Guide to the Riverwalk

Jupiter, Florida is a town of and on water – sitting between the Atlantic Ocean, the  Intracoastal Waterway, and the Loxahatchee River. In 1998, amid concerns that development would limit the public’s access to Jupiter’s waterfront, the town of Jupiter adopted plans to create the Riverwalk – a recreational corridor running along the Intracoastal’s eastern shore from the Jupiter Ridge Natural Area to the Jupiter Inlet. The Riverwalk plan includes natural, residential, business, and entertainment districts along its 2.5 mile stretch. Construction to make the plan a reality began in 2000.

The Riverwalk is an ongoing recreational corridor that is located along the eastern shoreline of the Intracoastal Waterway from the Jupiter Ridge Natural Area north to the Jupiter Inlet. It is an ongoing project that, upon completion, will provide a 2.5-mile, ADA-compliant trail along the Jupiter Inlet and the Intracoastal Waterway. Throughout the corridor, hikers and bikers can enjoy a genuine Jupiter waterfront outing where many points of interests are located, passing – or zipping – by residential and commercial properties, marinas, parks, and many of Jupiter’s most celebrated tourists attractions. There are many entry ways into Riverwalk: Through The Jupiter Yacht Club, or Mangrove Bay. or The Plaza Down Under on the Riverwalk, or The Best Western Intracoastal Inn Hotel.

The southern end of Riverwalk begins at Ocean Way, which connects to the Atlantic Ocean. There, from Jupiter’s beautiful sands you can follow Riverwalk’s walking / biking path parallel along the  Jupiter Ridge Natural Area. The 271-acre Jupiter Ridge has the longest shoreline of any other natural area in Palm Beach County and is one of Florida's best examples of a coastal scrub habitat. The Jupiter Ridge is home to many endangered wildlife species, including manatees. Stop by one of the educational kiosks located along the Riverwalk and learn about the wildlife and habitat surrounding you as you pass through the Natural Area.

Continuing north on Riverwalk, you will make your way through Mangrove Bay, an area bordered by mangroves and teeming with marine wildlife. Riverwalk connects Mangrove Bay to the Jupiter Yacht Club via the spectacular 760-foot-long Lagoon Bridge. As you cross the bridge, pause to observe the lagoon view. In the waters below you’ll often see snook, stingrays, mangrove crabs, and manatees, all enjoying the peaceful lagoon.

Leaving the Lagoon Bridge, you have now arrived at the Jupiter Yacht Club. Here, you will pass private and public boat slips as you enter into a waterside courtyard featuring a shopping plaza with an interactive fountain and restaurants. There are 10 public boat docks available in the center of the Yacht Club.

Continuing north along the Riverwalk you will discover the Plaza Down Under on The Riverwalk. Nestled under the Indiantown Road Bridge, this covered venue hosts many community events, festivals, and gatherings. The Plaza is also the site of Jupiter's water taxi docks. If you are tired of walking, hitch a ride along the Intracoastal Waterway and view Riverwalk from the water.

Just north of the Plaza is Harbourside Place, Jupiter’s premier shopping, dining, and entertainment events venue. Harbourside includes the 179-room Wyndham Grand Hotel, office space, retail shops, an amphitheater, world-class restaurants, public boat docks, and public parking.

From Harbourside, Riverwalk continues to the 35.55 acre Burt Reynolds Park. This park includes boat launches, picnic pavilions, and 2,000 feet of frontage along the Intracoastal Waterway. Burt Reynolds Park is also home to the Loxahatchee River Environmental Center. Be sure to stop in and learn about the local water system, the local habitat, and life in and along the river.

As of 2016, this is the end of the constructed Riverwalk.

The final phase of the Riverwalk will pass out of Burt Reynolds Park, continuing on to follow along the southern shore of the Jupiter Inlet, across from the famed Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse.

Built circa 1859 and sitting on 126 acres of federally protected land, the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse is arguably the focal point of Jupiter itself. The Lighthouse grounds are also the site of the DuBois Pioneer Home, one of Jupiter’s first homesteads and the second oldest existing home in Palm Beach County. Both the Lighthouse and the DuBois Pioneer Home are maintained by the Loxahatchee River Historical Society. Tours are available of both sites.

When complete, the Riverwalk will wend its way across from the historic site, along a waterfront path lined with restaurants, shops, marinas, public and private docks, as water taxis and tour boats, charter fishing and dive boats, pleasure boaters and sport fishers ply the waters in front of the path. This is Jupiter Inlet, where the Loxahatchee River and the Intracoastal Waterway meet, flowing out to the Atlantic Ocean. A stroll along the complete 2.5 miles of the Riverwalk will take you from Jupiter’s pristine beaches, up along Jupiter’s waters and back, returning you once again to the sound of the crashing ocean waves.