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Palm Beach County’s Parks & Recreation Department has received national awards and recognition for a reason: we provide diverse, safe and affordable recreation service, welcoming parks, and enriching social and cultural experiences.  Our sights are set on promoting wellness, practicing environmental stewardship, contributing economic value, and improving this community into the future.

This also includes a commitment to preserving historical sites, like those found on Peanut Island.  Excavation performed in 1918 to create the Lake Worth Inlet resulted in the formation of the island, which grew over time as a spoil site.  The dredging, which was vital to plans to support the trade of peanut oil out of the Port, led to its name.  Now an 80-acre tropical park, Peanut Island is home to a former U.S. Coast Guard Station and boathouse, and the John F. Kennedy Bunker, a Cold-War era nuclear bomb shelter built in 1961.

Situated on land owned by the Port of Palm Beach, the facilities have suffered from decay and neglect.  In January 2022, the County Commission entered a 30-year lease with the Port to take over, restore, manage and maintain the historical properties for educational tours.  The County anticipates that grant funding, impact fees and legislative appropriations will cover the costs of the extensive work required, and it has been an honor for me to participate in securing and preserving this site for future generations.

The Florida Inland Navigational District owns a large portion of the northern half of the island that has continued to serve as a spoil site.

When you visit the island, which you can reach by private boat, water taxi from Riviera Beach Marina or perhaps by kayak from nearby Phil Foster Park on Blue Heron Boulevard, you will be awestruck by the crystal-clear waters that surround the island.  Numerous varieties of fish are plentiful, which makes the island a popular destination for fishing and snorkeling.  You can also walk along winding paver pathways, enjoy its beaches, or get together at one of several picnic areas or pavilions.  A 17-site campground is available for overnight campers that you can reserve online at www.bookyoursite.com/campgrounds/peanutislandfl, or by calling 561-845-4445 or toll-free at 866-383-5730.

Views from Peanut Island give you magnificent vistas of the inlet, up and down the Intracoastal Waterway, and quiet marina views to the west.  It is truly a wonderful means to “get away from it all” for a day, not far from our bustling metropolis.

For more information, or if there is any way I can assist you, please contact me at (561) 355-2201 or by email at mmarino@pbcgov.org.