This is a park located in Palm Beach county, Lake Harbor, Florida. It's not a large park. In fact…read moreit kind of reminds me of a rest stop on steroids. Maybe because it's like a loop where you can enter at one end and exit at the other. A person could walk the entire length of the park in 30 minutes (or less). There are lots of big shade trees for their many picnic tables. There's a pavilion for large parties (call the number on the display board to reserve) with a small, fenced in playground next to it for the youngsters. There's also a full sized basketball court. Importantly, not far from the entrance there's a block building with restrooms. It's located adjacent to the Herbert Hoover Dike which encircles Lake Okeechobee and was built in response to the great Miami Hurricane of 1926 and the Okeechobee Hurricane of 1928 which killed thousands of people when the Lake breached a small simple earthen dike. It was designed for the purpose of flood control, water conservation, prevention of saltwater intrusion, and preservation of fish and wildlife populations. For the engineers or mechanically inclined, you'll find some old retired pumps on display, that you may find interesting. I enjoyed my brief visit as it gave me a chance to get off my bike and stretch after a long ride. Next time I think I'll walk up onto the dike. Park hours are sunrise to sunset. Dogs must be on a leash. It's worthy of a stop.

This beautiful huge park is located along the south edge of Lake Okeechobee and adjoins the Lake…read moreOkeechobee Scenic Trail. The park has a basketball court, access for kayaking or canoeing, a large multi-purpose field and several picnic areas with grills. There is a large playground that is suitable for ages 2 to 12. Lots of parking and lots of space. I had a good walk and a nice picnic that was socially distanced and included lots of fresh air. [Review 14812 overall, 314 of 2021, number 1302 in Florida.]

My husband and I stayed for two nights at the FAMILY Campground in the DuPuis Management Area in…read morelate March, 2025, and LOVED it. This is a free primitive campground (no hookups) managed by the South Florida Water Management District. While free, it does require a Special Use Application and License (which is also free). The Special Use License secures 1 of the 14 licenses available per day, and also gives you access to the gate code for entry; the camp host did check that we had one. The campground is far from traffic noise, and each site is large and picturesque. The family campground is for tent and pop-up camping only. No trailers, camper vans, truck campers, or RVs are permitted for camping. A maximum of two vehicles are allowed per campsite. While we have a Class B RV, we followed the rules and set up our tent for overnight camping. Each site offers a picnic table and fire ring. The Family Campground has clean composting toilets. A full-service bath house with hot showers and flushing toilets are available for use in the Equestrian Campground. The DuPuis Management area offers camping, picnicking, fishing, hiking, bicycling, geocaching, birdwatching, wildlife viewing, and hunting during specific seasons. We had only one issue -- and that was that our GPS took us to the wrong, locked entry gate but we figured it out.

Clean, quiet, horses/walking trails, feels remote, wonderful restrooms with hot showers and…read moreflushing toilets, amazingly free. Would stay again. Small town nearby.

Cool park! We drive by often and it's always something we've wanted to stop and check out. I had no…read moreidea this park is so huge! You could drive for 30 minutes and still not see everything! We stopped by on a weekday and the park was pretty and relaxing. Not too many people on the couple of trails we did. The observation tower is closed but they still have a nice boardwalk up to that area that makes for a great walk! It's pretty highly elevated for Florida - kind of impressive in person! Entry is $6 per car, and the lady provided a map and recommended her favorite trail. We checked that trail out as well (the white trail), but the height of the observation tower trail was really the star! We decided to drive around after doing both trails, and we saw their campgrounds. So surprising at how busy this place was! It seemed there was hardly an empty spot! Must be a happening place to camp! We'd definitely return for more adventures, as this is a cool park!

This place is great for those into the outdoors or nature in general. Kayaking, camping, fishing,…read moreand plenty of wildlife you might run into. There's overlooks and and an endless supply of trails to choose. I will definitely be back with some chairs and hoping for some quiet time to myself. The environment is so unique here you feel like you're in a different country at times.

