Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge protects two distinct parcels on Jupiter Island: a stretch of Atlantic beach that is one of the most important sea turtle nesting sites on the east coast of Florida, and a tract of sand pine scrub on the mainland. The beach unit — about 3.5 miles of undeveloped Atlantic shoreline — is managed primarily for loggerhead, leatherhead, and green sea turtle nesting between May and October. The scrub unit protects a habitat type that has become rare in Florida, home to the threatened Florida scrub-jay, gopher tortoises, and Florida pine snakes.
The refuge's beach is accessible during the day; a nature trail leads through the scrub habitat on the mainland side. Evening guided turtle walks are offered during nesting season — a ranger-led experience in which visitors watch female turtles come ashore to lay eggs or observe hatchlings making their way to the water. Reservations are required and fill quickly; contact the refuge well in advance if you want to join a walk. The refuge is jointly managed with the adjacent Blowing Rocks Preserve, and the combination of the two makes Jupiter Island one of the more ecologically important barrier island stretches on the Florida east coast.