The beaches of Hutchinson Island (& engaging things to do nearby)

Hutchinson Island boasts some of the nicest beaches in Florida with easy public access, the way Atlantic beaches used to be.

You remember the days — when you could just pull off State Road A1A almost anywhere, park on the sandy shoulder and stroll through the dunes to the ocean.

There are four dozen public access points on Hutchinson Island, many of them sandy pocket parks hidden in dense vegetation, off the road behind the dunes, and that’s the charm of this island. Just drive along SR A1A and pick one to suit your taste.

Many of the smaller pocket parks are deserted, even on weekends, and many are hard to discover,

“I feel like I’m in Florida again,” opined my wife Kathy, who has lived in Florida for almost 40 years.

You’ll feel that way, too.

Hutchinson Island is actually two barrier islands, but the island most associated with the name is 24-mile-long South Hutchinson Island — Fort Pierce south to Stuart.

The island is anchored in the middle by Florida Power & Light’s twin-unit St. Lucie Power Plant, a nuclear facility that is the reason most of the island has been preserved as a buffer against development, with the exception of the north and south ends of the island.

For miles above and below the power plant, the oceanfront has been preserved and available for recreation.

Surf fishing is popular on Hutchinson Island, especially during fall’s mullet run. Read more: Tips for fishing from beaches

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Best beaches on Hutchinson Island

The busiest beaches are near the island’s three access roads, causeways in Stuart, Jensen Beach and Fort Pierce, but if you want to get your bare feet in the sand on a magnificent pristine beach, drive past the obvious to the middle of the island, closer to the power plant.

Frederick Douglass Beach Park, Ride horses

This is a beautiful beach that stretches for miles in both directions, and every Saturday and Sunday, and sometimes during the week by prior arrangement, one-hour tours on horseback are offered at Frederick Douglass Memorial Park, about 4 miles south of Fort Pierce Inlet (and 4 miles north of the power plant).

The cost is $50 per person (Summer 2024 rate) for a 3-mile ride along the surf line. Weekends only in the off-season. Call 772-468-0101 for reservations. Details at www.beachtoursonhorseback.com

This beach has a restroom, picnic tables and pavilions.

Blind Creek Beach Park, Get Naked

Bare more than your feet at Blind Creek, the island’s only clothing-optional beach a few hundred yards north of the power plant.

On my first visit a few years ago, I was unaware it was a nude beach, so imagine my surprise when I crossed the dunes! With official designation as clothing optional, St. Lucie County has posted warning signs.

Blind Creek is a finger of water off the Indian River Lagoon that reaches deep into the narrow island almost to the beach, and at the A1A bridge over Blind Creek, boat ramps at the A1A bridge offer access to the Indian River Lagoon.

You can also hike a trail to the beach here that is suited to anglers and surfers. The park consists of more than 400 acres and includes a network of hiking trails through the coastal eco-system. Plenty of space to steer clear of the nude beach.

Walton Rocks Beach, Bring Fido

The pawfect beach to bring your canine, although on weekends it gets crowded with dogs running everywhere. (It’s an off-leash dog park). Dogs need a place to play in the ocean, and this is the place.

The 24-acre beach is also popular for fishing, but get their early so your lines don’t get tangled by rambunctious dogs running in and out of the surf.

I love this beach for its hard-pack-sand access road behind the dunes. The dog beach is at the end of the road, but you can pull off before the end and find a more isolated beach access.

You would never know this beach is there unless you’re looking for it at 6700 South Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach.

Bathtub Reef Beach, Bring the family

A near-shore reef protects an idyllic lagoon, taming the surf and offering shallow pools of water and easy snorkeling.

This may be the island’s most well-known beach, and has been completely restored since it was battered to oblivion during the 2016 hurricane season.

The beach has plenty of parking, but arrive early on weekends. Lifeguards are on duty on weekends.

There’s a bathhouse with showers and pavilions for picnicking. Take State Road A1A across the Stuart Causeway, then turn right off A1A onto MacArthur Boulevard. Drive a half-mile on MacArthur, past the House of Refuge to Bathtub Reef Beach.

