The lush natural heritage of the subtropical habitat of Southeastern Florida is almost obliterated now by tall condos, hotels, beach bars, fancy restaurants and upscale shops. But on a barrier island in the Atlantic, just off the Florida coast is one of the last refuges in Palm Beach County.
The website of this amazingly beautiful place states:
“At a time when natural areas along south Florida’s coast are almost nonexistent,
John D. MacArthur Beach State Park stands out as an ‘island in time’.”
We felt enveloped by nature as we finally parked and walked down the leafy trail toward the welcome center/nature museum.
“At a time when natural areas along south Florida’s coast are almost nonexistent,
John D. MacArthur Beach State Park stands out as an ‘island in time’.”
We felt enveloped by nature as we finally parked and walked down the leafy trail toward the welcome center/nature museum.
Let me tell you; if you want to spend time with your kids, learning about the habitats and ecosystems of the park, the interpretive center is full of fun and educational opportunities for discovery. There are also programs for children in which you can enroll or which you can book for groups.
We had to stop and talk with the park rangers as they returned an endangered baby “Green Turtle” to its protective tank. They told us that they found the juvenile turtle lost and disoriented on the beach and that they would be returning it to the wild when it reached an approved length and its shell was completely hardened. It was pretty cute to see it paddling around after its checkup!
When you have learned all about this amazing subtropical ecosystem, you can have a blast kayaking and snorkeling, swimming or fishing in the clear blue water. If you are worn out from all this fun, you can picnic or just soak up the bright Florida sun lying on the beach.
Jim and I decided to set off on a self-tour to view the estuary and hike the nature trails and visit the beach, lucky for us, one of the many circulating golf-carts pulled up to offer us a ride from the museum, across the estuary to the outer barrier island and beach.
Conveniently, the shower and toilet facilities are located right at the entrance to the public beach and trails.
Our wanderings took us through each of the ecological zones along this subtropical coast.
The following descriptions which accompany our photographs were referenced from the John D. MacArthur Beach State Park website:
The Maritime Hammock
“Hammock is an Indian word that means “shady place”. The maritime hammock includes a thin, intermittent strip of vegetation behind the beach dune and a mature hammock between A-1-A and Lake Worth Cove. The main portion of the hammock includes many large tropical trees like strangler fig and mastic, and some temperate ones like live oak.”
The following descriptions which accompany our photographs were referenced from the John D. MacArthur Beach State Park website:
The Maritime Hammock
“Hammock is an Indian word that means “shady place”. The maritime hammock includes a thin, intermittent strip of vegetation behind the beach dune and a mature hammock between A-1-A and Lake Worth Cove. The main portion of the hammock includes many large tropical trees like strangler fig and mastic, and some temperate ones like live oak.”
We met a few creepy crawlers on the trails!
The Beach Dunes
“The beach and dunes of barrier islands protect the mainland by absorbing the energy of the ocean waves…… Plants that grow on the dunes usually have thick, waxy or fuzzy leaves to protect themselves from heat, salt, blowing sand and drying winds.”
“The beach and dunes of barrier islands protect the mainland by absorbing the energy of the ocean waves…… Plants that grow on the dunes usually have thick, waxy or fuzzy leaves to protect themselves from heat, salt, blowing sand and drying winds.”
The Anastasia Limestone Rock Reef
“This community was formed more than 125,000 years ago. The reef is limestone as opposed to those made of coral reefs found mostly south of the park. Many species of marine animals inhabit the reef. Some of the more spectacular are parrotfish, barracuda, damsel fish and loggerhead sea turtles. The reef stretches along the 1.6 miles of beach within the park’s boundary. Unlike many coral reefs in the Florida Keys, the reef is visible from the shoreline and can be easily reached with a mask and snorkel.”
“This community was formed more than 125,000 years ago. The reef is limestone as opposed to those made of coral reefs found mostly south of the park. Many species of marine animals inhabit the reef. Some of the more spectacular are parrotfish, barracuda, damsel fish and loggerhead sea turtles. The reef stretches along the 1.6 miles of beach within the park’s boundary. Unlike many coral reefs in the Florida Keys, the reef is visible from the shoreline and can be easily reached with a mask and snorkel.”
The Estuary
“The estuary at John D. MacArthur Beach State Park is a small cove off the northern portion of Lake Worth. The water in the estuary is a mixture of salt and fresh water. Conditions in this community are always changing. Water levels rise and fall with the tide.”
“The estuary at John D. MacArthur Beach State Park is a small cove off the northern portion of Lake Worth. The water in the estuary is a mixture of salt and fresh water. Conditions in this community are always changing. Water levels rise and fall with the tide.”
John D. MacArthur Beach State Park is a wonderful place to really step back and take in the true natural environment of Southeastern Florida. We loved it!
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