Beach Front Parks Abundant in District One

by: Commissioner Karen T. Marcus

Northern Palm Beach County is very fortunate to have several beach front parks available for the public.  In the stretch between Juno Beach and Tequesta, there are six County park properties providing free access to the beach.  These parks are open daily from sunrise to sunset.

Loggerhead Park, located in Juno Beach, is comprised of 17.26 acres and is home to the Loggerhead Marinelife Center.  The buildings on the property were originally a small hotel, which was purchased by the County in 1979 for $4,585,000 through the $50 million Park and Beach Bond.  Loggerhead Park has 900 feet of guarded beach frontage.  A historical marker depicting the Celestial Railroad is located in the Park.  The Celestial Railroad ran between Juno Beach and Jupiter between 1889 and 1896. 

Juno Beach Park, also located in Juno Beach, is small at only 5.24 acres, but has a lot to offer.  It is home to the Juno Beach Park Fishing Pier.  The pier is 990' feet long and is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week from November thru February.  From March thru October, the pier is open one hour before sunrise and closes at sunset, due to sea turtle nesting season.  There is a nominal charge for spectators and fisherman on the pier.  In addition, the park offers 300' of guarded beach frontage, and a designated surfing area on the south side of the pier.

Further to the north is Ocean Cay Park, which is located in th Town of Jupiter and comprised of 13.44 acres.  Ocean Cay Park was originally slated to be a condo, but was purchased by the State in 1986, for $3.7 million.  The County contributed $1 million towards the cost, and while the Park is still owned by the State, it is maintained and operated as a County park through sublease.  There are no lifeguards at Ocean Cay Park.
           
Carlin Park is located just up the road and was acquired by the County from the Bureau of Land Management in 1954.  An additional 27 acres at the south end of Carlin Park was purchased by the County in 1972 for $345,000.  Carlin Park offers 3000' of guarded beach frontage, an amphitheater, a baseball field, tennis courts, a bocce court and a heart trail that is 1.4 miles long.  Some of the lighted facilities at Carlin Park are open until 11:00 p.m.  Beach surf wheelchairs are available upon request to the lifeguard.

Dubois Park is also located in Jupiter and is 18.69 acres.  Dubois Park offers a total of 1200' of beach frontage with 100' of guarded beach frontage.  Dubois Park is home to the Dubois Pioneer Home, which is listed on the National Register of Historical Places and is operated by the Loxahatchee River Historical Society. 

Jupiter Beach Park is next door to Dubois Park and is 46.49 acres.  Jupiter Beach Park has 1700' of guarded beach frontage and is on the Jupiter Inlet.  Inlet fishing is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  A beach surf wheelchair is also available at this location.

Located along Beach Road in Tequesta is Coral Cove Park North. This property was purchased by the State in 1987.  Much like Ocean Cay, the State provided $2.7 million towards the purchase with the County contributing $540,000.  While the Park is still owned by the State, the County has a sublease to operate and maintain it.  Coral Cove Park has 31.42 acres and 600' of guarded beach frontage.  There is also 600' of frontage along the Intracoastal Waterway.

Coral Cove South was purchased in a similar fashion in 1986.  The County provided $1 million and the State contributed $8.5 million.  While this property has not been developed yet, it will designed and built similar to Coral Cove Park North.

The Diamondhead/Radnor property is located just a few hundred yards north of Ocean Cay.  It is comprised of 154.45 acres and is currently vacant.  The property was purchased for $19,655,000 in 1986 by Palm Beach County.  Due to the environmentally sensitive lands on site, it will be developed as a passive park with beach front parking.

The beach front parks in North County offer something for everyone.  For more information and directions, log onto www.pbcgov.com/parks.  As always, if I can be of assistance to you in any way, please don’t hesitate to contact my office at 355-2201 or by e-mail at kmarcus@pbcgov.com