More on the House of Refuge later in this story.

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Pocket parks on Hutchinson Island

The best beaches on Hutchinson Island are small pocket parks with limited parking behind the dunes.

To find them, take a leisurely drive along SR A1A past the rows of condominiums to the undeveloped preserve that sprawls north and south of the nuclear power plant.

It’s in these environs you’ll find an Old Florida pocket park you can call your own. There are several. Be aware lifeguards are not on duty at any of those pocket parks.

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Where the action is…

Although not my personal favorites, there are beach parks on Hutchinson Island where you’ll find crowds and amenities, if that’s your thing.

• Jensen Beach Park is perhaps the most popular beach on Hutchinson Island with a large parking lot and a full range of family activities: volleyball courts, picnic pavilions, restrooms and showers, a cafe and concession stand and lifeguards. Located on State Road A1A at the Jensen Beach Causeway.
• Stuart Beach Park is tucked away behind the Elliot Museum on Plantation Road, out of view from State Road A1A. Not as much parking as Jensen Beach Park, which actually makes it more attractive in my view because it caps the number of people on the beach itself.
• Fort Pierce Beach is at the north end of Hutchinson Island at the mouth of the Fort Pierce Inlet, straight off the Fort Pierce South Causeway. Parking is limited but it’s within walking distance of restaurants and shops.
• Fort Pierce South Causeway Park is a narrow strip of public beach along the Fort Pierce Inlet that is easily accessible. There are restrooms but no lifeguards. This is also where you’ll find the Smithsonian Marine Eco-Systems Exhibit and St. Lucie County Aquarium. (Details lower in this story.)

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Fort Pierce Inlet State Park

With beaches on both the inlet and the ocean, Fort Pierce Inlet State Park is on the north side of the inlet from Hutchinson Island. (Technically, it’s on North Hutchinson Island.)

The park’s half-mile ocean beach is popular with surfers and anglers, while the inlet beach is a bit more sheltered and popular for family outings. Great place to watch the boats go by while lounging in the sun.

The park has trails for bicycles and hikers and access to the Indian River Lagoon for kayakers. Kayak and paddleboard rentals are available at the park.

This is also a popular destination for birding, especially during the fall migration. Day-use fee is $6 per vehicle. 905 Shorewinds Drive, Fort Pierce FL 34949.

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Things to do on Hutchinson Island

Surf fishing on Hutchinson Island

Beaches near the power plant are my usual destination for fishing because they are mostly devoid of crowds, sometimes deserted, and they offer an unmatched opportunity for successful surf fishing, aided by a near-shore reef that traps fish in the trough between the reef and the beach.

Your gear should include at least a medium spinning outfit, pompano rigs, pyramid sinkers and a jig to bounce along the bottom. A long surf rod would be even better, allowing you to cast further into the surf.

Cut a pointed edge on a 3-foot section of PVC pipe for a rod holder and stick it in the sand. The rod holder keeps your rod and reel. In fact, bring two rod holders.

Best baits are shrimp and mole crabs, known locally as ‘sand fleas.’ Live bait, especially mole crabs, can be found on the island’s beaches, or you can buy bait before you reach the island. The Snook Nook in downtown Jensen Beach is popular with anglers, but you’ll find excellent bait shops near all three causeways.

Bring a beach chair and a cooler for your catch of pompano, whiting or bluefish. You do need a shoreline fishing license, which is free to everyone. Seniors 65 and over are exempt from carrying a license but still must have proof of age.

Read: Surf Fishing: Family fun at the beach, a tutorial and checklist

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Smithsonian Marine Ecosystems Exhibit

A satellite program of the Smithsonian Institute, this small aquarium on the Fort Pierce causeway has a living reef exhibit and a variety of smaller tanks and exhibits. The large tank was originally in the Smithsonian’s Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C., where it was one of the first living reefs ever on display. Admission is $4. 420 Seaway Drive, Fort Pierce. 772-462-FISH. www.st.lucie.gov

House of Refuge at Gilbert’s Bar

A predecessor of the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Lifesaving Service was formed after the Civil War to rescue the crews of ships that encountered trouble at sea. They had no boats, so the keepers of these refuges – there were 10 on Florida’s coast – would walk the beaches after storms and search for victims of shipwrecks. This one is on the south end of Hutchinson Island in Stuart.

