Day trip to Hutchinson Island, Martin County: Scenic routes, wild savannas, seaside restaurants

Heather Graulich
·5 min read

Martin County is like a fun-sized candy bar – not nearly as huge as its southern neighbor Palm Beach County, yet chock-full of good stuff in an easy-to-consume package.

Thanks to its petiteness (just over 500 square miles compared with Palm Beach’s 2,000), you can explore many of Martin's treasures in three hours of driving time and still make it home to sleep in your own bed.

Your trip makes a loop, starting out northbound on Interstate 95. Take the Northlake Boulevard exit and head west to the Beeline Highway (SR 710) northbound. This route isn’t the most direct way into Martin County, but it leads you to the Martin Grade Scenic Highway (SR 714), one of the most beautiful drives in South Florida.

Martin Grade Scenic Highway (County Road 714) is a 12-mile road that runs east west and winds through the Allapattah Flats Wildlife Management Area.
Martin Grade Scenic Highway (County Road 714) is a 12-mile road that runs east west and winds through the Allapattah Flats Wildlife Management Area.

Protected marshes, flatwoods offering camping, fishing and hiking trails

With its lush tunnel of old-growth oaks, cabbage palms and maples stretching for 12 miles, the Grade is a restful roadway gem off the beaten path of South Florida’s clogged highways. Bonus: You’ll pass through the Allapattah Flats Wildlife Management Area, more than 20,000 acres of protected marshes and flatwoods offering camping, fishing, hiking trails and more.

This is part of the 13,000 acres of conserved land at Allapattah Flats in Martin County.
This is part of the 13,000 acres of conserved land at Allapattah Flats in Martin County.

Follow the Grade east into Stuart, Martin County’s seat and its largest incorporated town. This section of the drive will take you over two bridges offering panoramic views of the St. Lucie River before you arrive at the 6,000-acre Savannas Preserve State Park. The park’s Hawk’s Bluff Trail is a chance to stretch your legs and explore one of South Florida’s largest and best examples of an inland freshwater marsh ecosystem and sand pine scrub.

At all of one mile long, this short looping hike packs in a lot of scenery, from views atop a 40-foot “peak” along the Atlantic Ridge to lush wetlands and oak forest. It’s accessible from a trailhead on Savannah Road, where parking is limited along the roadside. You must reserve parking and day pass ahead of time through the Florida State Parks website, but at just $3, it’s a great bargain. If you choose to pack a picnic lunch for the day, there are shaded benches overlooking the marshlands to sit a spell while enjoying a snack and Florida’s incredible natural beauty.

An aerial view of Savannas Preserve State Park in April 2021 shows the sprawling wet prairie and basin marsh spanning 10 miles in Martin and St. Lucie counties. Many species of wildlife, including the gopher tortoise, scrub jay and bald eagle inhabit the land, which represents what much of old Florida looked like before development.
An aerial view of Savannas Preserve State Park in April 2021 shows the sprawling wet prairie and basin marsh spanning 10 miles in Martin and St. Lucie counties. Many species of wildlife, including the gopher tortoise, scrub jay and bald eagle inhabit the land, which represents what much of old Florida looked like before development.

Oceanfront dining on Hutchinson Island

If brown-bagging it isn’t your thing, head east over the Jensen Beach Causeway to Hutchinson Island and splurge on a rare, direct oceanfront dining experience at Kyle G’s Prime Seafood & Steaks. If the weather is fine, opt for the outdoor terrace, where you can sample Florida favorites such as fresh shucked oysters and blackened mahi tacos while sun and saltwater breezes bring on the vacay vibes.

After a refreshing refuel, it’s time to get moving. And what driving tour is complete without a stop at a museum known for its amazing car collection? From Kyle G’s, follow the ocean south along A1A to Stuart’s Elliott Museum.

The Elliott boasts an impressive assortment of historic vehicles dating to 1903, but the real star of the show is a robotic car-racking system that functions like a massive vending machine. Using a computer interface, docents can select one of 55 classic cars to be delivered to a rotating viewing platform for your personal inspection. (Pro tip: After your visit, walk across the parking lot for another soothing peek at the ocean from Stuart Beach.)

Maybe your interests are less mechanical and more environmental? If so, opt for the Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center, just across A1A from the Elliott. This 57-acre marine life nature center lets you explore and learn about Florida’s delicate coastal ecosystem and the wildlife it supports. Here, you can visit Turtwig, a green sea turtle and a few more reptilian friends who are permanently in residence due to injury or illness that prevent their return to the ocean. Kids love the 750,000-gallon saltwater aquarium for up-close sea life-viewing plus the popular stingray and gamefish feeding programs, held twice daily Wednesday through Sunday.

Leaving Hutchinson Island you’ll follow the Stuart Causeway over the St. Lucie and Indian rivers for more spectacular water views as you head toward downtown Stuart. It’s time for a little retail therapy – or perhaps just window shopping the beachy boutiques while cooling off with an ice cream from Signature Sweets or a cold brew from the Stuart Coffee Company. Stroll the boardwalk along the St. Lucie River and soak in the charm of this historic town, established in 1914 and named in March as one of the South’s “Best Small Towns” by Southern Living magazine. Throughout the year, you’ll find the town playing host to numerous events, including farmers’ markets, art shows, music festivals and more.

Bonus stops include waterfront restaurants in the historic fishing village of Port Salemo; Jonathan Dickinson State Park

Not quite ready to head home? From downtown Stuart, continue south on A1A into the historic fishing village of Port Salerno. You may be ready for another bite to eat or a cooling beverage, and Port Salerno delivers with numerous waterfront restaurants, snugged beside the Manatee Pocket’s marinas. Watch the fishing boats come and go, visit a working artist’s gallery or just relax in this lively harbor village after a long day of sightseeing.

And if you’ve made it this far, there’s one last stop before home. Continue south on A1A, linking up with U.S. 1 into Hobe Sound. Straddling the border of Martin and Palm Beach counties is Jonathan Dickinson State Park, a 10,500-acre preserve named for a Quaker merchant who shipwrecked nearby in 1696.

“J.D.” is the largest state park in Southeast Florida and worth a whole day to explore, but for this evening visit, there’s just one goal: the park’s Hobe Mountain Trail, a short boardwalk excursion that leads to a wooden observation tower. It’s worth the $6 park fee and the 27-foot climb to the top for breathtaking, 360-degree views of the Intracoastal Waterway, Jupiter Island and the Atlantic Ocean beyond to the east, and stunning sunset vistas over the park’s scrub and pinewoods to the west.

A three-hour route for a day-long outting to Martin County
A three-hour route for a day-long outting to Martin County

The Martin County road trip route

(Driving time: approximately 3 hours with Palm Beach International Airport set as central starting point; adjust to your location):  goo.gl/maps/ocUNPTPbd7sUUJYq5  

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Hutchinson Island, Stuart road trip with seaside restaurants, hiking