Kayaking Fort Pierce Inlet

I decided to whisk Lady Kritter away on a mini vacation. I loaded the Subaru with our kayaks and gear and told Lady Kritter, “To get in, we’re going on a road trip.” I didn’t tell her at the time, but we were going kayaking on a section of the Indian River Lagoon located in the Fort Pierce Inlet State Park and Recreation Area. I have been wanting to do this trip since I first began researching the lagoon and the inlet. I found the perfect base camp to be a hotel on the inlet. From there, I could launch the kayaks and paddle across the inlet into the mangroves of the state park to view the variety of coastal habitats and wildlife.

The Ft. Pierce Inlet State Park in St. Lucie County is a half-mile stretch of white sand on the Atlantic Ocean, north of the inlet, with the western boundary of mangroves and shallow bays on the Indian River Lagoon. During World War II, this area was the birthplace and training ground for U.S. Navy Frogmen, forerunners of today’s Navy Seals. Many military personnel were stationed here for training of the D-Day invasion of Europe. Dynamite Point, located at the inlet, earned its name from the activities of the Navy Underwater Demolition (UTD) Teams. Ft. Pierce’s military connection dates back further than World War II. It was named for the U.S. Army fort built in 1838 during the Second Seminole War by Lt. Col. Benjamin Pierce. The fort was reached from the ocean through the old Indian River Inlet, a natural waterway located just northeast of Jack Island. When this inlet closed in the early 1900s from storms, a man-made inlet was cut at its present location in Ft. Pierce that leads to a small international port.

Ft. Pierce Inlet State Park actually consists of two separate areas. The smaller section, borders the north shore of Ft. Pierce Inlet and fronts on the Atlantic Ocean. The other part is the larger Jack Island Preserve 1.5 miles north of the park with trails and an observation tower.

The Indian River Lagoon is 156 miles long, with an average depth of 3 feet and is North America ´s most diverse estuary (an estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water where freshwater meets salt water within the same body of water). The lagoon is a spawning and nursery ground for many different species of oceanic and lagoon fish and one of the most diverse bird populations anywhere in America. Manatees and dolphins can be seen playing in the lagoon waters and sea turtles returning home to nest on the beach.

The Indian River Lagoon (IR) is actually a group of three connecting lagoons: Mosquito Lagoon to the north, Banana River and the Indian River. The IR lagoon extends south from Ponce Inlet, Volusia County to Jupiter Inlet, Palm Beach County. In essences a paddlers paradise.

The Sandhurst Hotel and Suites was chosen for our base camp for the next three days. Because of its location. The Sandhurst is located on the south side of Ft. Pierce Inlet on South Hutchinson Island.

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The hotel is very kayak friendly and has a sandy beach to launch our kayaks. We could look across the inlet and see the state park from the pool deck and hot tub. Within walking distance there are some really good restaurants, a small but efficient supermarket, lounges, a fire station and a Coast Guard station. If the weather becomes unfriendly there are numerous area attractions to visit. West of the hotel and near the causeway bridge is the St. Lucie County Historical Museum and the St. Lucie Marine Center Featuring the Smithsonian Marine Ecosystem Exhibit. East of the hotel at the mouth of the inlet there is a small park where we watched anglers catch an assortment of fish on the rock jetty reaching out into the ocean. Nearby within 5 minutes of driving time is the Manatee Observation and Education Center, the National Navy Seal Museum, Heathcote Botanical Gardens, and historic downtown Ft. Pierce. 15 minutes away was the McLarty Museum and the Mel Fisher Treasure Museum from the Spanish 1715 Plate Fleet destroyed in a late June hurricane.

Lady Kritter and I decided on a plan to paddle in the morning and hit a museum in the afternoon.

I must CAUTION the paddler to carefully check the tides and know the weather for the inlet before paddling the inlet. The out going and in coming tide forcibly rip thru the inlet. The out going tide can be especially dangerous with the creation of surf waves and the potential of being carried out to sea. I would highly recommend having someone in your group carry a VHS radio for emergency communication.

