Winner announced! Best beach champion crowned for the Palm Beaches
By: Frank Cerabino, Palm Beach Post
The people have spoken. By popular vote, John D. MacArthur State Park has won the 2023 title of best beach in Palm Beach County.
The county’s only state park won as part of a four-round “beach madness” bracketed contest that started with 16 area beaches.
John D. MacArthur State Park went into the tournament as one of the favorites, and quickly showed why: Cruising to easy victories in the preliminary rounds, beating Red Reef Park in Boca Raton, the popular Peanut Island, and Dubois Park in Jupiter, in head-to-head competitions.
But it met a formidable opponent in Juno Beach Park, with its 990-foot pier, in the final round. John D. MacArthur State Park started out strong in the weeklong voting in that final round, but a late run by Juno Beach Park put it slightly ahead on the final day of voting. It was only in the last couple hours of voting before John D. MacArthur State Park was able to retake the lead and seal the victory.
In the end, John D. MacArthur State Park ended up with about 53 percent of the votes cast in the final round.
John D. MacArthur State Park’s popularity is due to the breadth of its charms that make it so much more than just another oceanfront beach. It’s a two-sided park that features trails linking its ocean and Intracoastal Waterway sides. Visitors can explore nature trails or walk on a 1,600-foot boardwalk, choosing between swimming in the ocean or paddleboarding to unspoiled islands from its Intracoastal side.
Visitors there can rent kayaks for aquatic explorations or binoculars to make nature and bird walks more enjoyable. The park is also a venue for environmental education for students as well as membership opportunities that provide discounts for moonlight concerts and turtle walks.
John D. MacArthur State Park
If you go:
Where: 10900 Jack Nicklaus Dr., North Palm Beach
When: The park is open 8 a.m. to sunset everyday; Nature Center: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday- Sunday; Kayak Rentals: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Daily (closed Thanksgiving and Christmas); Standup Paddle Boarding: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Daily
For more information: (561) 624-6950; macarthurbeach.org