The Martin County Parks and Recreation Department oversees and maintains our beautiful parks, beaches, and community centers. The department can be reached by calling 772-221-1326.

Hobe Sound Public Beach, where Bridge Road ends at the Atlantic Ocean, has over 300 feet of beach and a parking area for about 90 cars. The beach accommodates visitors with lifeguards, restrooms, showers, and covered picnic tables. During the height of season parking can sometimes be difficult. Visitors have a much better chance finding ample parking at the Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge located approximately 2 miles north of the Hobe Sound Public Beach.

At the northern end of North Beach Road on Jupiter Island, the United States Fish & Wildlife Service operates the Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge. Open from sunrise to sunset, the refuge’s beach, sand dunes and mangroves provide a natural getaway just a short drive from town. Please note that there is no lifeguard at this beach. There is a fee for parking, and an annual pass can be purchased. Pedestrians have free access to the beach.

Obtaining an annual pass for the Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge Beach: Annual passes can be obtained directly at the Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge Beach guard shack.

Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge Beach Pass

Golden Age Pass $10.00
US citizens 62 and over pay a one time fee of $10.00 to obtain a lifetime pass for the beach. The pass is also good at all federal parks.

Refuge Pass $12.00
Citizens under 62 can purchase an annual pass for $12.00

Daily Pass $5.00

St. Lucie Inlet State Preserve, a 927-acre park at the northern part of Jupiter Island, is accessible by boat or by a long walk from the north end of the island. For information, call 744-7603.

Blowing Rocks Preserve is run by The Nature Conservancy. Blowing Rocks gets it name from the vision of ocean waves hitting the outcropping of Anastasia limestone that has formed at the edge of the beach. Fishing, swimming and snorkeling are permitted at the preserve, which is located at 575 South Beach Road on Jupiter Island. For information, call 575-2297.

Jimmy Graham Boat Ramp Park, Hobe Sound’s newest park,  opened in May 2000. It is located on 31 acres of county-owned land at 8555 S.E. Gomez Avenue, between Indian River Drive and Windjammer Way. Facilities include a two-lane boat ramp, access road, storm water management, floating docks, staging area, boat trailer parking, lighting, restroom, sewer, water and fire protection systems.

Greenfield Park, where Cabot Street meets S.E. Indian River Drive, is a beautiful, tranquil little park complete with sheltered picnic tables and a small parking area. Whether they use fancy tackle or a cane pole, locals know that the fishing is always good off the dock.

J.V. Reed Park is the cornerstone of Hobe Sound’s organized sports activity. This well-lighted facility, with basketball, tennis and racquetball courts and baseball and soccer fields, is used year-round and just about around the clock. Concession stands and restrooms make spending the day at the park, located at 9004 Hercules Drive, comfortable and enjoyable.

On a 20-acre site, South County Park at A1A and Dharlys Street, provides much-needed fields for baseball and soccer, and has concession stands, restroom facilities, walking paths, state-of-the-art lighting, and adequate parking. Both J.V. Reed Park and South County Park are operated by the county.

Very close to J.V. Reed Park is Zeus Park, a smaller (five acre) neighborhood park with playground equipment and a butterfly garden. Zeus Park is located in the heart of Hobe Sound across from the Hobe Sound Community Presbyterian Church. The circular park was the hub of the community laid out by developers in the 1920s.

Jonathan Dickinson State Park, at 11,500 acres, is the second largest State Park in Florida. This vast wilderness is made up of many differing habitats such as low pine flatwoods, sand pine scrub, mangrove forests, cypress swamps and more. The dark waters of the Loxahatchee River, Florida’s only representative in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, wind their beautiful way for eight miles through the park. Many of the park’s recreational opportunities, including canoeing, powerboating and fishing, are centered around the river. The Loxahatchee Queen tour boat makes a stop at the restored Homesite of Trapper Nelson, the celebrated “Wildman of the Loxahatchee,” for a ranger-guided tour. Also found in the park are family campgrounds, rental cabins, a large picnic area with grills, tables and pavilions, nature trails, an observation tower, Hobe Sound’s highest peak, and many miles of hiking trails. The predecessor of the park, Camp Murphy, housed the Army’s Southern Signal Corps School during World War II. More than 6,000 soldiers lived and trained there. It was transferred to the state of Florida and opened as a park in 1950. The entrance to Jonathan Dickinson State Park is at 16450 S.E. Federal Highway in Hobe Sound. There is an entrance fee. For information, call 546-2771. Enter here to see a virtual tour of Jonathan Dickinson State Park.

Peck Lake Park is located off Gomez Avenue, north of Crossrip Street. Facilities include covered picnic tables, barbecue grills, and a one-half mile boardwalk through an upland hammock and a fresh water/salt water transition habitat leading to an open pavilion on the Intracoastal Waterway. Perhaps you can spot the ancient Indian middens as you explore this 78-acre nature park.

Pettway Park, at 8243 S.E. Pettway Street, provides a picnic shelter, basketball court and playground equipment for neighborhood residents. Eastridge and other developments provide their residents parks and recreational facilities within their boundaries, making fun in the sun available just about anywhere in Hobe Sound. Outdoor enthusiasts, swimmers, fishermen, boaters, shell collectors, walkers, bicyclists and surfers enjoy our beaches, parks, roadways and shaded walkways.

Fishing licenses are required for fresh and saltwater fishing.  Information is available online or from the Tax Collector’s Office (546-1305), where information on current regulations also can be obtained. Local waters – both fresh and salt – have some of the best fishing found anywhere. Popular catches include mutton, mangrove and vermillion snapper. Dolphin are numerous and tasty. Kingfish, yellowtail, cobia, wahoo, snook and the ever-popular sailfish provide a variety that appeals to dedicated fishermen.

Fresh water enthusiasts frequently travel to Lake Okeechobee, on Martin County’s western border, where bass are plentiful. Also in the big lake, which is about 30 miles from Hobe Sound, are bluegills, specs, crappies and channel catfish. Some fish species have strict quantity and seasonal regulations. Be sure to obtain current information.

Our coastal waters also attract snorkelers, scuba divers, surfers, wind-surfers and lobster hunters. Lobstering, whether during the two-day mini-season or the full season (August 6 through March 31) requires a saltwater fishing license and a crawfish stamp, unless the diving is being done from a commercial vessel. Other rules of the hunt involve safety measures for the diver, size of the lobster and how lobsters can be taken. A lot of preparation and planning must precede a lobster dive, but the lucky diver who is rewarded with a “bug” quickly forgets the effort.

The County Recreation Center, which operates out of the Hobe Sound Community Center on Olympus Street, hosts a variety of recreational opportunities for residents. For information call 546-0312.

For those who prefer spectator sports, to our north and south are sports complexes used for spring training by major league baseball teams. The Florida Marlins, St. Louis Cardinals, and Jupiter Hammerheads entertain baseball fans at Roger Dean Stadium at Abacoa in Jupiter. For information, call (561) 775-1818. In Port St. Lucie, Tradition Field is the spring home of the New York Mets. For ticket information, call 772-871-2115.