The Boardwalk Loop

Dunes at Smyrna Dunes Park

To hike from high ground to low, start at the parking area and follow the trail back towards the park entrance, where it soon climbs into the maritime forest. Red bay forms a spreading canopy overhead. Watch for small clumps of cinnamon fern and royal fern under the trees. Rising out of the maritime forest, the trail climbs dunes which rise up to twenty feet high. Tangles of saw palmetto and catbrier hold these sand mounds in place. The boardwalk rises high over a deep basin between the dunes, where you catch a glimpse of a white geodesic dome off to the left—the NASA tracking station, used to monitor launches as they pass over this portion of the Space Coast.

As you continue along the trail, it drops down into a low, barren, desert-like area. One row of dunes guards these lowlands from the ocean. Flocks of savannah sparrows cower close to the ground, blending into the dried grass as they chase insects across the sand. You’ll pass walkways to the beach, and pavilions outfitted with covered picnic tables and charcoal grills.

As the trail turns south following the inlet, watch for the observation tower after 1.2 miles. A climb up this three-story tower gives you a sweeping view of the entire park and Ponce Inlet, including a cluster of tall sand dunes inland, across the river, broken only by the spikes of Washingtonia palms.