Lady Kritter and I went over the map of the inlet. I showed Lady Kritter our handrails, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the intracoastal waterway to the west, the inlet to the south and the north causeway (A1A) to the north.The handrails are an identifiable long natural or man-made geographical feature used as a catch point to indicate the boundaries of your area. If we got misplaced in the mangroves these identifiable landmarks would let us know our location to get back to the hotel. The next thing we looked at was the tides. We found high tide was between 12 and 1 o’clock in the afternoon which was perfect. Lady Kritter and I would paddled across on the last segments of the tide coming in. I showed Lady Kritter on the map the intended route and where we would exit the mangroves near the intracoastal waterway. This put us in a good location to ferry across with the slow beginning of the out going tide. Safety meeting completed, we were set for our first day on the water.

Lady Kritter and I were up early and had one of the best hot continental breakfast I can remember. The Subaru was parked next to the beach so we could unload and load right from the vehicle. The morning waters were calm as we crossed the inlet to reach Coon Island. The aqua colored water was a pleasant change from the brown tannin inland fresh water paddles of central Florida.

Lady Kritter and I enter into a small inlet that rounded to the backside of Coon Island and into Tucker Cove. The further we paddled into the state park the more apparent the bird life became. Huge Ospreys could be seen soaring above looking for a seafood meal, or found sitting on top of a branch munching out on a fish. Pelicans would dive into the water with a splash behind us, often starling us by breaking the stillness of the cove.

Lady Kritter and I followed the current of the tide around Boot Toe Point and into the green canopy of the red mangroves. Slowly and quietly we navigated through the mangrove waterway and watched Snowy Egrets, Little Blue Herons, Louisiana Herons, Great Blue Herons, Ibis’, Kingfishers, Gulls and Terns perched in trees and the roots of the mangroves.

By early afternoon the wind was picking up and according to the tide table it was time to re-cross the inlet. The crossing was a little harder, battling the strong head wind, waiting for larger boats to pass and riding through choppy waves. Safely across we beached our kayaks next to the Smithsonian Exhibit for a great visit and picnic.

Day two began like Day one. Up early, breakfast and on the water. We watched the weather and was aware of a pending storm front coming in during the late afternoon. There was no wind when we launched and the crossing went smooth. We spent most of the morning exploring Shortey’s Slough, more islands and paddling under the green canopy. Birds surrounded us in flight, perched on branches and singing their songs.

Surrounded by the mangroves we were unaware of the wind buildup. Lady Kritter and I came out of the mangroves and was hit with a very strong and steady wind from the south. If we were to continue on our intended itinerary, the combination of the tide and wind blown current would create a challenge. I also had a feeling the wind would continue to build as the day progressed. I talked it over with Lady Kritter and we decided to change course and start heading back towards the inlet and the hotel. I was glad we did. As I turned my bow into the 20 mph wind it would split the choppy waves and cover me with wind blown spray. It was hard to hear one another speak from the wind so we paddled in silence. We stopped many times in mini coves giving us breaks from the wind and an opportunity to talk and rest. One last, long rest at the mouth of Tucker Cove and off we went across the inlet.

During the last rest stop we discussed the strategy about how we were going to cross the inlet. Once on the waters of the inlet, each of us knew, without talking, how to battle the wind and the waves, and negotiate the inlet and channel. Baring adversity, all we had to do was concentrate on a strong steady stroke. Safely across we spent the afternoon at the Pioneer museum under the causeway.

Strong winds from the overnight storm still lingered in the morning. We decided to pack up and head towards home on the beach route, A1A. We stopped at the McLarty Museum and by late afternoon arrived home.

Lady Kritter and I were pleasantly surprised with our kayak trip to Ft. Pierce Inlet. So much to see and do, I can’t wait to go back and continue where we left off.