Spruce Bluff Preserve in Port St. Lucie, Florida, is set on a 97-acre site of marsh and scrubland. There are two self-guided interpretive trails at the Preserve. One of the trails, a loop, describes an 1891 pioneer settlement and also a cemetery that’s set on the banks of the St. Lucie River. The other trail describes the significance of a Native American mound that was found at the site and goes into detail about the historic uses of native plants that are still growing along the trail.
The early pioneer settlement on the Spruce Bluff Preserve site included a small community with several families, which you’ll learn more about along the Spruce Bluff Preserve trails. The community had a school, sawmill, and post office. The pioneer settlement trail starts at the trailhead north of the parking area and is ½ mile.
The Indian mound is prehistoric and located at the southern end of the Spruce Bluff Preserve trails. The Ais tribe is highlighted on the hike. This trail is a mile long and leads to the ancient mound that’s about 20 feet high and 180 feet wide. It may date back hundreds or thousands of years. Fragments of bone have been found during excavations.
Before the Preserve became publicly owned, there was a planned community that was going to be developed on the site with dozens of homes, but the project was stopped as a way to maintain the historical significance.
Along with being able to visit Spruce Bluff Preserve by car, it’s uniquely accessible by canoe from the St. Lucie River’s North Fork.
Typically, fully exploring the Preserve takes under three hours for most people.
Yes, parking is available. You can park at either of the trailheads for the two trails that run through the Preserve.
The prehistoric Indian mound trail is one mile, and the pioneer trail is ½ mile.
The Preserve has two descriptive trail hikes, one of which talks about the prehistoric history of what was likely the Ais tribe, and the other which talks about the Pioneer settlement history of the area.
Read on about more things to do, see, and enjoy on Florida’s Treasure Coast.
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