The exhibit includes lifesaving equipment and showcases the keeper’s quarters circa 1904. About 100 yards offshore, you can sometimes see the wreckage of an Italian brigantine that sank during a violent storm that same year. Admission is $8.  Located at 301 SE MacArthur Blvd., about 1.2 miles south of the intersection with SR A1A. 772-225-1875. Here’s a Florida Rambler story on the House of Refuge.

Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center

A 57-acre marine life nature center run by the non-profit Florida Oceanographic Society. The center features a 750,000 gallon Game Fish Lagoon with more than 35 species of fish, a nature trail, coastal hardwood hammocks and mangrove swamp communities and a tank where visitors can touch sea rays, among other displays. Sign up for sea turtle walks from May 30 through August 1. Admission is $12. 772-225-0505. Located south end the island near the Stuart Causeway at 890 NE Ocean Blvd. www.floridaocean.org

The Elliott Museum

The Elliott Museum has built a spiffy new building with a high-tech robotic system to display its extensive collection of antique cars. You’ll also find exhibits featuring trucks, bicycles, wooden boats, baseball memorabilia, assorted Americana, even wedding dresses.

Most visitors to the eclectic museum will find something to intrigue them. Admission $18 (2024) and tickets can be purchase online at hsmc-fl.com/ticketing. You can also buy tickets here for the House of Refuge ($10).

The museum is on the island just after your cross the Stuart Causeway at 825 NE Ocean Boulevard (SR A1A).

Read this Florida Rambler story about the Elliott Museum

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Things to do near Hutchinson Island

UMT/Navy Seal Museum, North Hutchinson Island

North Hutchinson Island in Fort Pierce is the birthplace of Navy frogmen and underwater demolition teams first deployed during World War II, known then as “Scouts” and “Raiders” who would later become a permanent part of elite U.S. Special Forces known as SEALS. The national museum is just past Fort Pierce Inlet State Park on A1A. The history and equipment used by Navy Seals and Underwater Demolition Teams are displayed here, including some fascinating underwater attack vehicles. Closed Mondays. Open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sunday: 12-4. Admission is $16 for adults, $8 for children ages 6-12. Phone: 772-595-5845. www.navysealmuseum.org

The A.E. Backus Museum

A beloved son of Fort Pierce, A.E. Backus was a renowned landscape artist who notably mentored The Highwaymen, a legendary group of African-Americans who sold their artwork along Martin County highways in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s. Backus, who was white, defied the norms in the 1950s when he invited talented young African-Americans into his studio to help them perfect their painting skills. The museum features Backus’ work as well as works by some of his students, including Highwaymen Alfred Hair and Harold Newton. The museum reopens for the season on Oct. 6 and is located at the foot of the Fort Pierce’s South Causeway at 500 N Indian River Dr, Fort Pierce. (772) 465-0630 www.backusmuseum.com

Manatee Observation and Education Center

The Manatee Observation and Education Center is next door to the Backus Museum. The center overlooks a saltwater estuary and the freshwater Moore’s Creek, where endangered Florida manatees can be viewed in the wild year-round. The center also has a butterfly garden and a replica of a natural spring, a common habitat for manatees in colder winter months. Closed Sunday and Monday. Admission $3. 480 N Indian River Drive, Fort Pierce. (772) 429-6266 www.manateecenter.com

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Places to stay on Hutchinson Island

Lodging that caught our eye:

Jensen Beach Inn — Historic Inn in the middle of Jensen Beach’s quaint downtown has just seven rooms ranging in price from $150-$200 per night (summer rate). Downstairs, the inn features a highly rated restaurant, Pineapple Jack’s Bistro, reflecting the history of this once-thriving pineapple-growing region. 772-334-1466.

Marriott Beach Resort and Marina — Set on 200 acres spanning the island from ocean to the Indian River Lagoon, it’s hard to miss this lavish property. If you plan to visit the House of Refuge or Bathtub Reef Beach, you have to drive through the property on McArthur Boulevard. The resort’s sprawling golf course will definitely catch your eye. $130 and up per night. 555 NE Ocean Blvd., Stuart. 772-225-3700.

