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DuBois Park, operated by the Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation Department, has been named the recipient of this year’s prestigious National Association of County Park and Recreation Officials (NACPRO) Park and Recreation Facility Class II Award. DuBois Park is located in Jupiter at 19075 DuBois Road adjacent to the Jupiter Inlet.

NACPRO is an affiliate of both the National Association of Counties and the National Recreation and Park Association. This award program recognizes excellence in recreation and park facilities and is designed to focus national attention on the very best of facility design. The award showcases and encourages outstanding efforts in planning, design, construction, and benefits to the community.

DuBois Park is one of Palm Beach County’s most popular parks, featuring fishing, boating, swimming, snorkeling, picnicking, and more in a scenic, tropical setting. Its design incorporates many ADA-compliant features, and water taxi service will soon provide an alternative means of travelling to this beautiful waterfront destination.

DuBois Park is environmentally significant. Located at the mouth of the Loxahatchee River, the southernmost of the federally designated Wild and Scenic River, the park features frontage along the Jupiter Inlet as well as a tidal creek that has become a popular wading and swimming area for small children. The 18-acre park is connected by a foot bridge to Jupiter Beach Park, a 46-acre county-operated oceanfront park. It is also located in close proximity to the Indian River Lagoon, one of the most biologically diverse estuaries in the nation.

DuBois Park has a rich, documented history. Artifactual evidence indicates that the site was occupied from at least 1,000 BC. Harry DuBois, for whom the park is named, built his home at this location in 1897, providing the park with a long, colorful pioneer history. His home still stands, and the DuBois Pioneer Home and Jupiter Inlet Indian Midden are both now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

This extraordinary waterfront park is a tribute to the support of neighbors, taxpayers, and many agencies that share Palm Beach County’s mission of ensuring public swimming and boating access to local beaches, waterways, and recreational opportunities, environmental protection, and historic preservation and study.

Significant funding contributions for the recent redevelopment of DuBois Park were made by the Florida Inland Navigation District, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and Florida Communities Trust through the Florida Department of Community Affairs. Additional funding support was provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Palm Beach Metropolitan Planning Organization, and the Loxahatchee Guild. Project management was administered by Palm Beach County’s Department of Environmental Resources Management.

Admission to DuBois Park is free. The park is open from sunrise until sunset. Designated swimming areas are guarded seven days a week from 9 a.m. until 5:20 p.m. during the summer months. For more information about DuBois Park, as well as other parks and leisure opportunities available through the Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation Department, please visit www.pbcparks.com.