Tucked away off the interstate exit, Halpat is the quintessential outdoor space of Stuart, FL. I…read moreonly used the nature trail while there so I can only comment on that. The trail is mostly flat and sturdy ground and is a wide walking path. Folks like to take their dogs there so you'll likely encounter some while there! The trail is clean of litter and other major debris and is mostly shaded. It also runs pretty closely with the disc golf course. Amenities seen at the park: - Tennis and pickleball courts - Baseball field - Soccer field - Covered roller hockey rink - Park shelters with picnic tables - Air pumps for bikes and balls - Parking throughout the expanse of the park

Halptiokee is a regional park in Stuart Florida. This park has everything including disc golf,…read morebatting cages, athletic fields and walking trails. This park is very dog friendly nearly everyone I encountered during my walk had at least 1 dog, all on leases. This is a very friendly park, nearly everyone I passed by had a friendly greeting. When I was there, I saw several sports teams practicing, as well as what appeared to be a CrossFit group working out. I went specifically for the walking trails, I had high expectations, they fell a little short. I expected more and longer trails. There were a lot of signs on the paths but most were very faded and you could barely read them. This park is great for families. If you live in the area and have children, I bet they are practices and games are held at this park.

This was a nude beach when I was a kid. That ended in 1982 when it became a beloved state park…read more They have done a lot to preserve native plants. You can rent kayaks here or swim. It's usually not too crowded. This is where we would go to see sea turtles laying eggs. And that continues to this day. It's a great location and a beautiful park.

John D. MacArthur Beach State Park seemed like such a hidden gem from everything I had read and…read moreseen online. I loved that it offers so many activities in one place--kayaking, paddleboarding, the beach, picnic areas, a gift shop, and educational exhibits--all at very reasonable prices. Parking was only $5, and the kayak and paddleboard rentals were affordable too. Unfortunately, I happened to visit on a day with an extremely low tide. Paddleboard rentals were suspended, but kayak rentals were still available. The staff did warn us about the low tide and advised us to stay near the edges to avoid getting stuck. However, as someone new to kayaking, I didn't realize just how much the tide would impact the experience. For a large portion of our trip, the water was so shallow that our kayaks constantly got stuck. We had to repeatedly get out and drag them through the water. At times, the water wasn't even ankle deep. I completely understand that the staff can't control the tides, but I honestly wish kayak rentals had also been paused that day because the conditions made it difficult to really enjoy the experience. By the time we finished kayaking, we were exhausted and felt pretty gross from walking through the murky water, so we ended up skipping the beach altogether. Outside of that, the park itself looked lovely. There was a nice picnic area, a cute gift shop, and they even had a rescued sea turtle with a volunteer sharing information about sea turtle conservation, which was a really nice touch. There also appeared to be several educational exhibits throughout the park, although they happened to be closed during our visit. One downside was a pretty unpleasant smell near the gift shop, but I'm guessing that may have also been related to the unusually low tide. Despite my experience, I haven't written the park off. The photos I've seen online make it look absolutely beautiful, and I think we were just unlucky with the timing. I'd definitely consider coming back on a day with higher water levels to give it another chance. It sounds like a great park overall--I just recommend checking the tide conditions before planning to kayak or paddleboard so you can enjoy it at its best.

Excellent RV camping experience!!! Especially AM when U…read morewake. It's just like being on the ocean. All the campers are returnees and are very friendly. The staff are ok but the restaurant needs to be reopened. When local resident and entrepreneur, Mr. Jim Sheehan developed the business 20 years ago, he built the campground and also rented out lake side cabins. Better than RV camping!! Alas, Hurricanes Francis and Charlie chewed up the entire area, including all his beautiful wood cabins and even damaged the huge Herbert Hoover dike ( in 1930's) which surrounds the entirety of Lake Okechobee. There are a couple of the cabins still available for rent, through Airbnb.

This used to be the Loggerhead Club & Marina. The marina was built by the city in 2009. Now it's…read moreowned by KOA. Very nice facility, up and coming once it gets off the ground. My contribution is adding it to Yelp. Best of luck!

