EASTERN STATES SIMILARLY DESIGNATED AREAS
The National Conservation Lands are a system of special areas and sites under the BLM’s care that are known and preserved for their exceptional values. All have been established either by an Act of Congress or by Presidential Proclamation. These lands include wilderness areas, national monuments, wild and scenic rivers, national scenic and historic trails, and national conservation areas and similarly designated areas.
Among the similarly designated areas is the Outstanding Natural Area (ONA) designation established by Congress primarily to protect unique and nationally significant scenic, scientific, educational and recreational values. These values are geared to focusing on the natural, cultural and historic resources of the site.
The BLM currently manages three ONAs. The first, designated in 1980, was the Yaquina Head ONA, in Oregon. The remaining two ONAs, the Piedras Blancas Light Station ONA, and the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse ONA were both designated in 2008.
Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area
Photo by: Peter DeWitt, BLM
The Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse ONA is the only unit of the National Conservation Lands east of the Mississippi River, and the only unit managed by the BLM’s Eastern States. In close proximity to several million people on Florida’s urbanized Treasure Coast, the 120-acre site in northern Palm Beach County was designated by congress in 2008.
About
The ONA is home a remarkable array of natural and cultural resources including four sensitive habitats, 26 special status species, and an archaeological record providing evidence of human occupation dating back over 5,000 years. These Historic, Cultural and Natural resources serve as the bases on which the congressional designation directs the protection, preservation and enhancement of the sites key values.
Besides its namesake, the historic Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse, the ONA offers a variety of other visitor experiences. Take a gentle walk along a hardened trail and boardwalk though native and restored Florida coastal habitats, or participate in exciting interpretive programs about the site’s important role as a U.S. intelligence spy station during World War II, and its unique military history.
For more information, follow us on the ONA’s Facebook Page.
Directions
The ONA is accessed at two locations on the western end of S. Beach Road (C.R. 707/S.R. 707) near the intersection with U.S. 1. For the museum and tours of the lighthouse please access the ONA via the town of Jupiter’s Lighthouse Park. For convenient access to the ONA’s trails and natural areas utilize the small parking area on the north side of S. Beach Road, 0.17 miles east of U.S.
Hours
The hours of operation for the ONA’s trails and natural areas are from sunrise to sunset daily. The lighthouse is open for guided tours only. Tours of the lighthouse and the museum are operated by the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and Museum, with hours that vary throughout the season.
