Last updated on July 5th, 2024 at 02:01 pm
Jupiter Island is great for biking. You can even stop at a hidden beach
JUPITER ISLAND — The houses here have names — “Paradise Found, ” “The Other House,” “Tranquility.” And there are two driveways: One is labeled “service entry.”
Jupiter Island residents have included Tiger Woods, Celine Dion, Greg Norman, Alan Jackson and members of the Bush clan. The neighborhood is not cluttered with retail establishments or hotels or condos.
What that means to me is: A scenic two-lane beachfront road with well-kept landscaping, very little traffic and thus excellent biking. And it goes on for mile after mile along Jupiter Island on Florida’s coast.
Jupiter Island starts at the Jupiter Inlet with its beautiful lighthouse and extends 15 miles north to the St. Lucie River Inlet. (The barrier island is midway between West Palm Beach and Port St. Lucie.)
The only road on Jupiter Island more than a few blocks long is Beach Road (SR 707), which extends 10 miles along the Atlantic, from the southern end and the town of Jupiter Inlet Colony (population 388) to the northern end, the town of Jupiter Island (population 650).
Jupiter Island is said to have the second highest per-capita income of any city in the country. And lucky for us, the only traffic that kind of money generates comes from lawn-maintenance workers and delivery drivers. The speed limit on the two-lane road is 30 miles per hour and the road is substantially shaded in the early mornings and late afternoons. (Be aware: The speed limit between the bridge and Blowing Rocks is higher — 40 mph — so take that into consideration..)
Celebrities have lived in lavish homes here, although some have moved on. Celine Dion sold her house at 215 S. Beach Road in 2017. (Just north of where Gomez splits off in the town of Jupiter Island. All you will see, however, is hedges and driveways.)
Tiger Woods’ $35 million house is three miles south at 463-467-469 S. Beach Road, according to tcpalm.com. But don’t linger and don’t trespass: Security is said to be very tight.
Country singer Alan Jackson had a home on Jupiter Island and filmed his classic “It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere” music video in Jupiter.
You can access Jupiter Island’s Beach Road for biking from either the north via Bridge Road (County Road 708) at Hobe Sound, or the south, where Beach Road (SR 707) heads east off of U.S./A1A in Tequesta.
Places to park your car or explore when biking Jupiter Island
There are several parks that make good starting points and/or places to spend time as you are biking Jupiter Island.
- Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and Museum has a large, free parking lot right off Beach Road where it splits off US 1. The first section of South Beach Road passes the only condos and highrises on the island. There is more traffic here as a result, but there is a bike lane/sidewalk. The scenery is good where you get views of the wide Intracoastal Waterway. Note: A large construction project in this section is adding to traffic.
If you have the time and are interested in exploring , the lighthouse makes a good stop. The historic 1860 lighthouse is one of the few lighthouses you can climb. The waterfront museum in a restored WWII building offers indoor Florida history exhibits, outdoor exhibits and the Tindall Pioneer Homestead. It’s $9 for adults, $5 children ages 6 to 18, ages 5 and under free.
- Blowing Rocks Preserve, 574 S. Beach Road, has a large parking lot on the west side of the road for its nature center. (Beach-side spaces should be left for beach goers.) Blowing Rocks is an outstanding and unique beach and well worth exploring on foot. You can also swim and snorkel here. The lovely free nature center is worth a quick visit and there are restrooms inside. Here’s a Florida Rambler story on Blowing Rocks.
Hobe Sound Martin County Beach Park, at the intersection of Bridge Road and Beach Road at the northern end of the island, has about 80 parking spaces, restrooms and picnic tables under a shelter. It’s a favorite with surfers because, as Surfline.com explains, big waves develop when “sand settles between the outside reef and the shore, and reform over each successive sandbar.” The beach is beautiful and free and it’s always fun watching surfers.
- Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge is where North Beach Road dead-ends. There’s a $5 parking fee for cars, but access is free for bicyclists. We were ecstatic when we stumbled on this beach. When I wrote about it for Florida Rambler, I called it a “secret beach,” because it is in a remote location at the end of a dead-end road. You can walk five miles on this pristine beach and never see a building. I highly recommend it.