Mackle Park was named in honor of Frank E. Mackle Jr. (1916-1993). Mackle was a developer who had…read morepreviously developed Key Biscayne with his brothers. Frank arrived in what was then a primitive Marco Island in 1962 and saw potential in the undeveloped town. He was soon joined in the venture by his brothers, Elliott and Robert. All of the brothers were engineers and were employed by the Deltona Corporation founded by their father. Frank became the President of the Deltona Corporation and led the modernization of Marco Island. Mackle Park is impressive as it has everything that residents and visitors to Marco Island could want in outdoor recreation. The park has a community center with teen center, basketball court, bocce courts, open field area for play, picnic area, shuffleboard courts, a soccer/football field, volleyball court, and splash pad. One of the standout feature of the park is the creative playground that is a hit with kids. It has a pirate ship, castle turrets, and lots of places to climb and engage in imaginative play. My favorite part of the park is the beautifully landscaped walking path that winds around the lake. A sign at the entrance to the trail shows how you can increase the half mile walk around the lake to .9 miles by incorporating walking the perimeter of the fields in the back of the park. It is perfect for a leisurely stroll or a more vigorous jog. The lake is also a great place to bird watch and fish. Mackle Park has something for everyone. It offers a blend of recreational facilities and natural beauty that makes it a must-visit for anyone in the area. Whether you're looking to let the kids play, enjoy a peaceful walk, or partake in community events or a class, Mackle Park offers it all and more.

It is a beautiful park. Has many wonderful things to do for all ages. Canine Park has two separate…read moreareas for small dogs and large dogs. Maintenance could be better in Canine but it is still a great area. Many different species of wildlife. Great childrens area. Beautiful Community Center with many activities

Such a great spot. This was my first visit here... wow, such a peaceful and wonderful place to be…read morewith nature. I'm just beginning to explore the parks and sanctuaries in the area and this one is so perfect... well designed and maintained, a lot of birds, and other wildlife, including aligators. Love the boardwalk layout. I got caught with it closing at 7pm, as I thought it closed at sundown. Look forward to returning early morning when they open... as well as early evening... so see the activity at both times of the day. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

My first time here, and I saw my first gator! This place has a long wooden walkway making a giant…read morecircle throigj the park, allowing you to go on a nice little walk filled with tons of creatures doing their own thing, oblivious of the humans meandering about. I was very happy to see very few instances of litter and pollution inside the park. It was very clean. Everyone here on this particular day was very courteous, and it wasn't crowded on a holiday. Like birding? This spot is for you. The avian influence is strong in this park. The trees are filled with nests of cheerful, impatient, and angry birds. The glades have little chicks hopping around, looking for food, or taking bath. Mother ducks leading their flock, and Great Blue Herons majestically creeping around. There are plenty of iguanas climbing around looking for easy snacks in the branches, and you'll see some really big ones just wandering the open pathways too. And when you're lucky, there's a gator or two soaking about. I'd get there early, because it can get hot later in the day, and parking can be a limiting factor.

A spa great place, my wife and I take a motorcycle ride out to the camp most every Sunday . There's…read morea taco truck that serves food which is great we had steak tacos last Sunday . A bucket of beer Basically you get one or two free . If you don't drink them all the beer turn them back in and they give you a poker chip for credit the next time you come back . Great service . The ambiance is old school Florida . Picnic tables , chairs , live bands Friday , Saturday, Sunday

Great little place...like the keys used to be! Band was enough and $2 beers is hard to beat! Worth…read morea stop

People who visit Lake Okeechobee for the first time might be surprised to find that you can't…read morereally see it from the road. The Hurricane of 1928 caused the lake's dike to fail, resulting in catastrophic flooding and the loss of life. There are several mass burial sites of hurricane victims in the area. To protect the people who live around the lake, in the 1930's the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began constructing the Herbert Hoover Dike to prevent future flooding disasters. The dike was completed in the 1960s and serves to protect the surrounding communities from lake overflow. Consequently you need to find access roads that take you up to the lake in order to see it. One such favorite scenic spot to see the largest fresh water lake in Florida is in Lake Okeechobee Park. Through the years this park has been known as Jaycee Park, Lock 7, Lakefront Park, and Parrott Avenue Wayside. The park has been officially renamed Clif J. Betts Jr. Lakeside Recreation Area for a county commissioner who helped guide planning for county parks before his death in 2011. The highlight of this park is a 400 foot fishing pier which I enjoyed for the views of the lake and the birds but which is loved by anglers who fish for large mouth bass and speckled perch. Other park amenities include paved parking, picnic tables, and restrooms with potable water. Hikers and cyclists can access to the Florida Trail/Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail on the dike up above the recreation area. To reach it use the entrance road or the paved path behind the restrooms. If you head east you can travel three miles to Taylor Creek and if you head west you can travel four miles to Okee-Tantie.

This is a great place for a walk. It was upsetting to see all the power plants omitting toxins and…read morepoisoning the people of Okeechobee in the background.