Blowing Rocks Preserve, Florida  is a unique habitat preserve that is owned by the Nature Conservancy. It is located along Hobe Sound on Jupiter Island in Martin County, Florida. Visitors can see what natural Florida looks like. The combination of ocean waves and natural limestone outcroppings results in magnificent sea spray that shoots up into the air at regular intervals. The preserve is easily reached via the I-95 Florida corridor or A1A/US 1. The Preserve is located about 100 miles from Miami and about 235 from Jacksonville. Hobe Sound is one of a long chain of barrier islands along the so-called Treasure Coast of Florida. There are state parks with beaches on some of these islands as well as resorts and individual hotels.

To the north, the closest beach is Vero Beach. Its public beaches include South Beach and Humiston Park. Between Jupiter Island and Vero Beach, there are beach communities including Hutchinson Island South, Ocean Beach, North Beach, Pepper Park and Queens Cove. Treasure Coast beaches are warm and sunny most of the year, making them perfect for visitors who want to escape a cold winter. These Atlantic beaches are more isolated from big crowds and commercialism, even if they are part of a resort area. There are many natural beaches and nature parks to attract those who enjoy bird-watching or hiking. Sea-shell hunting is also more rewarding. The inland waterway offers more opportunities for water sports, skiing, boating, and fishing. From Vero Beach, visitors are within an hour of the Cape Canaveral Space Center.

To the south, the best known beaches are within the boundaries of the West Palm Beach area. Before reaching West Palm Beach, there are beaches near Tequestra and Jupiter, Florida. There is also the Sea Colony community with its resorts. Further south, Juno Beach offers its own beach accommodations and beach access. West Palm Beach includes the beach towns of Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Riviera Beach, Royal Palm Beach, North Palm Beach and Palm Beach. These beaches offers many hotels and resorts that are part of a bustling metropolitan area with attractions, shopping and dining. There are many upscale boutiques, trendy clubs and a more exclusive atmosphere. Spas and salons are plentiful. Palm Beach International Airport brings in about 5.5 million passengers to the area yearly.

Hobe Sound, Florida, has a most unusual beach named Blowing Rocks Preserve, which is a small 73 acre area with rocks instead of the usual Florida sand. When the Atlantic Ocean wind drives the water through the holes in the limestone, the spray sometimes flies as high as 50 feet. This is a beachcombers dream because there are thousands of gorgeous seashells that can be gathered to take home and treasure. There is a quarter mile that is not rocky, and here approximately 500 turtle nests are dug every year by leatherback, green and loggerhead turtles.

Residents from nearby Jupiter Island gave this parcel to the Nature Conservancy back in 1969, and since then volunteers have restored 42 acres by weeding out invasive trees and planting sabal palms, palmettos, mangroves and other native ones instead. The preserve’s nursery’s seeds were responsible for many of these trees.

The Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge is halfway between Port St. Lucie and West Palm Beach on Florida’s Treasure Coast . It is situated on a barrier island down the dead-end North Beach Road, so it is a surprise when you find over five miles of unspoiled shore lined with seashells and vegetation, a wooden observation platform on top of a dune, and a beach filled with turtle nests. If you go by bicycle, entrance is free; there is a charge of $5.00 per person if you are in a vehicle. You can walk to St. Lucie River Inlet.

The Hobe Sound Nature Center is located at the National Wildlife Refuge right on the Intercoastal. It is a non-profit private organization that cooperates with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and is dedicated to the education and awareness of the environment. There are 43 steps down to its lovely beach. There are trails to walk on and warm waters for the kids to play in while the parents can sit on the beach, enjoy the sun and watch the boats go by. A popular annual event is the “sea turtle walk” from the end of May to mid-July.

The Coral Cove Park is a must for surfers and for those who like to view spectacular rock formations. You must watch out for sharks, however, because there are many in the nearby Jupiter Inlet.