Peter DeWitt, who manages the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area for the Bureau of Land Management, told Stet News how the current design started. "I got out there with a crayon on an aerial photograph and said, 'This is what I want.'" The plan he took over in 2013 put a solid breakwater along the whole shoreline and cut off all boat access.
That crayon line is now a $16 million project, and the public celebration is set for Thursday, Dec. 3. The beach it leaves for boats holds about as many as an ordinary day used to bring. On most days the new shoreline will feel familiar to anyone who arrives by water. On holiday weekends it won't. And the space the project reclaimed went mostly to people who walk in, paddle out or put their faces in the water.
Seventeen Boats Was the Average Day
A BLM study counted an average of 17 boats a day at the lighthouse shoreline. On the busiest weekends, DeWitt told WFLX, the count could hit 40 to 60.
The rebuilt beach pockets will hold 15 to 20 boats, depending on boat size and how close people are willing to tie up to each other. The Palm Beach Post put it at about 17 boats at a time, first come, first served, which matches the old daily average. DeWitt was clear with the Post about the holiday crowds:
"That use is no longer permitted."
The old routine survives at the regular level. DeWitt described it to Stet: boaters pull up bow-in, wedge onto the sand, then fish from the stern or play on the beach beside the boat. "That's still available," he said.
The new dock is a separate case. It is for permitted uses only. DeWitt's examples were a historic ship tying up for a week of tours, or a wedding party leaving by boat. "General public docking won't be available," he said. Jupiter News Now reported that the BLM expected work on a floating dock for permit holders to start this fall, and that the project adds navigation aids on the Intracoastal. If you're planning a boat day around the new rules, check the BLM's Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse ONA visitor page first.
Why the Number Landed There
Matching the cap to the daily average was a compromise. The early version of the project would have extended the breakwater and ended boat access entirely. DeWitt told the Post he didn't think anyone would pay for that design. "It took me four years to get my management to be willing to look at a new design, and so the new design was a compromise."
More than 800 individuals, businesses, partners and recreational users commented. The Marine Industries Association and the Florida Inland Navigation District, which later contributed funding, helped shape the direction, according to Stet.
The erosion behind the project also created a boating hazard. The land around the lighthouse was losing about 7 feet a year. DeWitt told WFLX that vegetation washing off the collapsing dune floated just below the surface of the Intracoastal and out the inlet, where it became a hazard for boats. Construction started in March 2025. The work also includes artificial reef structures and a living shoreline. By early October, more than 7,000 mangroves had gone in toward a goal of 10,000. In all, 22,000 new plants are being placed across the site.
Where the Space Went
With fewer boats at the peaks, the project could give a lot of ground to people on foot. The Post describes an 835-foot boardwalk on the Loxahatchee River side, plus a new ADA-accessible trail that loops around the lighthouse and links to both the pier and the boardwalk. WFLX counted seven staircases giving access along the boardwalk.
Katrina Heller, executive director of the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse & Museum, told the Post the loop is "a really great benefit for some locals who each morning just want to do a beautiful walk around the property or a climb of the lighthouse." A section of the property that used to be restricted is becoming lawn. That gives the March River Cherish Art Festival more room, and Heller is hoping for 100 artists, up from 70 last year. A new pavilion will host educational programs and private events, including the museum's monthly homeschool morning, which now has a dry spot when the weather turns. DeWitt also added a shaded spot overlooking the Indian River for school groups and adult classes. He calls it the Ranger Circle.
How the change plays out depends on how you get there:
| How you arrive | What the new site offers |
|---|---|
| Boat | About 15 to 20 bow-in spots, first come, first served; the dock is for permitted uses only |
| On foot | Boardwalk on the Loxahatchee River side, ADA loop trail to the pier, new lawn |
| Kayak or canoe | Two vendors, one on the Loxahatchee River side and one on the Indian River Lagoon side |
| Snorkel | Protected area under Cato's Bridge, set to open Dec. 20 |
| Rod and reel | 16-foot-wide boardwalk sections for anglers, with monthly public fishing days planned |
The Water Now Belongs to Paddles, Fins and Rods
On the water, the project shifts space from motors to paddles. Get Up and Go Kayaking, which has run glass-bottom kayak tours from the site for years, now works out of a large tiki hut that it shares with the Palm Beach Outrigger Canoe Club. A second kayak company will run tours from a smaller tiki hut on the west side of the property, near the rebuilt U.S. 1 bridge. "Hopefully a little competition between the two keeps the price nice and low," DeWitt told the Post.
The snorkel area sits on the south side of Cato's Bridge at the far northeast corner of the site. DeWitt described a cutout bay behind the rocks, with a trail that runs up and under the bridge, plus new pilings to keep boats out and a kiosk with snorkeling information. "This is locally renowned for being just a great place to hang out, snorkel and see a lot of Caribbean-type fish and corals. So, we're going to lean into that," he told Stet. The Post reports it opens to the public Dec. 20, a little over two weeks after the rest of the project.
Anglers get the wide boardwalk sections and a plan for public fishing days every month. DeWitt pointed to the history. People who grew up in Jupiter have told him the old Coast Guard docks here had some of the best snook fishing around. "So I'm really hoping that people get to experience that."
December on the Lighthouse Grounds
The project was supposed to finish in August. A federal government shutdown early in the contract and slow material deliveries pushed the final touches to early December. Here's the calendar as it stands:
- Thursday, Dec. 3, 10 a.m. Invitation-only ribbon cutting.
- Thursday, Dec. 3, 1 to 5 p.m. The BLM public celebration at 600 State Road, with public tours, interpretive talks, family activities and an evening celebration.
- Dec. 11, 12, 18 and 19, 6 to 9 p.m. Luminary Nights at the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse, with local artisans, live entertainment, a lit ficus tree and a tunnel of lights leading to the lighthouse. Proceeds support the landmark and its educational programs. Tickets are $30 for adults, $20 for children and $75 for a family of two adults and two children. Climbs are first come, first served, and climbers must be at least 48 inches tall.
- Sunday, Dec. 20 The snorkel area under Cato's Bridge is set to open.
Until then, the grounds are still a work site. Jupiter News Now reported that parts of the property close from time to time during construction and that about 500 feet of trail is rerouted. The BLM's volunteer planting days continue through the winter, and the natural area's office number is 561-295-5953. The museum, run by the Loxahatchee River Historical Society, is open Tuesday through Sunday. The hours page lists admission at $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and veterans, $8 for ages 6 to 18, and free for children 5 and under. The BLM lists no fee for the natural area itself.
The lighthouse draws more than 150,000 visitors a year, according to the BLM.
Changes to public waterfront access, like the boat cap at the lighthouse, can affect how buyers weigh a home near the inlet. That's the kind of local permitting detail Trisha Hutchinson follows closely. If you own near the Loxahatchee or the Intracoastal and want to know how your home's water access compares this season, request your home valuation and we'll go through it together.
