Ocean Ridge is a coastal landscape with public beach access points, mangrove wetlands and natural areas along the Intracoastal Waterway. The community has ten public beach access points. To get a sense of the area, it is worth looking at its different landscapes: Ocean Ridge Hammock Park features a specific stretch of beach and park facilities, while Ocean Ridge Natural Area offers access through mangroves and an observation tower. A natural area along the Intracoastal and a sea turtle protection project also help shape the picture. This makes it possible to choose where to stay based on what you want to focus on during your trip.

Beach Access and Park

The ten public beach access points are located at public parks and public roads. Ocean Ridge Hammock Park has an unguarded beach area and an outdoor shower. This helps distinguish the community-wide selection of access points from the features of this individual park. If you value a combination of beach access and park facilities when planning your trip, you can consider Hammock Park as a specific option.

Mangrove Paths and Observation Tower

Ocean Ridge Natural Area offers two distinct destinations. A paved access path leads from Ocean Blvd (A1A) to a boardwalk through existing mangrove wetlands; a paved nature trail leads to a two-story observation tower. The two paths differ in their destinations: one leads to the boardwalk through the wetlands, the other to the observation tower. Together with a connected mitigation project, the Natural Area forms a 25-acre nature preserve south of the Ocean Avenue Bridge. The acreage refers to the preserve made up of both components and places the paths within a broader landscape context.

Waterfront Areas and Coastal Protection

John F. Kennedy Park covers 0.8 acres and is a natural area along the Intracoastal Waterway. The South Lake Worth Inlet is a separate feature: it lies between Manalapan and Ocean Ridge and connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Lake Worth Lagoon Estuary. The park is characterized by its setting as a natural area along the Intracoastal, while the inlet is defined by its location between two places and the connection between the waterways. The Ocean Ridge Shore Protection Project aims to protect critical nesting habitat for threatened and endangered sea turtles. For travelers interested in nature, this brings a clearly defined coastal protection goal into focus alongside the waterfront areas.

Access During Construction

For the 2026 construction work, the plan is to maintain beach access with sand ramps over the pipeline at dune crossings and at 250-foot intervals. Because temporary conditions may change, check access conditions for your travel dates. Separately, the planning goal is to maintain existing public access over 2,500 linear feet to the Intracoastal Waterway, including Lake Worth, as well as to the ocean. This distinguishes a measure for the construction phase from a goal to maintain public access over a longer time horizon.

Discover more destinations: Lake Worth, West Palm Beach, Greenacres, Loxahatchee, Lake Park, Boynton Beach, Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens

For the main travel overview: Palm Beach.