Sea turtles nest here, manatees cruise through, and the Navy SEALs got their start on this free Florida beach

Florida’s Treasure Coast has a wild secret

Drive south along Florida’s Treasure Coast on Highway A1A and you’ll hit a park that gives you two completely different worlds for the price of one. The Atlantic is on your right.

The Indian River Lagoon is on your left. Between them sits a stretch of barrier island where sea turtles nest, manatees drift through warm shallow water, and the ground itself holds a piece of World War II history that most people have never heard of.

Round Island Beach Park in Vero Beach doesn’t get the crowds it deserves, and that’s part of what makes it worth the drive.

Two parks, one road, zero admission

Pull into the oceanside lot and you’re looking at about 11 acres of Atlantic beach. Cross Highway A1A and the riverside park opens up to nearly 83 acres along the lagoon.

Both sides are free, open every day from 7 a.m. to sunset, though the riverside stays open around the clock.

The park sits about 7.5 miles south of 17th Street along A1A on North Hutchinson Island, a 28-mile-long barrier island tucked between the Sebastian Inlet and the Fort Pierce Inlet.

The beach runs wide with room to breathe

The Atlantic side is the kind of beach you can actually spread out on.

The sand runs wide and white, with covered pavilions, grills, restrooms, outdoor showers, and a children’s playground. Lifeguards are on duty from 9:10 a.m. to 4:50 p.m. daily.

If you need a beach wheelchair, one is available from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with a photo ID. You can swim, surf, fish, or just walk the shoreline looking for shells.

The shelling here is good enough that regulars come back for it.

Sea turtles dig their nests right in the sand

From March 1 through Oct. 31, this beach is an active nesting site.

Five of the world’s eight sea turtle species live in Florida waters, and Indian River County biologists monitor 22.4 miles of shoreline during that stretch. You may see sections roped off around nests.

If you dig a hole in the sand, fill it back in before you leave. Holes trap nesting females and hatchlings trying to reach the water.

All sea turtles are protected under both federal and state law.

The island trained soldiers for D-Day and the Pacific

This stretch of coastline was part of Fort Pierce Naval Amphibious Training Base, a 19,000-acre military installation set up in 1943. At its peak, about 40,000 troops trained here across roughly 450 buildings.

Soldiers practiced beach landings destined for both Europe and the Pacific. The base’s Underwater Demolition Team program went on to become the foundation of the Navy SEALs.

Interpretive displays around the park walk you through that history and explain the German submarine threat that patrolled Florida’s coastline during the war.

Cross the road and the world changes completely

The riverside park gives you a 400-foot boardwalk, an observation tower, two boat ramps, a canoe and kayak launch, a fishing pier, and walking trails that cut through the shade.

From up in the tower, you get a clear view across the lagoon and the wildlife moving through it. The trail closest to the water is shaded for most of its length and easy enough for most fitness levels.

The whole setup sits directly across A1A from the ocean side, so you can walk back and forth between worlds without moving your car.

Manatees surface just off the boardwalk

Round Island is one of the top places on Florida’s Treasure Coast to see manatees. They’re drawn to the lagoon’s shallow, warm water and the seagrass beds that run through it.

An average manatee weighs around 1,000 pounds and needs water above 68 degrees to survive, which is why the Indian River Lagoon holds them so well.

You can spot them from the boardwalk, the observation tower, or from a kayak on the water. Federal and state law requires you to observe from a distance.

No touching, feeding, or chasing.

The lagoon teems with more life than most people expect

The water on the western side of the park is not just a lagoon. It’s one of the most biologically diverse estuaries in North America.

It runs 156 miles along Florida’s east coast and holds more than 2,200 animal species and 2,100 plant species. More than one-third of the country’s entire manatee population either lives in or migrates through it.

About 685 fish species and 370 bird species use it.

The reason so many species crowd into one waterway is the location, right at the line where temperate and subtropical climates meet.

Dolphins, pelicans and herons work the water every day

Atlantic bottlenose dolphins are common in the lagoon, and the park sits along the Atlantic Flyway, one of the main bird migration corridors on the East Coast.

Brown pelicans, great blue herons, ospreys, egrets, and ibis are regular sightings. Smaller wildlife, lizards, fish, and wading birds, show up all along the boardwalk and trails.

Having ocean and lagoon habitat in the same park draws a wider mix of species than most coastal parks can match, which means the wildlife watching shifts depending on which side of the road you’re standing on.

Kayakers have the lagoon mostly to themselves

The calm, shallow water of the Indian River Lagoon suits beginners and families well.

Paddlers launch from the dedicated canoe and kayak ramp alongside the boat ramps, and once you’re on the water, you’re likely to run into manatees, dolphins, and birds without going far.

If you don’t own a kayak or paddleboard, local outfitters will deliver rental equipment directly to the park.

Most mornings are calm enough that you can get on the water early and cover a good stretch of the lagoon before the wind picks up.

Cast a line into the lagoon from the fishing pier

The pier on the riverside gives you direct access to lagoon water that holds snook, redfish, and trout. You can also fish the ocean side outside the lifeguard-patrolled areas.

More than 80 percent of Florida’s sport fishing species spend part of their lives in the lagoon’s tidal wetlands, so the variety is real.

Follow Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission regulations while you’re there, and use the monofilament recycling bins if you have old line to dispose of.

Loose fishing line is one of the more common hazards for birds and manatees in the lagoon.

America’s very first wildlife refuge sits two miles away

Less than two miles from Round Island, Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge was established by President Theodore Roosevelt on March 14, 1903, making it the first national wildlife refuge in the United States.

Roosevelt created it specifically to protect egrets and pelicans from hunters killing the birds for feathers used in hat-making.

Today the refuge covers more than 5,400 acres and supports dozens of bird species, manatees, sea turtles, and other wildlife.

A three-mile loop trail and an observation tower give you views of the island and whatever’s nesting there when you visit.

A few things to know before you pack the car

No pets are allowed in any Indian River County park, and that includes Round Island. Alcohol, open fires, camping, fireworks, and overnight parking are all off the table.

The nearest airport is Melbourne Orlando International Airport, about 45 minutes north, which makes this an easy add to a longer Florida trip. The park sits at 2200-2201 South Highway A1A in Vero Beach.

Check the beach condition line before you head out if the surf has been rough.

Visit Round Island Beach Park in Vero Beach, Florida

You can spend a full day here without spending a dollar.

Round Island Beach Park at 2200 South A1A, Vero Beach, FL 32963, is free to enter and free to park on both sides.

The oceanside is open daily from 7 a.m. to sunset with lifeguards on duty from 9:10 a.m. to 4:50 p.m. The riverside stays open 24 hours.

Amenities cover both sides, restrooms, showers, pavilions, grills, a playground, boardwalk, observation tower, boat ramps, kayak launch, fishing pier, and ADA beach access.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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