Tips for biking Jupiter Island
Hard-core bicyclists (versus me, definitely soft at the core) will want to bicycle the whole island — 10 miles each way — and then some. You see lots of bicyclists on this road; here’s a report from a bicyclist who routinely uses this road as part of a 42-mile loop. You will be passed by occasional cars, but the traffic is not heavy and drivers are used to cyclists. Local law requires bicyclists to ride single file.
If you want a shorter trip, I recommend parking at Hobe Sound Martin County Beach Park and bicycling north 3 miles to Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge. Because this is a dead-end road with few houses and a huge wildlife refuge at the end, it gets the least traffic. Plus, you can enter the refuge free and take a swim or walk there, as we did. This might be the best stretch for families with kids.
If you opt for this route, you can add a few miles onto your trip by then exploring in the other direction. Bridge Road (which heads west into Hobe Sound) is particularly lovely as it leads to the Intracoastal, with a shady bike path under arching ficus trees. It’s a short ride to the bridge. We then turned around and explored the small village of Jupiter Island, riding along the western-most road, which is Links Road and winds along a large golf course with Intracoastal views.
Another nice route is to park at Blowing Rocks and ride north. One gets an occasional glimpse of the ocean but your primary view is of perfect hedges, walls, lush landscaping and elaborate gates.
Where can you get to the beach ? Except for the above-mentioned parks, it appears there are not legal ways to access the beach on Jupiter Island between Blowing Rocks and Hobe Sound Beach Park.
What’s nearby? Jupiter Island offers many outstanding recreational spots
- Overview of outdoor and natural outings in Jupiter, including restaurants and hotels.
- Jonathan Dickinson State Park for hiking, biking camping, cabins, kayaking, birding and more.
- Kayaking the wild and scenic Loxahatchee River
- Blowing Rocks Preserve: Dramatic beach is unique
- Jupiter Inlet and Lighthouse Museum
- The “secret beach” at Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge
- Kayaking to St. Lucie Preserve State Park and its remote, pristine beach
- Busch Wildlife Sanctuary, free park with native animals
- Riverbend Park is great for family bicycling, picnics, walks
- Biking Jupiter Island, scenic low-traffic beachfront road
Do you have experience biking Jupiter Island? Please add your thoughts in our comment form below.
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I delivered mail there. The average age of residents was like 80 something and most had difficulty driving. During the week the landscapers often forget how wide their trailers are and often take out the sides of the road. The bike riders never ride single file or follow road signs. Mail truck plays stop and go with bikes for miles. Go somewhere else. Ya can’t see Tiger Woods house nor Celine’s prior home and who cares anyway.
I just did this ride a few days ago. Parked at Hobe Sound Public Beach. It was busy with mostly service workers idling in large trucks . I started off going west along Bridge Rd (on the bike path/sidewalk because the cars were speeding along pretty well to safely ride near the road) and the shade under the Banyan tree lined road over the draw bridge to US1 and then back east until I got to Gomez Rd was one of the most beautiful views I’ve seen. I went south on Gomez thru a beautifully landscaped roadway mostly on the roadway except dodging landscape workers’ trucks and delivery vehicles. The lower road near the Yacht club runs along the inter coastal river with tremendous views of the wildlife and water. When Gomez rejoins A1A south you can see the beach and also great views. The roadway is treacherous though with many speeding vehicles and driveways/sidewalks under construction. Ended my 15 miles ride back at Hobe Sound Beach where I took a dip in the ocean and showered off at the park’s facilities. Would recommend this route to soft core riders who dont mind hopping on the sidewalks for safety. Saw many hard-core fluorescent shirt wearing riders/ recumbent peddlers obstruct traffic to a point where frustrated drivers were honking and yelling. Go slow and really enjoy the fantastic views this area has to offer.
This was a great article! Wondering if there is a casual ride in south Florida for hot days that allows for dips in the ocean along the way. About 10-15 miles. This would be for a few people that like to ride recreationally, cool off and swim, and enjoy the day maybe stopping at a restaurant along the way, etc avoiding heavy traffic Thank you!
I’ve done this ride – from Jupiter Inlet to Hobe Sound – several times while visiting my parents down there. It’s a great ride!