Inside John D. MacArthur Beach State Park, a hidden natural escape in Palm Beach County
May 18, 2026 at 10:04 AM
PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — Tucked along a barrier island in northern Palm Beach County, John D. MacArthur Beach State Park offers visitors something increasingly rare in South Florida: a chance to experience nature much like it looked before major development transformed the region.
The park, which spans 436 acres and includes 1.6 miles of natural beach, is the only state park in Palm Beach County. Visitors can kayak through mangroves, hike shaded maritime hammock trails, snorkel near a limestone reef or simply relax along the Atlantic shoreline.
“It’s a preserved piece of paradise,” said Veronica Frehm, Chief Executive Officer of the Friends of MacArthur Beach State Park. “If you come through our park entrance, it looks pretty much how it’s looked for hundreds of years.”
The park sits on a barrier island and features four ecosystems, including an estuary, maritime hammock, beach and nearshore reef habitat. Frehm said that diversity gives visitors the opportunity to experience several distinct natural environments all in one location.
“We have four incredible habitats,” Frehm said. “We have our Anastasia limestone rock reef that you can snorkel on and go right into the water from our beautiful 1.6-mile beach. We have beautiful maritime hammock trails that you can walk on, our incredible estuary that you can kayak or stand-up paddleboard on, and there’s just so much to do.”
Park guests can rent kayaks and paddleboards onsite through the park’s gift shop and explore the estuary, which Frehm described as “the nursery of the ocean.”
“You see lots of juvenile fish,” she said. “Everything out in the ocean usually starts its life out in the estuary.”
The park also offers nature walks, birding programs, environmental education events and live music performances at its amphitheater throughout the year.
For many visitors, the park serves as both a recreational destination and an educational experience.
More than 4,000 students visit the park annually through hands-on environmental science programs coordinated with Palm Beach County schools. Frehm said the goal is to help children connect with nature in meaningful ways.
“We use our park as a living laboratory. We want students to know that being out in nature is an incredible opportunity, and it’s for everybody,” said Frehm.
She said some students visiting the park have never seen the ocean before.
“Seeing them see that for the first time gives me chills every time,” Frehm said. “We’re able to provide that for them.”
The nonprofit Friends of MacArthur Beach State Park works in partnership with the Florida State Park Service to support park operations, educational programming and conservation efforts. Volunteers help lead tours, maintain trails, assist visitors and support environmental initiatives.
One of those initiatives is the park’s citizen science marine debris program, which encourages visitors to help collect trash and debris washing onto the shoreline. The data collected is shared with environmental organizations studying marine pollution.
“Marine debris is trash that either comes from the land or the ocean. Animals are unfortunately ingesting marine debris or getting entangled in it,” said Frehm.
The park will also offer guided evening sea turtle walks in June and July, giving visitors the chance to learn more about nesting season and potentially observe sea turtles along the beach.
If you would like to learn more about the volunteering opportunities or event information at John D. MacArthur Beach State Park, you can click HERE.
https://cbs12.com/news/local/inside-john-d-macarthur-beach-state-park-a-hidden-natural-escape-in-palm-beach-county