Visit Us
The headquarters and visitor center are located on the mainland portion of the Refuge on U.S. Federal Highway 1, two miles south of Bridge Road (State Road 708) in Hobe Sound, Florida. It is located 15 miles north of Jupiter and 20 miles south of Stuart in Martin County, Florida.
At the headquarters you can visit an exhibit room featuring live animals, interactive displays and a gift shop operated by the Hobe Sound Nature Center, a nonprofit partner of the Refuge. You can also walk over half a mile of sandy nature trails through dry ridges of sand pine scrub, pass beneath the dense canopy of tropical hardwood hammock, leading to a peaceful beach along the shore of the Indian River Lagoon. With more than 180,000 visitors a year, children of all ages learn about the beauty and importance of these unique Florida environments. There are also many educational programs offered by the Hobe Sound Nature Center including turtle walks, summer camps, evening forums, and scrub tours. Please visit the Hobe Sound Nature Center for more information on educational programs.
Fees
Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge is a federal fee area. An entrance pass is required for vehicles at the Refuge Beach parking lot located on North Beach Road at the north end of Jupiter Island at the Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge. Fees collected are used to directly assist with providing safe and meaningful experiences to refuge visitors.
A variety of passes (see Pass Options below) are available intermittently at the fee booth at the Refuge Beach parking lot located on North Beach Road at the north end of Jupiter Island. Passes can also be bought at the Hobe Sound Nature Center during our hours of operation. Please call (772) 546-6141 for hours. Daily passes can be purchased (use exact change) at the metal canister located at the beach entrance.
Buy Your Pass Online: Hobe Sound Annual and Daily passes can be purchased online at Recreation.gov.
Notes about your pass
- Entrance to the Mainland Tract and visitor center located off U.S. Highway 1 is free.
- Entrance fees are waived if the visitor possesses a current and signed Federal Duck Stamp or an Interagency Pass
- The refuge accepts payment in the form of cash or a check. Make checks payable to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
- All passes admit the pass-holder and any accompanying passengers in a private vehicle.
- An entrance pass admits the pass-holder and fellow occupants of a single, private non-commercial vehicle.
- An entrance pass is required all times of day throughout the year, except for posted fee free days (see Fee Free Days below).
- Passes are non-transferable, non-refundable, not replaceable if lost or stolen, and are void if altered or reproduced.
- Passes marked with an asterisk (*) can be purchased online from the USGS Store and a physical pass will be mailed to you. Plan ahead, you must have the physical pass to enter the refuge.
Pass options
Hobe Sound Daily Pass - $5.00 for a vehicle. Valid only at Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge. Daily passes may be purchased intermittently at the fee booth, self-pay station, or you can buy your pass online at Recreation.gov.
Hobe Sound Annual Pass - $25.00 for a vehicle. Valid only at Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge. Annual passes may be purchased intermittently at the fee booth or you can buy your pass online at Recreation.gov.
Federal Duck Stamp - $25.00. Valid for one year, July 1 to June 30, at all National Wildlife Refuges.
Lifetime Senior Pass* - $80.00 per person age 62 or older. Also provides a 50% discount for pass owner on some expanded amenity fees such as camping. The Lifetime Senior Pass provides access to recreation sites managed by six federal agencies: National Park Service, US Fish & Wildlife Service, US Forest Service, US Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Reclamation.
Annual Senior Pass* - $20.00 per person age 62 or older. Valid for 12 months from the time of purchase. Also provides a 50% discount for pass owner on some expanded amenity fees such as camping. The Annual Senior Pass provide access to recreation sites managed by six federal agencies: National Park Service, US Fish & Wildlife Service, US Forest Service, US Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Reclamation.
Access Pass* - A free lifetime pass for disabled persons. Also provides a 50% discount for pass owner on some expanded amenity fees such as camping. The Access Pass provide access to recreation sites managed by six federal agencies: National Park Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Reclamation.
Military Annual Pass* – A free annual pass available to active duty U.S. Military and dependents.
Military Lifetime Pass* – A free lifetime pass available to U.S. Military Veterans and Gold Star families.
Interagency Annual Pass* - $80.00 - valid for 12 months from the time of purchase – provide access to recreation sites managed by six federal agencies: National Park Service, US Fish & Wildlife Service, US Forest Service, US Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Reclamation.
Every Kid Outdoors Pass - A free annual pass valid for the duration of the 4th grade school year though the following summer (September 1 – August 31). This pass is available for U.S. 4th graders (including home-schooled and free-choice learners 10 years of age). Voucher required.
2023 Fee Free Days
- January 16: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
- February 20: Presidents’ Day
- June 19: Juneteenth
- September 23: National Public Lands Day
- October 8: First Sunday of National Wildlife Refuge Week
- November 11: Veterans Day
Activities
A wide array of recreational activities are available on the refuge.
Trails
Embark on a journey through the rare and unique Florida sand pine scrub and hardwood hammock habitats.
Related Documents
Other Facilities in the Complex
Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge is managed as part of the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge Complex.
Rules and Policies
Permitted
- Refuge beaches and trails are open from sunrise to sunset.
- Hiking, wildlife observation, and photography only in areas open to public use and on designated trails.
- Boating, canoeing and kayaking in coastal waters - U.S. Coast Guard, state, and refuge regulations apply.
- Sport fishing permitted. Only the use of rods and reels or poles and lines is permitted and they must be attended at all times. Only two poles per angler. State and refuge regulations apply.
- Well behaved, leashed dogs are permitted ONLY on the trails around the Visitor Center.
- Firearms and weapons possession in compliance with Federal and State Law.
- Be aware of Manatee Protection Zones in the area and pay attention to regulatory signs identifying Manatee Zones.
Prohibited
- The taking, harassing, injuring, feeding, enticing or disturbing wildlife and plants.
- The taking of turtles, turtle eggs, or any other wildlife of any kind.
- The release of any animals or plants into the Refuge.
- Metal detectors and searching for and taking of artifacts or objects of antiquity on the Refuge.
- All litter must be removed from the refuge and placed in proper trash receptacles.
- Pets of any kind at the Atlantic Coast Beach. (Well behaved, leashed dogs are permitted on the trails around the Visitor Center.)
- Commercial fishing of any kind.
- Motorcycles, ATV’s, or other motorized vehicles of any type off of paved roads.
- Camping, fires of any type, hunting, nudity, commercial activities and spotlighting wildlife are not permitted.
- Entry into areas posted as closed.
- The use of aircraft, manned or unmanned, including drones is prohibited on Refuge lands. Landing of manned-aircraft is permitted only in emergency situations.
Locations
The headquarters and visitor center are located on the mainland portion of the Refuge on U.S. Federal Highway 1, two miles south of Bridge Road (State Road 708) in Hobe Sound, Florida. It is located 15 miles north of Jupiter and 20 miles south of Stuart in Martin County, Florida.