Sports
Best beaches in Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie: Blind Creek nude beach
Fort Pierce Inlet State Park, South Causeway, Jetty Park, Avalon, Gulfstream, John Brooks, Frederick Douglass, Kimberly Bergalis top the list.
Let’s go to the beach — in Fort Pierce and near Port St. Lucie.
These are the best beaches in the area, either popular and packed with people or lesser-known with small parking lots to keep crowds away.
This list includes whether these beaches have restrooms and outdoor showers, as well as other amenities such as picnic pavilions and sand volleyball courts. All have parking lots, some paved and others not.
No lifeguards are on duty unless otherwise noted. All are free except state parks. No pets, alcohol, fires, camping or fireworks are allowed at beaches in Fort Pierce and St. Lucie County — with the exception of Walton Rocks Beach in Jensen Beach, which allows pets.
Here are the 16 best beaches in Fort Pierce and near Port St. Lucie, from north to south in St. Lucie County.
Avalon State Park
- North State Road A1A, 4 miles north of Fort Pierce Inlet State Park or 9 miles south of Vero Beach
- Open 8 a.m. to sunset daily
- $2 per vehicle, pedestrians and bicyclists (use honor box to pay fees; correct change required)
- Includes 1.7 miles of beach, restrooms, showers, water fountains, picnic pavilions, paved parking, nature trail
- Popular surf spot for beginner and intermediate surfers
Pepper Park Beachside
- 3302 N. State Road A1A, Fort Pierce
- 52-acre park next to National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum
- Open 24 hours daily
- Lifeguards on duty during day
- Includes restrooms, showers, water fountains, picnic pavilions, grills, sand volleyball court, tennis courts, pickleball courts, basketball court, paved parking
- Popular beginner surf spot and snorkeling spot because of shallow reefs about 100 yards offshore and Urca de Lima shipwreck, the state’s first underwater archeological preserve located in about 20 feet of water
Fort Pierce Inlet State Park
- 905 Shorewinds Drive, Fort Pierce
- Half-mile of dune, coastal hammock and pristine beach
- Open 8 a.m. to sunset daily
- $6 per vehicle up to 8 people; $4 single-occupant vehicle; $2 per pedestrian, bicyclist, extra passenger
- Includes restrooms, showers, water fountains, picnic pavilions, hiking trails, bicycle path, paved parking
- Popular experienced surf spot and snorkeling spot because of rocky jetty to see snook, lobsters, sea turtles, nurse sharks, tropical fish, jacks and the occasional hogfish
South Causeway Beach
Jetty Park Beach (Fort Pierce Beach)
- Seaway Drive and State Road A1A, Fort Pierce
- Open sunrise to sunset daily
- Includes restrooms, pavilions, deck, bike rack, paved parking lot
- Walk along the South Jetty to see manatees and dolphins when conditions allowed and watch kite surfers on windy days fly across the water
Porpoise Beach
Gulfstream Beach
- State Road A1A and Gulfstream Avenue, Fort Pierce
- Open sunrise to sunset daily
- Small paved parking lot
South Beach Park
Kimberly Bergalis Memorial Park
- S. Ocean Drive and Melaleuca Drive, Fort Pierce
- Open sunrise to sunset daily
- Includes restrooms, showers, pavilions, grills, paved parking lot
- Named after 23-year-old woman who died of AIDS-related illnesses in 1991 after she was infected with HIV by a Jensen Beach dentist
Surfside Park
Coconut Drive Park
Blue Heron Beach
John Brooks Park Beachside
- 3300 S. Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce
- Open sunrise to sunset daily
- 226-acre upland and wetland preserve with 2 miles of beachfront dunes
- Includes wooden ramp dune crossover with covered viewing area, small unpaved parking lot
- Named after environmental activist John Brooks
- Only beach that allows horseback riding tours
Frederick Douglass Memorial Park
- 3600 S. Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce
- Open sunrise to sunset daily
- Includes restrooms, pavilions, picnic tables, unpaved parking lot
- Named after the famous African-American abolitionist, editor and author
Middle Cove Beach
Blind Creek Beachside
Laurie K. Blandford is TCPalm’s entertainment reporter dedicated to finding the best things to do on the Treasure Coast. Email her at laurie.blandford@tcpalm.com. Sign up for her What To Do in 772 weekly newsletter at profile.tcpalm.com/newsletters/manage.