MacArthur Beach State Park

One Sunday morning my boyfriend and I decided we’d drive down A1A from Boca and find a cool place to visit. We came across this state park and decided to stop and explore! Welcomed with a $ 5 entry fee (which ended up being totally worth) we started off by walking down one of the nature trails which was enjoyable (typical tees, couple wood benches), then we saw a long bridge type thing that we started walking down to discover that it lead to the beach! AWESOME! Beautiful beach. I would highly recommended spending a day at this park, I wish I knew about this place sooner. Wasn’t crowded at all, very peaceful place (it was a little chilly out, may be why a lot of people weren’t there) I will be returning ASAP. (Only state park in Palm Beach County)

SUMMATION: Informative Visitor Center; feeding Loggerhead Sea Turtle [A], invertebrates, and fishes on Sunday was interesting; nice Gift Shop; enjoyable board walk and beach. Inexpensive fees, ample parking, helpful guides.
NAME: John D. MacArthur Beach State Park
ETYMOLOGY: Named for former owner of property.
DESCRIPTION: see their web page and Wikipedia page
MY RATING: Excellent (4.8÷5)
SIZE: 325 acres
TITLE: «Wonderful Wetlands» [Yelp, Parguera Pirate Review #517 [1], 28 January 2016]
PANAMA CANAL TRIP REVIEW NUMBER: 45
TELEPHONE: (561) 776‑7449, FAX: 561−624−6952 (other numbers on line)
WEB PAGE:
OWNER: State of Florida
MANAGEMENT: Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Recreation and Parks
PARK SERVICES SPECIALIST: Lu Dodson gave an outstanding tour of the nature Center and the fishes she has raised. She fed her invertebrates and fishes. She was quite knowledgeable and scientifically accurate.
LOCALITY: 10 900 Jack Nicklaus Drive, North Palm Beach, Florida 33 408
MAILING ADDRESS: same
LATITUDE, LONGITUDE: 26°49’30.86“N, 80°2’35.25“W
DIFFICULTY LOCATING: easy
DIRECTIONS: see their web page
PARKING: ample
HOURS OF OPERATION: 8 am-​dusk every day (see others on line)
FEES: $ 5/​car (see other details on line)
ATTRACTIONS: Beautiful beach, mangroves, board walk, lagoon, hammock, dunes, visitors center, Surfers out in baby waves, feeding animals on Sunday
GREETING: Excellent
LAYOUT: See map on their web page and many photos on line
ANIMALS: billions of bivalves [B] on the beach (Plecypoda), 1 slipper shell [B], 1 limpet [B], Loggerhead Sea Turtle [A] egg shells all over beach; invertebrates in aquaria [C], Juvenile fishes [D]; adult fishes [E]; Laughing Gulls following one around on the beach [F],
FOOD AND DRINKS: Some in the gift shop.
AMINITIES: Nature and Welcome Center, Beach Outfitters Gift Shop, Kayak Rental, feeding animals on Sunday
GIFT SHOPS: Excellent gift shop, soft-​stuffed sea turtle hatching toys novel
ENVIROMENTAL: Important preservation site.
AWARDS: National Gold Metal Winner (3 times); Certificate of Excellence (2015, TripAdvisor)
REVIEWS: rated Very, Very Good, 4.68÷5, 290 reviews (TripAdvisor); Very, Very Good, 4.7÷5, 50 reviews (Google); Very, Very Good, 4.5÷5, 24 reviews ( Unilocal); Very Good, 3.9÷5, 2 reviews, 24 votes (
); Very Good, 4.50÷5 [2], 2 reviews (
); Excellent, 5/​5, 1 review (WeddingWire)
HISTORY: John D. MacArthur donated the land and support for the park in the 1970s. The Park was open to the public in 1989 (see details on their web page). We also visited the Park 2.5 years ago.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Plus thousands of unnumbered reviews of articles and books in hundreds of journals.
[2] They said «4.3» [5 + 4 = ⁹⁄₂ = 4.50]
SPECIES:
[A] Loggerhead Sea Turtle, Caretta caretta, young one in a tank outside and juveniles in a tank inside. There were eggshells all over beach in the wrong season. Weather must have exposed them.
[B] Sea Shells (Mollusca)
Billions of Bivalves on Beach; Many Elegant Dorsinia, Dorsinia elegans; a few Common Jingle Shells, Anomia simplex; 1 Keyhole Limpet; some Lady in Waiting Venus, Chione intapurpurea; 1 Common Slipper Shell, Crepidula fornicate; and others.
[C] Juvenile Fishes
Flying Gunard, Dactylopterus volitans, looks odd, but is a good food fish; Sergeant Majors, Abudefduf saxatilis; Spotted Seatrout, Cynoscion nebulosus; a very popular sportfish
[D] Adult fishes
Blue Chromis, Chromis cyaneus; Coco Damselfish, Stegastes variabilis, young are vividly colored, but this was a drab adult; French Angelfish, Pomacanthus paru, moderate-​sized young fish with some juvenile stripes remaining; Gray Snapper, Lutjanus griseus, which she called «mangrove snapper» another common name for this fish, young were in outside turtle tank and adults inside; Mutton Snapper, Lutjanus analis, 1 large specimen; Pinfish, Lagodon rhomboides, large specimens; Porkfish, Anisotremus virginicus; Southern Sheapshead, Archosargus probatocephalus, were small adults
[E] Invertebrates
Giant Caribbean anemone, Condylactus gigantae, had very thin arms and the terminal bulbs were not neon-​colored.
[F] Birds
Great Blue Heron, Ardea herodias, several wading near mangroves and 1 in mangroves near board walk; Laughing Gull, Leucophaeus atricilla, walking on beach near water and following people around, have never seen them so tame; Snowy Egret, Egretta thula, several in mangroves
REFERENCES:
Anonymous. 2014. John D. MacArthur Beach State Park. Florida State Parks, August 2014, 6 pp. leaflet.
Anonymous. 2015 (?). Park plants guide. Friends of MacArthur Beach State Park, 8 pp. Leaflet

