What are the opening hours?

Monday 8am - 7:45pm Tuesday 8am - 7:45pm Wednesday 8am - 7:45pm Thursday 8am - 7:45pm Friday 8am - 7:45pm Saturday 8am - 7:45pm Sunday 8am - 7:45pm

Friends of MacArthur Beach State Park

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Friends of MacArthur Beach State Park

John D. Check out www.macarthurbeach.org to learn all about our beautiful Park!
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MacArthur Beach State Park, the only state park in Palm Beach County, is an "island in time" preserving the lush and diverse subtropical coastal habitats of southeast Florida.

09/04/2026

The park and gift shop are open on Labor Day and all weekend long. If you plan to head to the beach this holiday weekend please help keep our beach turtle-friendly by keeping it clean (remove all beach toys, chairs, tents, etc. & pick up trash on beach), dark (no lights at night), and flat (take down sandcastles and fill holes before you leave for the evening).

Gift shop hours are 9am-5pm. Kayaks and Standup Paddle Boards may be rented between 9:00am and 3:00pm (weather permitting). All kayaks must be returned no later than 4:00pm. The park opens at 8am and closes at sunset.

As a reminder, the park’s main restroom building continues to be closed while essential improvements are made to the park’s septic system. Portable restrooms are available for visitors during the closure. We anticipate the work will take several weeks, though the timeline may change as the project progresses. We should have an update soon!

We know this may be an inconvenience, and we sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding as we complete these important improvements. Thank you for helping us care for the park while we work to provide a better experience for everyone.

09/01/2026

Sea Turtle Nesting Update! Sea turtle nesting season at MacBeach continues into September, with two more months to go. So far this season, our team has recorded more than 2,500 nests along the 1.6 miles of beach at John D. MacArthur Beach State Park!

That includes:
1,694 Loggerhead nests
830 Green Sea Turtle nests
57 Leatherback nests

While nesting activity begins to slow as we head into September and October, our work continues every day. Our team conducts daily nesting surveys and monitoring efforts to help protect these incredible animals and their habitat.

08/31/2026

We are excited to announce that Park Ranger David Gelb has been selected as Employee of the Month for District 5 of the Florida Park Service!

Please join us in congratulating David for his outstanding contributions, professionalism, and commitment to excellence.

David was being nominated for his exceptional work ethic, positive attitude, and dedication to supporting the park and fellow staff members. In his role as a Park Ranger, David consistently goes above and beyond his assigned duties to help others, support operations, and ensure programs run smoothly.

In addition to his regular ranger duties at MacBeach, David has also voluntarily trained to assist with field trip programs and the animal care program for the park’s many aquatic and terrestrial animals in our nature center. He consistently demonstrates initiative and a willingness to help wherever needed. David maintains a positive attitude and regularly exceeds expectations with the quality and speed of his work, especially on maintenance projects.

David exemplifies teamwork, professionalism, and dedication. He is highly deserving of this recognition, and his contributions to the park are truly irreplaceable.

Congratulations David, your hard work truly shines!

08/27/2026

Meet our Fall 2026 Naturalist Interns! We are excited to welcome Ella and Meghan! (pictured left to right)
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Ella graduated from the University of Florida with a B.S. in Environmental Science and a minor in Zoology. She grew up going to MacArthur Beach Summer Camp and was later a counselor in training. She’s excited to be back at the park! Ella is looking forward to observing all the flora and fauna in the park.
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Meghan is from North Carolina and recently graduated from the University of Vermont with a degree in Environmental Science and a certificate in Place-Based Education. She is very excited to experience Florida’s unique ecology and share her scientific knowledge with guests. She is also looking forward to seeing all the wildlife, especially birds, that MacArthur Beach has to offer.
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We are so excited to have them on the team! Be sure to say hi when you see them around the park!

08/21/2026

🌿 Friday Flora Find: Can you ID this coastal plant found at MacBeach?

