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    Deerfield Island Park

    4.6 (8 reviews)

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    Ariel W.

    "Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, A tale of a fateful trip, That started from this tropic port, Aboard this tiny ship." My trip to Deerfield Island Park was like a visit to Gilligan's Island. The tropic port I started from was Sullivan Park. On the weekends you can catch a free "tiny ship" that takes you to island located directly across from the park. The shuttle leaves every hour from 10 to 2 PM on the weekends. It takes 5 minutes to reach the boat dock on the island. If you have your own boat, the marina on the island has 5 slips on a 170 foot dock. The triangular shaped Deerfield Island park is 53.3 acres. It used to be a peninsula but became an island in 1961 when the Royal palm Canal was dredged to connect the Intracoastal Waterway and the Hillsboro Canal. The peninsula was called Capone Island because it was linked to Al Capone who had planned to build a home on the land but ended up in jail before he could do so. In 1974 an elaborate plan to use the island for recreation was created but nothing ever came of it. The plan was scaled down and the park was opened in 1980. In the 1980's the island was designated and Urban Wilderness Area and a Gopher Tortoise refuge. In 2015 the island was recertified as a Critical Wildlife Area to protect the endangered gopher tortoises. Once on the island you can hike the half mile Coquina Trail that winds through a tropical coastal hammock. Along the trial I saw that someone had put brightly painted fairy doors into some of the trees. The Mangrove Boardwalk that goes through the wetland area is closed. Amenities available on the island include kayak/ paddleboard rentals, picnic tables and shelters, and a butterfly garden. Fishing is prohibited from the island. The island is home to many species of plants and animals. Some of the animals that make their home here include manatees, raccoons, squirrels, armadillos, and the protected gopher tortoises. Migratory and native birds either stop or live here making it a wonderful place to bird watch. On the boat ride over I was told the extremely rare yellow cardinal has been spotted on the island. Unlike Gilligan I made it off the island and back to civilization. The last boat leaves the island at 4 so you want to keep track of the time. They have you sign a sheet with your name and give your cell phone number before you leave the boat to ensure you don't get left behind. It is so nice that the park service provides the free shuttle. This is a wonderful place to hike and explore nature.

    Sherry W.

    You pick up the boat at Sullivan park. Parking is free at Sullivan park. The boat trip is about five minutes. The boat comes at the top of the hour. We walked about three miles around the dirt and boardwalk trails on the island. The last boat returns at 3:45. There is a restroom on the island. There are picnic tables and grills. Most of the island is shaded.

    Kimberly S.

    This island has a very rich history as it was also known as Capones Island. You are able to rent pavilions here for birthdays and the boat shuttles everyone over. It's a really cool experience.

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    Degroff Park

    Degroff Park

    4.6
    (5 reviews)
    1.4 mi

    For earth day and for a milestone review, this is the park I chose to go to. We were not far away…read moreand I was curious to explore the area. I could easily live in this park. You'd never know it was here -- right along the intracoastal waterway -- unless you lived in this neighborhood. It's not the easiest to find as it's set back amongst the expensive homes, boats, marinas, and winding streets of Lighthouse Point. But it's well worth a trip to find it. There's not that much man made entertainment here -- no bbq grills or tennis courts or basketball nets or swing sets. What it does have is natural beauty and spectacular water views. There's a paved path to the middle and around the edge as well as some sandy paths. There are several spaces to park your car just outside the fence. Inside the fence is a bike rack. To the left of the entrance is the butterfly garden. And yes, we did see some colorful orange butterflies when we went -- but they were too fast (or shy?) for pictures. There are flowers -- yellow ones (sorry I don't know their name) and a number of green ones planted to attract the flying beauties. To the right of the entrance is a lovely large white Jasmine flowering bush. Heavenly scented. Inside the park are wide green expanses under the trees and several tented pavilions where you can rest and read or just contemplate nature. There is a bat house on a tall pole -- the bats eat mosquitos and are encouraged to visit, but I doubt there's one in residence. There was an empty bird house high up on a tree, too. There is an exercise area with instructions telling you what to do. But no one was using it. There's a sandy area with many coconut palms (and coconuts on the ground) and sea grape bushes that lead right down along the water. You could even dip a toe in if you're adventurous -- or just pull up a towel and sun bathe. In any case, along the water you get to see all the sail and speed boats passing by. And hear a soft lap as the water meets the shore. Such a nice respite from the hubbub noise of civilization. It was a welcome quiet space to rest and relax -- to get away and enjoy Mother Nature. So, come here -- and make every day Earth Day!

    A beautiful and tranquil waterfront park set alongside the Intracoastal. Gentle lapping waves are…read moreonly interrupted by the passing boats. Lots of places to choose a quiet spot to chill out and enjoy the foliage.