There is no complain at this park. I come here every time I’m in West Palm. It’s a convenient park to navigate that only charges you a $ 5 per car to enter. I also love bringing home native potted plants for sale by donation at the Gift Shop that I have planted in my yard.

Today my husband and I went on the First Day Hike 2016. Our group’s guide was Lu. She did a fantastic job conducting the tour. It’s nice to see someone who knows and likes their job. Even though I’ve taken this tour previously, I enjoyed it. I learned new things about the park, the creatures, and the vegetation that inhabit the park. Admission is $ 5 per car. The tour was nearly 2 hours so I’d say our money was well spent! Take the tour if you can to learn about and appreciate this beautiful park.

Its ok, not much to say. Beaches, water, sun. Didn’t see anything that blew my hair back, and I done even have any hair.

Always best way to start or end the day… by the sea, by the sea… by the beautiful sea

Nice beautiful park it was fun, we went kayaking which was money worth spent it was awesome and the scenery is just breath taking… it was only $ 5 for parking/​entering and for the kayaking it’s $ 18 for an hour for a double but we took out four so it was $ 54…we also walked in the lovely board walk over the water where we kayaked and when u walked on the boardwalk it was the Bach across and everyone was amazed how the beach was over the kayak. Water it’s hard to explain but it’s pretty cool! Totally recommend this state park!!!

I can’t believe i’ve never been here before. It’s a beautiful state park that offers snorkeling, beach, canoeing, camping and free shuttle service to the beach. The entrance fee is $ 5 per car (2 occupants) and there is ample parking. Will return soon.

This is an amazing park that I never would have found without Unilocal.It has a beautiful natural beach, nature center, snorkeling, kayak rentals and picnic tables scattered throughout the mainland area. There is even a small venue for live events and music, which they were setting up something this Sunday, though we didn’t get to see what it was.
If you have a lot of beach gear, a lot of kids or just don’t like walking in the sun, there is a free tram that will take you across the boardwalk to the beach area. The walk is not very long, it took us less than 10 minutes to walk from the nature center to the beach, but it was admittedly hot. We ended up taking the tram on the way back since we were feeling hot and lazy.
The beach area is pristine. Natural Florida — so yes there are plants and animals, including birds, jellyfish and crabs, that will join you on the shore. I wasn’t able to snorkel this time, but I saw many people go out right from the beach area. There were photos of the reef, which looks gorgeous, I’m sad I missed it. We did try to rent a kayak, however we came on a Sunday morning right before lunch and there was a long waiting list. We decided to just enjoy the beach instead of waiting inside the nature center for our name to be called. Next time we will come earlier to rent one.
We have a lot more to explore here, so will update my review once we’ve come back a few more times.

This Florida State Park is something for residents to be proud of! I have been enjoying the trails through the mangroves, overlooking the waters from the walkway to the barrier island to the beach, and the pristine beach. My husband has been taking advantage of the kayaking and we look forward to snorkeling on the reef very soon.
We are excited to catch another concert here tonight!
MacArthur Under Moonlight Concert Series
APRIL 4 @ 7:00 PM — 9:00 PM | $ 5.00
MacArthur Under Moonlight Concert Series
Rod MacDonald; Folk Music
Saturday, April 4, 7 – 9:00 p.m. (Doors open at 6 p.m.)
Join us under the full moon for a magical night of music.
No reservations required, Friends Members attend free, public admission is $ 5.00 per person.
Call for more information (561) 624‑6952.http://www.macarthurbeach.org/events/
+ GOOGLE CALENDAR+ ICAL EXPORT

Only a guarded beach, and, naturally, reversal of climate change, could bring this place closer to perfection.

Nice views and good place for strolling.

The membership is worth it as it includes kayaking. It is about the cost of several hours or kayak rental, but is good for a year. The park offers a beautiful beach, trails, and you can kayak out to Munyon island. There are also events such as bluegrass music regularly.

