Hike Location: Sebastian Inlet State Park
Geographic Location: south of Melbourne, FL (27.87607, -80.45696)
Length: 1 mile
Difficulty: 0/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: January 2021
Overview: A flat lollipop loop around a palmetto-filled hammock.
Park Information: https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/sebastian-inlet-state-park
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=853857
Photo Highlight:
From some picnic tables and an information board at the southwest corner of the parking lot, the single track sandy dirt trail heads into the dense forest. True to its nature trail name, a large number of interpretive signs identify and describe common flora in this forest. Some gnarley live oaks and palm trees dominate the canopy, while large amounts of holly, resurrection fern, and saw palmetto populate the understory. Distance markers update your progress in 0.1 mile increments.
At 0.3 miles, you reach a T-intersection with an old road that forms the loop portion of this hike. To follow the distance markers in increasing order, I turned right and used the trail going left as my return route, thus hiking the loop counterclockwise. Soon the mountain bike trail enters from the right; it leads to the state park marina. Angle left to leave the old road and stay on the Hammock Nature Trail, which is marked with white paw prints painted on posts.
The Hammock Nature Trail next heads into a wet area dominated by mangroves, but this portion of the trail was closed on my visit. Thus, I had to detour on the mountain bike trail and rejoin the nature trail on the other side of the mangrove section. The meandering trail curves more left than right, and soon traffic noise from Highway A1A can be heard through the trees on the right.
Hike Video:
Directions to the trailhead: The trailhead for the Hammock Nature Trail is located on the west side of SR A1A 17 miles south of US 192 in Indialantic or 8.6 miles north of SR 510 in Wabasso Beach. Park in the sand/gravel parking lot close to the road. The trail starts near the picnic tables at the back left corner of the parking lot.
The hike: As I drove down Highway A1A and approached the parking lot for this hike, I was shocked to see a jam-packed parking area with nearly 50 cars. I felt lucky to find a spot to park, and then I braced myself for the throng of people I would encounter on this nature trail. As it turns out, everybody else parked here was surfing the Atlantic Ocean at the beach across the road, and I had the nature trail entirely to myself.
Known mainly as a surfing and fishing destination, Sebastian Inlet State Park protects 755 acres on the barrier islands that straddle its namesake inlet. The surfing is superb here because the contour of the ocean floor rises up, so the waves form long lines when the surf is up, thus giving the surfer a long ride. According to 2010 state visitor records, this park is the second most visited state park in Florida.
In terms of amenities, the park features a 51-site developed campground, several jetties and bridges for fishing, a marina with multiple boat ramps, and of course the beach for swimming and surfing. Also, the McLarty Treasure Museum near the park's south boundary features loot from a Spanish pirate fleet that wrecked here in 1715, and the Sebastian Fishing Museum showcases the area's fishing history. For people wanting to explore the park's natural side, the park offers several mountain bike trails and the short Hammock Nature Trail described here.
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| Trailhead for Hammock Nature Trail |
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| Hiking through the hammock |
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| Leaving the old road |
At 0.7 miles, you intersect the old road again. Highway A1A is visible past a vehicle gate to the right, but this hike turns left to begin heading west on the old road. A few hundred feet later, you close the loop. Turn right and retrace your steps back to the parking lot to complete the hike. While you are here, be sure to check out the famous surf and the interesting museums, both of which can be accessed with minimal additional entrance fees.
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