Prange Island Conservation Area
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Location: Indian River Lagoon (approximately 0.4 miles south of the 17th St. Bridge)
GPS Coordinates: Latitude: 27° 37' 25.43" Longitude: -80° 21' 31.72"
Conservation Area Size: 26.5 acres
Hours of Operation: Sunrise to Sunset/year-round
Open to Public: YES
- Picnic Pavilions (1)
- Walking Trails
- Dock
- Short-term Camping Allowed
Rules
No Pets, No Glass Containers, No Alcohol Fires in designated Fire Pits Only, No Long-term Camping
Description
Prange Island Conservation area consists of two islands, Prange Island and Little Prange Island, that are located in the Indian River Lagoon, approximately 0.4 miles south of the 17th Street Bridge. The 27-acre preserve was the early 20th century historic homestead of the Prange family. The islands are somewhat unique because they were not created through dredging; therefore, they contain mostly native vegetative communities, most notably maritime hammock. The perimeter of the islands contains a dense fringe of mangroves, which is habitat for numerous birds, fish, and other estuarine species.
A small boat dock was built on the northeast side of Prange Island in 2002 with grant funding from the Florida Inland Navigation District. The island offers great fishing, bird watching and simply relaxing on the Indian River Lagoon. Future plans include interpretive historical information and expansion of the trail on-site. There has been some colonization by exotic trees (specifically Brazilian pepper) which has been incorporated into a treatment program assisted by volunteers. Please refer to our website home page for the map showing the location of this Preserve. We encourage the public to enjoy observing wildlife and learning about our conservation efforts.