Island Beach Resort — Oceanfront suites and a popular restaurant with a covered outdoor patio are the draw at this hotel in Jensen Beach. Great location for exploring those Old Florida pocket parks just up the road. You’ll find plenty of action at the Island Beach Resort with musical entertainment on the patio every Thursday through Sunday. The menu at Shucker’s Restaurant leans towards seafood. Try their conch ceviche. 9800 South Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach. 800-642-5630.

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Campgrounds near Hutchinson Island

There are no campgrounds on Hutchinson Island, but here are a few nearby.

Savannas Recreation Area. The Savannas is a coastal eco-system on the west side of the Indian River Lagoon. This 550-acre outdoor recreation area is managed by St. Lucie County with camping, boating, fishing, and picnic facilities. During the summer, RV sites with full hookups are $22-$26 per night and tent sites are $18 per night, plus tax. Campers have access to restrooms with hot showers, Wi-Fi and laundry facilities. Canoe and kayak rentals are available to rent for exploring the park’s lakes and marshes. 1400 E. Midway Road, Fort Pierce. 772-464-7855. Related story: The Savannas: An unlikely oasis

Causeway Cove Marina. This sprawling marina on the South Causeway in Fort Pierce has 10 RV sites with full hookups. You can also camp in your boat at the docks. RV sites are a little pricey at $60-$100 per night, and there’s no shade, but all of the sites are nicely landscaped paved pull-throughs with views of the marina and Indian River Lagoon. There is also a modest beach where you can launch a canoe or kayak, and boat rentals are available.  601 Seaway Drive, Fort Pierce. 772-242-3552.

Fort Pierce KOA. Less than two miles to Hutchinson Island beaches. Although I’ve never stayed this campground, it appears to be your typical KOA with gravel pads and only modest spacing between sites. RV rates with full hookups are $67 and up per night. 1821 N. US Hwy 1, Fort Pierce. 772-812-7200.

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Unique eats on Hutchinson Island

Archie’s Seabreeze. This iconic Old Florida beach bar dates back to 1947 as a military shack where soldiers visiting the beach could grab a beer. Today, it is a thriving seafood shack complimented by pub grub with outdoor and indoor seating and musical entertainment. A frequent stop for bikers cruising Hutchinson Island, you’ll also find the place packed with tourists and seniors. I stop here every time I visit Hutchinson Island. No shoes? No shirts? No problem. 401 S Ocean Dr, Fort Pierce. 772-460-3888.

Conchy Joe’s Seafood. Another iconic eatery overlooking the Indian River Lagoon, Conchy Joe’s is a must-stop for visitors to Hutchinson Island. With its outdoor deck, tiki hut ambience and spectacular views of the lagoon and nearby Jensen Beach Causeway, Conchy Joe’s features a Bahamas-influenced seafood menu. Try their “Famous Conch Chowder.”  3945 NE Indian River Dr, Jensen Beach. 772-334-1130

Dolphin Bar & Shrimp House. Lovers of Old Florida will want to lunch at this 1950s-era restaurant founded by 1940s singer and movie star Frances Langford (1913-2005). It was originally the Outrigger Resort, capitalizing on the Polynesian tiki-bar craze of the ’50s. There is expansive outdoor seating overlooking the Indian River Lagoon, where kids can feed fish off the pier and birds are plentiful. The seafood-oriented menu is moderately priced for lunch and a bit pricey for dinner. (Try Happy Hour, 3-7 pm, for bargain-priced appetizers.) 1401 NE Indian River Drive, Jensen Beach,  (772) 781-5136

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What else is near Hutchinson island? 

• Fort Pierce Inlet State Park
• Savannas Preserve State Park
• Avalon State Park: This beach was for Navy frogmen. Now it’s yours
• Old Florida scenic drive: Jensen Beach to Fort Pierce along the Indian River Lagoon
• Surf Fishing: Family fun at the beach, a tutorial and checklist