On a busy holiday weekend, the shoreline under the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse used to hold 40 to 60 boats nosed into the sand at once. "That use is no longer permitted," Peter DeWitt, the Bureau of Land Management site manager for the property, told The Palm Beach Post on Oct. 9. The rebuilt shoreline has room for about 17 boats at a time, first come, first served.
The new 17-boat limit gets the attention, but it is one part of a larger shift. The $16 million shoreline project at the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area has rebuilt the grounds around the people who come every week. That includes morning walkers, lighthouse climbers, kayakers, homeschool families and, starting in December, snorkelers. Boaters still have room, sized to an ordinary day rather than a holiday crowd.
Why the Shoreline Needed Rebuilding
The project started with erosion. According to the Post, the shoreline had been losing about 7 feet a year, and over five decades the 120-acre site has lost more than 5 acres. DeWitt described sand dunes collapsing and vegetation washing into the Intracoastal Waterway, where it blocked boaters.
Construction began in March 2025 after years of redesigns, funding problems and debate over how to protect a historic property while keeping public access to the water. As of the Oct. 9 report, the infrastructure was 95% complete, and planting and other restoration work was still going on.
The Boat Limit Was the Compromise
The 17-boat figure looks less like a restriction once you see the first design. An earlier version would have extended the breakwater along the shoreline and removed boating access altogether. DeWitt was originally asked to find the money for that plan and doubted anyone would pay for it.
"When I looked at it, I said, 'No one's going to fund this.' 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."
The Post reports that the 17-boat limit matches the old average daily use. On a normal Saturday, there should be about as much room for boats as before. Holiday weekends are the difference, since the shoreline used to hold roughly two and a half to three and a half times that many boats. The BLM's project page also lists a floating dock for permit holders, with installation starting during the September through November construction window. A Tequesta police boat will be kept on a lift at a nearby dock, which the Post expected to be finished within about two weeks of its Oct. 9 report.
The same structures that limit boat space also protect the land. The project includes a retaining wall, in-water wave breaks, a living shoreline and artificial reef structures. The riprap is limestone that coral can grow on and that gives seagrass and sea life a place to settle. It was finished just before a run of seasonal high tides expected through the end of October.
What Changes for People on Foot
The land side gained the most. An 835-foot boardwalk now runs along the Loxahatchee River side of the site. A new ADA-accessible trail loops around the lighthouse and connects to both the pier and the boardwalk. Katrina Heller, executive director of the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Museum, told the Post who she expects to use it: "It's 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."
Part of the property that used to be off-limits is becoming lawn, which gives the museum more room for events. A new pavilion will host programs and private events. Heller pointed to the museum's monthly homeschool morning as one use: "this is now a great spot where (kids) can be, especially in case of bad weather."
The BLM says that by winter, visitors will be able to explore new beaches and hike additional miles of trail, and the historic corridor will be fully finished. Parking hasn't grown much to match. The BLM's visitor page for the natural area lists historic-corridor parking near the museum. For the dispersed-use area, it lists a north lot with eight spaces and a south lot with 22, and no fees. Those details come from an April 2025 upload and may not reflect construction-era conditions.
Museum hours for the lighthouse and grounds are Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with guided tours Tuesday through Friday at noon and 1 p.m. The museum's hours page currently shows a maintenance closure from Monday, Oct. 6, through Tuesday, Oct. 13.
Two Launch Points for Paddlers
Paddlers gained the most on the water side. The project adds kayak access with two recreational vendors operating from different sides of the park, one on the Loxahatchee River and one on the Indian River Lagoon. DeWitt hopes the setup helps customers: "Hopefully a little competition between the two keeps the price nice and low."
Two local outfitters already advertise trips in the lighthouse area, though neither public source says which one holds which concession. Jupiter Outdoor Center lists two-hour and half-day kayak and paddleboard rentals for the lighthouse area, starting at $52 for a single kayak, $69 for a tandem and $50 for a paddleboard. Get Up And Go Kayaking runs guided clear-kayak tours of 1.5 to 2 hours for up to 10 paddlers. It says its tours launch from the lighthouse property and that it does not rent kayaks or paddleboards.
The Snorkel Route Opens Last
The snorkel route is built around the newest part of the project. The BLM says the snorkeling routes will be enhanced with experimental reef structures. On Sept. 9, crews installed the first experimental Reef Arches structure on the Loxahatchee River side, the start of an artificial reef system meant for both ecological study and visitors. The next day, research teams deployed acoustic monitors to track green sea turtles and other marine species in the surrounding waterways.
According to the Post, the snorkeling area is expected to open to the public on Dec. 20, a little more than two weeks after the rest of the project. DeWitt said a government shutdown slowed work early in the contract and material deliveries added more delays. The project was originally due in August. Given those delays, treat both December dates as scheduled, not guaranteed. No rules for the snorkel area have been published yet.
Planting continues around the reef. More than 7,000 mangroves are in the ground toward a goal of 10,000, with four plantings left. After the construction crews leave, Florida Atlantic University will monitor whether the beaches are stable, growing or shrinking, and the results will guide decisions about future replenishment. The breakwaters were designed around a 75-year flood event and can be built higher if conditions change. DeWitt noted that some of the timbers are rated for more than 100 years.
On the Calendar Between Now and the Snorkel Opening
The museum's fall programs continue while construction wraps up, and the new pavilion and lawn should give them more space.
- Oct. 14, 21 and 28: Wednesday sunset tours, listed on the museum calendar. The Oct. 14 tour runs 6:15 to 7:15 p.m., with tickets at $25, or $20 for members.
- Oct. 14: Storytime & Crafts for pre-K through kindergarten, $5 per child with one parent. The Wednesday and Saturday sessions each month share the same book and craft.
- Oct. 15: Homeschool Morning from 10 a.m. to noon. It costs $20 for one adult and one child, plus $15 per additional adult and $5 per additional child, and registration is required.
- Dec. 3: An invitation-only ribbon cutting at 10 a.m., followed by a public grand opening from 1 to 5 p.m.
- Dec. 20: The expected opening of the snorkeling area.
The new lawn will get its first big use in March at the River Cherish Art Festival, the museum's annual event. Heller told the Post she hopes for 100 artists this year, up from 70 last year.
At Sharon Daugherty, we keep track of changes like this one, the public spaces that shape everyday life along the coast between Jupiter and Tequesta. If you'd like to talk about life near the inlet, the Loxahatchee or anywhere else on this stretch of shoreline, our team is glad to help. Contact Us.
