Horseback Riding on the Beach

St. Lucie County permits horseback riding on the sand at Frederick Douglass Memorial Beach Park, 3600 South Ocean Drive on Hutchinson Island in Fort Pierce, for riders who hold a county riding permit.

St. Lucie County calls that stretch one of the only places within the state of Florida that permit horseback riding on the beach, and its program is run jointly by the county Parks and Recreation Department and the county Tourism Office (St. Lucie County, Horseback Riding). The ride itself is short and fixed: from the parking lot, riders take the beach access trail to the water and head north for up to approximately one mile, turning back at an end-of-trail marker.

The park page lists the address as 3600 South Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce, Florida 34949, posts hours of dawn until dusk and a park number of 772-462-1522, and includes equestrian trails among its amenities (St. Lucie County, Frederick Douglass Memorial Park). The park carries the name of Frederick Douglass, described by the county as an abolitionist, editor and author.

Horses are welcome by permit on one St. Lucie County beach, barred from Indian River County parks, and pointed inland to county preserve trails elsewhere in St. Lucie County.

Among its county park rules, the Golden Sands page from Indian River County cites County Ordinance 205.03.3 for no equestrian activities, alongside a ban on pets in any county park under 205.03.22 (Indian River County, Golden Sands Beach Park rules). The John Brooks Park beachside page lists beach access, birding, fishing and swimming among its amenities, with no horse amenity (St. Lucie County, John Brooks Park beachside). The Frederick Douglass page says a private vendor, Tours on Horseback, has been relocated to John Brooks Park (Frederick Douglass page, vendor note).

Inland, St. Lucie County's Bluefield Ranch Preserve, a former cattle ranch, offers more than 20 miles of trails shared by hikers, mountain bikers and riders, plus primitive hike-in and equestrian camping (St. Lucie County, Bluefield Ranch Preserve).

As posted by St. Lucie County on October 22, 2026, a resident pays $50 for an annual permit or $35 for a weekly permit, and a non-resident pays $200 annually or $100 weekly, each first permit covering up to two horses.

St. Lucie County caps each person at 3 permits covering 4 horses, sells permits only to buyers at least 18 years of age, and does not let a permit pass from one person to another (St. Lucie County horseback rules, permits). Annual holders may ride 4 times per month, on one Saturday, one Sunday and two weekdays, while a weekly permit allows unlimited rides during its dates. Separate application packets are posted for county residents and non-residents, in annual and weekly versions.

Every Frederick Douglass beach ride is reserved by phone at 772.462.1521 at least 48 hours ahead, and rides take place between 8am and 5pm on the scheduled day.

The St. Lucie County scheduling office answers Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm, and closes on holidays (St. Lucie County horseback rules, scheduling). Annual holders receive a sticker showing the permit number and expiration date to display on the vehicle or horse trailer, and a combination lock code that opens the gated parking reserved for permit holders' vehicles and trailers; the gate is to be locked on the way in and out. Riders must park in that designated area, be present for the ride, and keep the permit form on hand.

Frederick Douglass permit holders may not take money or charge anyone to ride under their permit. The county adds that any violation of the rules may lead to revocation of the permit without a refund (St. Lucie County horseback rules, revocation).

On the Hutchinson Island riding beach, horses keep to the firm wet sand along the waterline, may enter the water, and are never ridden onto the dunes.

St. Lucie County bars riding on vegetated dunes to protect dune plants and the endangered sea turtles that nest on the beach, and asks riders to keep clear of sunbathers and swimmers (St. Lucie County horseback rules, riding on the beach). Each horse needs a manure catch bag, or the rider cleans up after it on the beach, the paths and the parking area; manure may not go into the ocean or county trash cans and must leave the park with the permit holder.

The same St. Lucie County rules require documentation of a negative Coggins test for every horse, and cite section 773.06, Florida Statutes, for a properly fitted helmet on any rider younger than 16 (St. Lucie County horseback rules, Coggins and helmets).

For rides on the Fort Pierce beach, Florida law says an equine activity sponsor, an equine professional or any other person is not liable for a participant's injury or death resulting from the inherent risks of equine activities, with exceptions in section 773.03.

That rule is section 773.02, which also bars participants from recovering for those inherent risks (section 773.02, Florida Statutes). Section 773.04 requires sponsors and equine professionals to post the statutory warning near where the activity begins, in black letters at least 1 inch high, or to hand each participant a written copy to sign; the notice opens with the word WARNING and the sentence that a sponsor or professional is not liable for the inherent risks (section 773.04, Florida Statutes). The St. Lucie County rules for the Fort Pierce beach program print the same warning sentence (St. Lucie County horseback rules, Florida law notice).

St. Lucie County points riders who bring their own horses to the St. Lucie County Fairgrounds, which rents RV sites and horse stalls.

As posted on October 22, 2026, a full-service RV site is $25.00 per night plus tax, a water and electric site is $20 per night plus tax, and a horse stall is $20 per night plus tax (St. Lucie County horseback page, Fairgrounds stays). For questions about permits, the program page lists 772.462.1521 or 800.344.8443, and the county administration building is at 2300 Virginia Avenue, Fort Pierce, 772-462-1100 (St. Lucie County horseback riding program page).

Last verified: October 22, 2026, checking the St. Lucie County horseback riding, Frederick Douglass, John Brooks and Bluefield Ranch pages, the Indian River County Golden Sands page and sections 773.02 and 773.04.