Open water — the river and the two borrow pit lakes — cover about 68 acres or 11 percent. Mesic flatwoods are places that can be either dry or inundated for extended periods. The South Fork of the St. Lucie River is the gem, and the extensive trail system follows the bank for a goodly distance. There is one side trail, narrow and a little more primative, that extends down to the river. Take your kayak or canoe, or rent one and see the river from the river — Halpatiokee covers four miles of riverfront. In the water, alligators are always a possibility. Manatees and river otters also hang about the St. Lucie.
Species we spotted included great blue heron, blue jay, sand blackberry, blackroot, black racer, cloudless sulphur butterfly, gopher tortoise, Cape May warbler, sandhill crane and red-bellied woodpecker. FYI Halpatiokee is the Seminole word for alligator waters. It does not disappoint.
Amenities: Halpatiokee Regional Park has both restrooms and drinking water. It has plenty of parking and an extenive trail system that accomodates both hikers and mountain bikers. The park also offers primitive campsites (call (772) 221-1419 to book). Canoes, kayaks and bikes may be rented from Lost River Outdoor Center just outside the park. Lost River also offers various tours.
Nearby: Atlantic Ridge Preserve State Park borders Halpatiokee Regional Park, and is an easy five-minute drive away. Note: There is a locked gate across the entrance to Atlantic Ridge, and a call ahead to Jonathan Dickinson State Park for the pass code is recommended. Along the way, you might want to make a quick stop at Hosford Park. Also nearby: Delaplane Preserve, also about a five minute drive away, and Kiplinger Preserve, a bit farther down the road.
Links: The Great Florida Birding Trail's take on Halpatiokee is here. The Institute for Regional Conservation's plant inventory is here. Martin County's 10-year management plan for Halpatiokee is here.
Of Note: Halpatiokee Regional Park is open 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day of the year. Admission is free. Bikers and hikers share some of the same trails. Check the rules on the park's website.
Cover Photo: An alligator, and a rather large one at that, is the perfect featured critter for Halpatiokee, considering that that happens to be the Seminole word for alligator waters. Second photo: A small depression marsh off the main trail.
Halpatiokee covers about 557 acres wedged between the St. Lucie and Interstate 95. Of that, 57 acres are used for the typical park features like picnic pavilions, ballfields and tennis courts. The remaining 510 acres are permanently classified as conservation land for the protection of the river, its watershed and the plants and animals that live within. It's really a preserve with a park inside. Halpatiokee is easy to explore through a network of trails for hikers and bikers of the nonmotorized variety. Paddlers more than welcome; No horses here, however.
Beyond the St. Lucie, there are two borrow pit lakes to paddle, depression marshes and pine flatwoods to explore. The borrow pits provided fill for the construction of nearby Interstate 95 back in the 1980s, but the county has regraded their margins and planted the with natives like pickerelweed, fireflag and spike rush to give them a natural look, We'd judge Halpatiokee among the best regional parks in South Florida. One caveat: The quality of water in the St. Lucie can vary depending on tides and freshwater discharges from Lake Okeechobee by the Army Corps of Engineers.
History: In the not too distant past, Halpatiokee Regional Park was agricultural land mostly used to graze cattle. Then in 1985, a developer named Charles Greenlee unintentionally spurred interest in preserving the watershed of the South Fork when he proposed building 410 homes in an area called Otter Creek; 39 of those homes were to be built on the riverfront. Two years later, at the urging of local environmentalists and conservation groups, the South Florida Water Management District stepped in and bought 100 acres of Otter Creek through the state-funded Save Our Rivers program.
Both Martin County and the district continued to add land to the park, buying 182 acres known as the South Fork Addition that have become the core of the park in 1998 and 248 acres in 1999. In 2008, a 3.1-acre parcel known as the Spaghetti Farm (really) was added. The park now covers roughly 567 acres, of which 510 are permanently set aside for conservation and so-called passive uses like hiking, biking and birdwatching. The remaining 57 acres are dedicated to ballfields, tennis and pickleball courts, a disc golf course, picnic pavilions and an outdoor hockey rink.
What You'll See: There are seven distinct plant communities, or habitats, within Halpatiokee, making it a fairly diverse place. The largest, mesic pine flatwoods, at 272 acres, covers roughly half the park. Open water — the river and the two borrow pit lakes — cover about 68 acres or 11 percent. Mesic flatwoods are places that can be either dry or inundated for extended periods. The South Fork of the St. Lucie River is the gem, and the extensive trail system follows the bank for a goodly distance. There is one side trail, narrow and a little more primative, that extends down to the river. Take your kayak or canoe, or rent one and see the river from the river — Halpatiokee covers four miles of riverfront. In the water, alligators are always a possibility. Manatees and river otters also hang about the St. Lucie.
Species we spotted included great blue heron, blue jay, sand blackberry, blackroot, black racer, cloudless sulphur butterfly, gopher tortoise, Cape May warbler, sandhill crane and red-bellied woodpecker. FYI Halpatiokee is the Seminole word for alligator waters. It does not disappoint.
Amenities: Halpatiokee Regional Park has both restrooms and drinking water. It has plenty of parking and an extenive trail system that accomodates both hikers and mountain bikers. The park also offers primitive campsites (call (772) 221-1419 to book). Canoes, kayaks and bikes may be rented from Lost River Outdoor Center just outside the park. Lost River also offers various tours.
Nearby: Atlantic Ridge Preserve State Park borders Halpatiokee Regional Park, and is an easy five-minute drive away. Note: There is a locked gate across the entrance to Atlantic Ridge, and a call ahead to Jonathan Dickinson State Park for the pass code is recommended. Along the way, you might want to make a quick stop at Hosford Park. Also nearby: Delaplane Preserve, also about a five minute drive away, and Kiplinger Preserve, a bit farther down the road.
Links: The Great Florida Birding Trail's take on Halpatiokee is here. The Institute for Regional Conservation's plant inventory is here. Martin County's 10-year management plan for Halpatiokee is here.
Of Note: Halpatiokee Regional Park is open 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day of the year. Admission is free. Bikers and hikers share some of the same trails. Check the rules on the park's website.
Cover Photo: An alligator, and a rather large one at that, is the perfect featured critter for Halpatiokee, considering that that happens to be the Seminole word for alligator waters. Second photo: A small depression marsh off the main trail.