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    DeGroff Park
    DeGroff Park
    Yellow flowers
    Yellow flowers
    Degroff Park

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    Deerfield Beach Arboretum

    Deerfield Beach Arboretum

    4.6
    (30 reviews)
    3.7 mi

    We live in Jacksonville and were visiting the West Palm Beach area visiting our daughter,…read moreson-in-law and grandkids. We were in the Deerfield area and found this park and wow it's so nice! My wife and I walked around looking at all the beautiful plants and trees for several hours. They also have a few water falls as well. They have paved walkways and you can bring your dogs along for the walk. They do have trails you can venture off through the plants and trees that leads back to the paved paths. We loved it! On the grounds they have tennis courts, basketball courts and a nice playground for kids. If you are ever in the area you MUST stop by this park! We definitely recommend it!

    I saw this Arboretum trending on Instagram and I knew I had to check it out. I have to say I can't…read morebelieve I have never heard of it before because it was incredible! There were a ton of people also there so parking can be a little difficult but at least the parking is free. The park has a playground, tennis courts, basketball courts, and then right behind it all is the Arboretum. The arboretum is a fantastic walking trail. It has several hundreds of different species all throughout and it has signage naming each one so you get to learn a bunch while you are walking around. The pathway is paved and includes many branching walkways to benches, picnic tables, and places to see even more so you aren't on a linear walk. They also have a bunch of alligator signs so you may be lucky enough to spot one when walking around. I could easily spend an hour walking around counting the species of plants and seeing which one is thriving the most throughout the exhibit. I can't wait to visit again and see more than what I saw on my first visit.

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    We had a great time today at the park!!!! We definitely you come here and check it out!
    We had a great time today at the park!!!! We definitely you come here and check it out!
    Deerfield Beach Arboretum
    Deerfield Beach Arboretum

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    Villages of Hillsboro Park

    Villages of Hillsboro Park

    4.7
    (9 reviews)
    4.9 mi

    This is a wonderful and somewhat hidden ten acre park in the Gates of Hillsboro neighborhood in…read moreDeerfield Beach. The park is along the G-08 Hillsboro Canal. There is a boat ramp so you can get your watercraft onto the canal and a fishing pier. Parking is free for boat trailers. This is a great place to boat, fish, and bird watch. During my visit I saw an osprey dive into the canal for fish and a limpkin on the pier. Other park amenities include restrooms, a playground, tennis courts, basketball courts, a sand volleyball pit, and a fitness trail with 12 exercise stations. Several small pavilions and a large main pavilion can be rented by Deerfield Beach residents from the city for a fee. I closed my exercise ring today using the fitness trail and some of the stations. It's nice to see the kids out again using the playground equipment after so many months of it being closed. This is a great spot to enjoy the best of South Florida's weather.

    We visited VILLAGES OF HILLSBORO PARK for the first time because my kids had a jiu-jitsu picnic…read moreparty event there. We arrived early, and although the parking lot is pretty large, it filled up quickly because of the event. I'm sure on regular days parking is much easier to find. Right at the entrance there's a drinking fountain, which was nice on such a hot Florida day. The park has two playgrounds -- one for younger kids and another for older children. There's also a covered pavilion area where the restroom is located. The restroom itself looked quite old and unfortunately wasn't very clean. Also, the park closes fairly early (7 AM-7 PM), and they actually lock the restroom at closing time. Huge thanks to the park ranger though -- my kids needed the restroom at the very last minute, and we literally ran to make it before the door closed. The ranger saw us coming and kindly waited for us. Very appreciated! One thing I really liked about this park is the amount of shade. There are huge trees all around the playground, so even during the heat it feels cooler and breezy. We were also surprised to find a small gazebo with a roof fully covered in solar panels -- it even had lights in the evening and a spot to charge your phone, which was such a cool detail. There aren't many benches around the playground, so my little life hack: bring a folding chair or a picnic blanket. And definitely bring mosquito spray for the evening. The playground surface looks like rubber, but somehow my kids still ended up super dusty and dirty after playing. An ice cream truck came by during the event, and the entire playground rushed toward it immediately -- of course we did too The ice cream was actually really good. I got the orange & cream flavor, and my kids chose mango. Around the playground there are walking trails and a lake with a small bridge nearby. Just something to note: the bridge doesn't have side rails, so keep an eye on little kids. Overall, it's a nice park with great shade, lots of breeze, and a relaxing atmosphere.

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    Around 2015
    Around 2015
    Around 2015
    Around 2015
    Around 2015

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    Around 2015

    Deerfield Island Park - parks - Updated June 2026

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