Jupiter Beach Access Guide: Every Crossover, Lot and ADA Ramp

Jupiter's ocean beach runs about 3.4 miles, and almost all of it is reached the same way: a numbered wooden crossover through the dune. The Town of Jupiter's Beaches page counts 56 of them. The Town maintains 22, Palm Beach County maintains 27, and seven are private. The Town's Jupiter Area Beaches map numbers them from #22 at the Juno Beach line north to #72 at the inlet, colors each one by who maintains it, and marks the four that are ADA accessible.

This guide turns that map into something you can use from the car: which crossovers have ramps, where the free lots are, where the lifeguards are, where the dog corridor starts and ends, and what the rules are once your feet hit sand. Beach conditions change daily, so the last section is a short list of the official pages to check before you go.

How the numbering works

Want it on your phone? Save the portrait version for the beach, or the wide version for a desktop.

The crossover numbers run south to north. #22 is at Juno Beach Park, which is in the Town of Juno Beach, a separate municipality. Ocean Cay Park on Marcinski Road sits in the mid-20s. The lot between #27 and #28 is a Town lot on A1A. Carlin Park holds the upper 50s and low 60s. Jupiter Beach Park and DuBois Park, on the south side of the inlet, are in the high 60s and low 70s.

Who maintains a crossover decides who fixes it and whose rules apply on the walkway. The Town's Dune Crossover Information page lists which numbers are Town, which are County and which are private. The sand below the mean high water line is public either way.

The four ADA-accessible crossovers

The Town's Beaches page and the map agree: ADA-accessible beach access is at crossovers #24, #31, #45 and #48. The Dune Crossover Information page notes that #31, #45 and #48 were demolished and rebuilt to meet ADA requirements, so three of the four are the newest structures on the beach.

Two County parks add equipment to that:

• Carlin Park has beach surf wheelchairs. The County's Carlin Park page says to contact a lifeguard on arrival to arrange one.
• Jupiter Beach Park has an ADA beach mat, per the County's Jupiter Beach Park page.

A ramp gets you across the dune. Whether the sand beyond it is passable on a given day depends on tide, erosion and recent storms, so call the park or check the conditions page before counting on it.

Where to park, free

The Town's parking FAQ is short: parking is free at all of Jupiter's beach parks, and roadside parking is free along the S. A1A corridor. The lots, south to north:

Street parking on A1A fills on the same days the lots do. The Town's FAQ is the authority on where it is allowed; signs on the road are the authority on the day.

Where the lifeguards are

Palm Beach County Ocean Rescue guards the swimming areas at DuBois Park, Jupiter Beach Park, Carlin Park, Ocean Cay Park and Juno Beach Park. Everything between those parks is unguarded. The County's about our beaches page gives the guard hours, with exceptions at DuBois, and explains the flags on the towers: green for low hazard, yellow for medium, red for high, double red for water closed, purple for dangerous marine life. The beach conditions page is the daily report.

Dogs, surfing and fishing are not allowed inside the guarded swimming areas.

The dog corridor: crossovers #26 to #57

The map's purple band is the designated dog-friendly beach, from crossover #26 at the south end, just north of Ocean Cay Park, to #57 at the Carlin Park property line. The Town's Dogs on the Beach page carries the rules: dogs under control, on a leash or obedient to voice command, cleaned up after, with tags and proof of rabies vaccination, and not creating a nuisance. Dogs are not permitted in the lifeguarded areas at either end except ADA service animals. Our things to do guide covers the corridor in more detail.

Rules on the sand

The Town prints its beach guidelines on the map itself, and its code backs them up:

• No glass bottles or glass containers on the beach or in recreational areas. The Town cites Code Section 14-76.
• No lodging, meaning camping, living or staying for a long period, on the beach or in recreational areas between 12:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m.
• No leaving or abandoning property or items on the beach or in recreational areas.
• No littering; the map notes a fine.
• Sea turtle nesting season is March 1 through October 31. Marked nests are off limits, and the Town's Beach FAQ explains the lighting rules that apply near the beach.

Beaches inside Jupiter Inlet Colony, across the inlet, and in Juno Beach belong to those towns and run on their own rules.

Before you go

• The map: the Town's Jupiter Area Beaches map with ADA crossovers.
• Crossover status and ownership: the Dune Crossover Information page. Crossovers close for repairs and dune work; this is where the Town posts it.
• Conditions and flags: the County's beach conditions page.
• Parking: the Town's parking FAQ.
• Dogs: the Town's Dogs on the Beach page.
• Storms and closures: the Town's storm hub and Notify Me alerts.

For the rest of the town, read what living in Jupiter is really like, the local guide and the best things to do.