Bring Umbrella!
My hubby and I made a spontaneous stop here while vacationing in WPB a couple of weeks ago. The sand is really sharp and in August SUPER hot so bring appropriate foot protection.
The water, though the perfect temperature, was too rough to actually enjoy this time.
The park itself is pretty cute… there is a little shuttle that takes you out to the beach. You can rent canoes and kayaks. The parking situation is a little confusing although I think they were doing repairs so they had allot of signs that just sent you into an empty lot. Eventually we found the right place though.
All in all I enjoyed my time here. i wish the beach would have been better but thats not the parks fault.

Wife and i just moved back to Florida this past December. We lived here 6 yrs ago and loved the area so much we’ve moved back. Had never been to this park before and decided to give it a shot. I can describe it in one word, AWESOME! Okay two words, AWESOME AND BEAUTIFUL! Wooden walkways through gorgeous hammocks that take you over a lagoon to a really pretty beach. Bring the kids and get them educated about the beauty of places like this. Nature center and a great 14 minute film helps you appreciate it more. Didn’t try the kayaking but it looked really good as well. Even though we live 40 mins away this will be a MUST return and SOON!

Beautiful! I was definitely concerned at first once I drove into the park and felt like I was in the middle of the woods. Don’t get me wrong — I’m from Michigan — I love the woods. But that is just it, I was in Florida and I wanted the beautiful beaches that I can’t get at home. I walked over to the visitors center which was big and nice and had great clean spacious bathrooms and changed into my swimming suit. I checked out the sea turtle swimming around in the giant aquarium — worth it — and headed down the path that supposedly lead to a beach.
A few steps in I was looking across a rather large river that apparently once crossed would lead me to the … beach??? Maybe? While I was starting to get nervous, a stretch golf cart (Not sure how else to label this) drove up and offered a ride to the beach. I asked how far it was and he explained it was only about a third of a mile, but this was the last run of the day (it was 4 pm) so I took advantage on the way there knowing I could easily walk back later. After climbing some stairs and turning a corner… BAM! Big beautiful beach stretching as far as I could see! So worth it.
So basically while on the beach there is so much wildlife around due to all the mangrove trees and natural habitat left behind you, and in front of you, the big beautiful ocean. Paradise. I’d have to say this was my favorite spot that I went to while in Florida. I’d love to go back — looks like there is kayaking available and I know there was a lot more to explore that I just didn’t get a chance to enjoy during my hour spent there.
Such a well done beautiful state park. Check it out if you are in the area!

One of the friendlier and nicer locations for kayaking. Come here early so you miss the tide and make your way to one of the small islands for a picnic or just to soak up the sun. Of course if you missed the tide paddling out, you will be experiencing it when returning to shore. Can be a fun experience as well — I promise!
I heard that they also offer a shuttle that takes you to the beach locaction.
Prices are right at about 15 — 25.
Definetively a must visit place if you live in South Florida.

Its brochure reads ‘The Real Florida’ — and the real Florida is what you get.
Kayaking in the estuary, close to mangrove trees and a flock (yes, a flock) of pelicans can be unsettling in an area known for glitzy condos and high-​end shopping. It’s the peace and connection to nature I need every so now and then when I visit South Florida.
After kayaking, I walked across the wooden foot bridge to the ocean and spent about an hour on the beach.
TIP 1: The cost to park for the day is $ 5, but if you are alone, they only charge you $ 4.
TIP 2: Unlike other outfitters, you do not pre-​pay for your kayak rental. The park rangers simply take a credit card or $ 100 cash as deposit. You pay once you return — and they either pro-​rate your rental, or charge you for a half-​day or full-​day — whichever is less. It was a very fair system.

This park is on the same stretch of beach where my parents condo is situated. One time, my dad and I took the challenge of swimming to the park. But for the walkers, this park delights as there are trails you can walk on, and don’t forget, there is the big expansive beach…
When I was there last, during one of the walks on the beach, we saw 3 manitees which were uglier than I had envisioned, and much slower than anticipated. The threesome were actually swimming slower and behind us. That was the most exciting creature we saw on this trail. Next time, my parents and I want to partake in the Turtle trail where you get to see the dangerous journey of new baby turtles to the ocean.
Because there is not much amusement in the immediate area, I think this state park is a great family place to chill. Kids will definitely enjoy seeing the various wildlife, and if lucky, a manitee or two.

The family and I came here to walk the nature trails this morning. For $ 5/​car (up to eight people), it’s quite a steal!
We learned about a myriad of plants both native and non-​native to Florida. The best part of the trail was arriving to the beach… absolutely stunning (and super clean!). It’s a shame that we didn’t bring our bathing suits.
At the Nature Centre, you will find a gift shop and activities (kayaking and how-​to-​kayak classes) that you can sign up for. In the summer months, you can take snorkeling classes too.
If you’re not sure how to kill 2 hours in Palm Beach, why not visit MacArthur Park?
A solid 4 star ~