Overview: Haney Creek Trail is at the same time a very wet and very dry place, but an easy walk everywhere you might wander. The park, run by the city of Stuart, has more than two miles of trails that loop through scrub, flatwoods, wet prairies and around several manmade ponds. Stuart conceived Haney Creek mainly as a way to clean stormwater before it flows into Haney Creek and the South Fork of the St. Lucie River. The nature preserve, trails and other facilities are bonuses.
Haney Creek Trail covers 157.15 acres divided into three trail sections, the North, South and East. It is well-maintained, one of the best municipal preserves we've encountered in South Florida. We should note that Haney Creek Trail also has a dog park, and that dogs are permitted on the trails as long as they're leashed and their owners clean up after them.
History: Haney Creek is named after Horace John Haney, a New Hampshire doctor who moved to the Stuart Area in 1882, buying 160 acres along the body of water that bears his name. The Haney Creek Trail project was conceived mainly as a way to clean up stormwater rushing into the South Fork of the St. Lucie River by restoring the land and its natural water flow. It was paid for in part with a voter-approved half-cent increase in the sales tax. The park opened circa 2016 with the North Trail; the South Trail through the restored Arant Swamp and the East Trail through wetlands south of Baker Street came later.
What You'll See: Haney Creek Trail is fairly diverse considering its 157-acre footprint. There is coastal sand pine scrub, wet prairies, pine flatwoods, open water and more. With that comes a bounty of wildflowers, some common, like narrowleaf blue-eyed grass, some less so, like large-flowered rosemary, which the state of Florida lists as threatened.
Both osprey and bald eagles make their home here, which makes sense given the park's watery surroundings. We did spot a red-bellied woodpecker and came across a gopher tortoise, seen at the top of the page. Trails are wide, well marked and well maintained. There are plenty of interpretive signs along the way, explaining the significance of what you're looking at. At certain points, there are short side trails for viewing special habitats, such as the wet prairie shown below.
Amenities: Haney Creek Trail offers planty of parking, a restroom and drinking water. There is an informational kiosk at the entrance, complete with a map of the trails. As previously noted, Haney Creek is also has dog park — there are two enclosures for our furry friends to run free.
Nearby: Nature preserves within Stuart include Atlantic Ridge Preserve State Park, Delaplane Peninsula Preserve, Kiplinger Nature Preserve, Savannas Preserve State Park, Seabranch Preserve State Park and St. Lucie Inlet Preserve State Park.
Of Note: Haney Creek Trail is open every day sunrise to sunset. No admission fee.
Cover Photo: A gopher tortoise that crossed our path as we wandered through Haney Creek. These ancient animals rank among our favorites. Second photo: Scrubby flatwoods, with a few slash pines dominating the canopy, such as it is. This contrasts with the sand pines seen as you pass through a section of coastal scrub.
Haney Creek Trail covers 157.15 acres divided into three trail sections, the North, South and East. It is well-maintained, one of the best municipal preserves we've encountered in South Florida. We should note that Haney Creek Trail also has a dog park, and that dogs are permitted on the trails as long as they're leashed and their owners clean up after them.
History: Haney Creek is named after Horace John Haney, a New Hampshire doctor who moved to the Stuart Area in 1882, buying 160 acres along the body of water that bears his name. The Haney Creek Trail project was conceived mainly as a way to clean up stormwater rushing into the South Fork of the St. Lucie River by restoring the land and its natural water flow. It was paid for in part with a voter-approved half-cent increase in the sales tax. The park opened circa 2016 with the North Trail; the South Trail through the restored Arant Swamp and the East Trail through wetlands south of Baker Street came later.
What You'll See: Haney Creek Trail is fairly diverse considering its 157-acre footprint. There is coastal sand pine scrub, wet prairies, pine flatwoods, open water and more. With that comes a bounty of wildflowers, some common, like narrowleaf blue-eyed grass, some less so, like large-flowered rosemary, which the state of Florida lists as threatened.
Both osprey and bald eagles make their home here, which makes sense given the park's watery surroundings. We did spot a red-bellied woodpecker and came across a gopher tortoise, seen at the top of the page. Trails are wide, well marked and well maintained. There are plenty of interpretive signs along the way, explaining the significance of what you're looking at. At certain points, there are short side trails for viewing special habitats, such as the wet prairie shown below.
Amenities: Haney Creek Trail offers planty of parking, a restroom and drinking water. There is an informational kiosk at the entrance, complete with a map of the trails. As previously noted, Haney Creek is also has dog park — there are two enclosures for our furry friends to run free.
Nearby: Nature preserves within Stuart include Atlantic Ridge Preserve State Park, Delaplane Peninsula Preserve, Kiplinger Nature Preserve, Savannas Preserve State Park, Seabranch Preserve State Park and St. Lucie Inlet Preserve State Park.
Of Note: Haney Creek Trail is open every day sunrise to sunset. No admission fee.
Cover Photo: A gopher tortoise that crossed our path as we wandered through Haney Creek. These ancient animals rank among our favorites. Second photo: Scrubby flatwoods, with a few slash pines dominating the canopy, such as it is. This contrasts with the sand pines seen as you pass through a section of coastal scrub.
