Juno Dunes Natural Area
While spending the week in Jupiter for meetings, I’m taking whatever free time I can muster to explore places I haven’t hiked before. Juno Dunes Natural Area was acquired when I worked my way through here for “Hikers Guide to the Sunshine State,” but the only trail in place was the one on the beach side, accessed through Loggerhead Park. It’s a loop that leads to the highest point in Palm Beach County, at 44 feet above sea level, and yes, you can see the sea from there.
I was glad to have the chance on this trip to explore the western side of the preserve, accessed from a trailhead along US 1 in Juno Beach. The 1.5 mile loop is a real gem, not at all what you’d expect from the scene you see at the trailhead. From there, it looks like coastal scrub all the way to the Intracoastal Waterway. Not so. It’s a complex mosaic of habitats, and I won’t spoil the fun since I need to do a full writeup on this hike, but my favorite find was the patch of carniverous plants in the middle of the scrub. Now there’s a surprise!
Sounds like a nice day. If you head north about 10 miles, located across from Johnathen Dickenson State Park is the Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge. They have a short hike there as well, where you encounter dunes and can walk down to the intercoastal, you will see gopher tortoise, osprey, cactus, snakes, along the trail, as well as a lot of native plants.
Question: Have you ever hiked kicco loop?
Yes, I’ve hiked at Hobe Sound NWR too. It’s called the Sand Pine Scrub Oak Trail and is a 0.4 mile interpretive trail with a 0.1 mile spur to the Intracoastal Waterway. It’s in my “Hiker’s Guide to the Sunshine State.”
I have not yet hiked Kicco, but plan to do so this spring. I’m working out my FT section hike plans now and will of course be doing more short hikes like the ones this week as I travel around the state.
Let me know when you plan on coming back to Juno Dunes NA! I’m the volunteer Land Steward there, and can show you some of the little-known trails there.
Tom, nice to know there is a land steward! I noticed several trails heading in other directions than the marked path. Loved finding the sundews and bladderworts. Will keep you in mind on my next visit to Jupiter.
OK, look me up! I also know my way around Jupiter Ridge NA, (about 1/2 the size od Juno Dunes, which is ~580 acres), and portions of Loxahatchee Slough NA, (~11,000 acres), and a few of the more Northern PBC NAs.
BTW, ACRES AND ACRES of Pink Sundews in Loxahatchee Slough NA!