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.

I was pretty surprised that this is genuinely an all-around nice area! There is a huge pavilion…read moreright before the beach with park benches, bathrooms, and rinse stations, and a small outlet of restaurants/ shops that you can easily walk to from the beach, so that you don't even have to pick everything up and can leave it and come back- that's exactly what I did. And the beach itself is great! The water is actually so clear, I wasn't sure how it's be since it is atlantic side, and some of the more northern atlantic beaches are pretty murky, but the water here is just as pristine and crystal as they come! Tons of shells as well, especially some really cool orange-striped ones. I loved the day I spent here and wanted to stay longer, though the weather when I went did not bode well for that. Only downside I could think of is parking might get a little tricky because there's not a real big lot, but if you get there early you can get a front row and it's free! I will certainly be back and would definitely encourage you to come if you're debating!

Beautiful park and beach area. Plenty to do within walking distance and parking is free. We love to…read morerent a set of chairs and umbrella and just chill on the sand and enjoy the views...

Had a great morning. The kids loved it as well! Parking is close. We some the airplanes fly…read moreoverhead as well. As always Your Favorite Palm Beach Realtor Mark Wootton

What can I say, other than I'm overly pleased that I stumbled across City Beach. In an area overrun…read morewith private beaches, this is by far your best public beach option in the West Palm Beach area. It may be a little out of the way, but it is worth the trek. There is ample free parking available in the shopping center adjacent to the beach. Said shopping center also provides many food and drink options. The beach itself is enormous, and even at its most crowded you don't find yourself stumbling over people to find a spot. There's a small line of palm trees towards the back where you can steal some free shade from the glaring Florida sun. If those spots are taken they offer chair, umbrella and chair/tent/canopy rental options. I believe I heard $28 for the day for a 2 chair/canopy combo, but don't quote me on it. The water is clear, clean and amazing. The beach itself is also very clean, with soft sand and a plethora of seashells lying about. Lifeguards are on duty, but not too overzealous. There are also bathrooms, and showering facilities available. Do yourself a favor- if you're looking for a public beach in the vicinity, make this your destination. Thank me later.

Great public park to visit. We rented a boat from Bluewater Boat Rental, there is also a water…read moretaxi. Bring snorkel gear, the tropical fish around the rocks on the beach side of the island are amazing.

I love that you have to take a boat, ferry, jet ski, paddle board, kayak or some floating device to…read moreget here. Bathrooms and grills are located on the island. Great way to spend the day hanging with friends and family. And food finds its way to you.

Great trip. Captain was kind and informative. Good value. Plenty to do on the island and can't wait…read morefor bunker to be finished

Shuttle was easy and ticket vendors were super nice. The captain of the boat however talked sooooo…read moremuch and then went on and on about his tips. The ride is 8 mins tops! And it was $25 per person! Seems excessive. Take water taxi for $10 and save a ton. Edited to say captains announcements were not about safety, but more focused on the tips.... We just paid $80 for 9 min round trip ride for 3 plus $5 for wagon. No thanks.

These people are rude and don't care about any issues you may have. Every other day they decided to…read morenot put out the umbrellas because it was "too" windy, but not for the other chair and umbrellas services next door. They claim that the umbrellas are "complementary" and that I only rented 2 chairs so that they can decide when to put them out. My reservation clearly states 2 chair AND umbrella. We will not be coming back here again. The management at the "resort" aren't very friendly either. Stay away! You can't bring your own chairs and umbrella either since the beach area behind the hotel is private.

Their team at Palm beach shores resort attending (ray and Heather) do not enforce the seat…read morereservation policy. When you complain to them, they selectively enforce the policy only for me while eating breakfast on property.

This beach access point is interestingly 'hidden.' There is no public parking available. It is…read morenestled between two condos. I found it by parking in the parking lot for Kagan Park and walking along the Lake Walk at Pelican Lake. When I spotted this walkway and sign, getting to go to the beach was just icing on the cake as part of a lovely park experience. The walkway from the access point sign to the actual beach is kind of long, but it is fully fenced on both sides, so very safe for little kids to skip along. It was exciting to hear the ocean waves become louder and louder as we got closer. Sweet anticipation! The path is fully paved with a very gradual incline, which is great for strollers and wheelchairs. At the end, a few stairs go down onto the beach area, but the water is full in view from the top of those little stairs. On the beach we found a couple of kite boarders setting up, but overall the beach was pretty quiet and private. I would definitely visit here again as part of a larger hangout involving Pelican Lake and Kagan Park.

A great place to start a long walk on a beautiful beach. I love this beach! Feel free to leave…read moreyour shoes on the beach the entrance of this access. No one will mess with them and it's much easier to walk without them! So take a stroll, look for beautiful shells or take in the sights. Regardless you will find a peace like no other.