A Local's Guide to Juno Beach, Florida

Juno Beach is small, but not empty. In a town of about 2 square miles you'll find a county beach park with a 990-foot pier, a sea turtle hospital, a 569-acre natural area that runs from the ocean to the Intracoastal, a lake at the Town Center, and a self-guided historic tour.

This guide is about what to use, notice and check. For the bigger picture of the town, its history and its housing, read what it's really like living in Juno Beach.

Get oriented in five places

Juno Beach Park and the pier

Juno Beach Park is a Palm Beach County park at 14775 U.S. Highway 1, open sunrise to sunset, with parking, restrooms, outdoor showers and a guarded stretch of beach. The 990-foot Juno Beach Pier is part of the park and is managed by Loggerhead Marinelife Center. See the planning panel below before you go.

Loggerhead Marinelife Center

Loggerhead Marinelife Center is a nonprofit sea turtle research, rehabilitation, education and conservation center in Loggerhead Park, another county park. It runs a sea turtle hospital and offers tours and programs. Check Plan Your Visit for current hours, admission and what's on.

Juno Dunes Natural Area

The county's Juno Dunes Natural Area covers 569 acres and lets you travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Intracoastal Waterway. It has two main parts:

• The oceanfront tract sits atop an ancient sand dune, with a view over the area.
• The west tract has several miles of trails: the paved Sawgrass Trail (0.21 miles), the sandy Scrub Oak Trail (1.8 miles, to the Intracoastal) and the sandy Scrub Hickory Trail (2.1 miles). There's also a boardwalk through a sawgrass wetland, an observation tower, and floating docks for boaters.

It's open sunrise to sunset, every day, for hiking and bird watching. Wear real shoes for the sandy trails, bring water, and stay on the marked paths.

The Town Center and Pelican Lake

The Town Center sits on Pelican Lake, which the Town says was created as part of plans to dredge a marsh and develop the area as a tourist destination. The Town's history places the original fishing pier at the end of Mercury Road, today's Town Center.

Ocean Drive and the historic corridor

Ocean Drive (A1A) runs along the beach past homes and condominium buildings. It's also where much of the town's history played out. The motels, a tunnel, and the shift from motels to condominiums are all stops on the Town's tour, below.

Take the historic Juno loop

The Town of Juno Beach publishes a self-guided Discover Juno Beach tour, with interpretive plaques around town, a printable map and an audio version on a mobile app. A few of the stops:

• The Juno Beach Camp historic site. In 1933 Oscar and Hulda Erikson opened rustic cabins on the dunes overlooking the ocean, the Juno Beach Tourist Camp.
• The Motel Era: 1945–1970s, at Loggerhead Park. By the 1960s the town had as many as 17 oceanfront motels.
• The original Juno Beach Fishing Pier. The 500-foot pier was built at the end of Mercury Road, today's Town Center, in the 1940s. A storm destroyed it in 1984, and Palm Beach County opened a new Juno Beach Pier to take its place.
• Pelican Lake, with plaques at its north and south ends.
• From Motels to Condos, at the Greenbrier Condominium, the town's first condominium.

The tour also covers the Celestial Railroad, the 1889 rail line whose terminus gave Juno its name. Some stops are next to private property, so view them from public areas.

Turtle country: what residents and visitors should actually know

Sea turtle nesting season and turtle programs aren't the same thing. Loggerhead Marinelife Center monitors the beach for nesting from March through October, but walks, releases and other programs are scheduled separately, if at all, so check the center's calendar rather than assuming one is on.

On the beach, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's guidance comes down to a few habits:

• Give wildlife space. Leave marked nests alone, and keep well back from nesting shorebirds; FWC suggests at least 300 feet.
• Fill in holes you dig before you leave.
• Take everything with you, including trash, toys and beach furniture, before sunset.
• Keep it dark at night. Avoid flashlights, phone lights and flash photography on the beach after dark.
• Report problems. For an injured, sick, dead or harassed sea turtle, or a disturbed nest, call FWC's Wildlife Alert line at 888-404-FWCC (3922).

A note for near-beach homeowners. The Town's Sea Turtle Protection Zone covers properties within 600 feet landward of the mean high-water line. Inside it, the Town requires a sea turtle lighting permit for new or replacement exterior lighting, and for windows and doors with a line of sight to the beach. Whether it applies depends on the address and the project, so check with the Town before you finalize plans.

The pier and beach: plan before you go

Pier access, fees, hours and construction all change. As of October 1, 2026, Loggerhead Marinelife Center's pier page lists separate spectator and fishing fees, hours that change by season, and a refurbishment that began June 1, 2026.

The local rhythm without the clichés

• Seasons. Winter tends to bring part-time residents and more activity; summer brings heat, humidity and afternoon storms.
• Storms. Hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30. Know your evacuation zone before you need it.
• Beach conditions. Surf, currents and seaweed vary day to day. Check the flags, and remember that the seaweed, or wrack, is part of the beach's ecology; the Town explains its rules.
• Errands and evenings. Nearby Jupiter and Palm Beach Gardens add a much wider choice of dining, shopping and events. How long it takes to get there depends on where you live and when you go.

Before you make Juno Beach home

• Confirm public beach access and parking from the specific property, not just "near the beach."
• Get property-specific quotes for homeowners or condo unit-owner coverage, wind and flood; flood is usually a separate policy.
• Check whether the address is in the Sea Turtle Protection Zone and what lighting or window rules would apply to work you plan.
• For a condominium, review the documents, budget, reserves, inspections and the association's insurance.
• Look up the address's evacuation zone and emergency information.

This is a checklist, not legal, insurance or financial advice. Confirm each item with the right professional.

Settling in

Start with the five places above, walk the historic loop once, and learn the turtle habits before nesting season. For more, see the Juno Beach community guide, things to do in Juno Beach, hidden gems and Juno Beach neighborhoods.