Here are a few hints:
🌸 It has beautiful purple-pink flowers that look like tiny beach morning glories.
🚂 Its name may remind you of train tracks, but you’ll find it growing across the sand.
🌊 This native plant helps stabilize dunes and protect the shoreline.
🐢 It plays an important role in healthy beach habitat, especially during sea turtle nesting season.

Think you know it? Drop your guess in the comments.

08/18/2026

What a summer at MacBeach! This summer, Friends of MacArthur Beach State Park was proud to bring our community together for a season filled with learning, exploration, conservation, and connection.

☀️ Six weeks of Summer Camp gave young explorers the chance to learn, play and make memories in nature.

🎓 Three summer interns gained hands-on experience while building valuable skills and a deeper connection to environmental education and conservation.

🐢 We celebrated the release of two educational sea turtle ambassadors, made possible through the support and collaboration of our incredible partners.

🌳 We welcomed educators for our MacBeach Explorations teacher workshop, helping prepare for another year of connecting students with the natural world through Project Learning Tree and Project WILD.

🦪 We hosted a Vertical Oyster Garden workshop, giving our community a hands-on opportunity to learn about oyster restoration and the important role these living structures can play in our waterways.

⚾️ And we took our love of the ocean into the community with All About the Ocean Night at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, connecting baseball fans with the importance of protecting our coastal environment.

None of this happens without the incredible community that supports the Friends. We are so grateful for the support of Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties, VoLo Foundation, Sharkey Family Foundation, Marine Industries Association of Palm Beach County & Palm Beach International Boat Show, Bus One LLC, Project Learning Tree, Project WILD, Pew Family Foundation, and The Freed Foundation.

Thank you for helping us create meaningful experiences and connect our community with the incredible natural world right here at MacBeach.

And now, we’re looking ahead! We can’t wait to welcome students back for another year of school field experiences and outdoor learning.

08/11/2026

Did you know The Palm Beaches is Florida’s Sea Turtle Capital?

From March through October, our 47 miles of coastline become one of the most important sea turtle nesting habitats in the world, hosting more loggerhead nests per mile than anywhere else in the U.S. Each year, nearly 2 million hatchlings begin their journey to the sea right here in The Palm Beaches 💚

At John D. MacArthur Beach State Park, we average over 3,000 nests on our 1.6 miles of beach each year! So far this season, our team has recorded a total of 1,688 Loggerhead nests, 729 Green Sea Turtle nests, and 57 Leatherback nests.

As Florida’s Sea Turtle Capital, we invite you to adventure from Sea to Preserve because experiencing paradise also means protecting it. Here’s how you can help keep our beaches safe👇

✨ Keep beaches flat, dark, and quiet at night
✨ Turn off beachfront lighting and avoid flash photography
✨ Fill in holes and knock down sandcastles before leaving
✨ Follow local boating guidelines
✨ Respect marked nesting areas

08/10/2026

Saturday’s Vertical Oyster Garden Workshop was a huge success, with 30 participants coming together at the park to learn how these living structures can help support healthy waterways and oyster habitat.

By the end of the workshop, participants had created 31 Vertical Oyster Gardens (VOGs), which will now be installed on local docks. We loved seeing so much enthusiasm, curiosity and hands-on learning happening at the park!

A huge thank you to Tom Twyford with the West Palm Beach Fishing Club for sharing his time and expertise and leading such a great workshop.

08/05/2026

Friends of MacArthur Beach State Park is hiring a Director of Education to lead our award-winning environmental education programs.

The link to apply is below:
https://www.indeed.com/job/director-education-a327f2a2cba47473

08/04/2026

🚧 Temporary Restroom Closure Notice

To help protect our park’s natural resources and improve our facilities, our main restroom building is temporarily closed while essential improvements are made to the park’s septic system.

Portable restrooms will be available for visitors during the closure. We anticipate the work will take several weeks, though the timeline may change as the project progresses. We will keep you updated!

We know this may be an inconvenience, and we sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding as we complete these important improvements. Thank you for helping us care for the park while we work to provide a better experience for everyone.

Address

10900 Jack Nicklaus Drive
North Palm Beach, FL
33408

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 7:45pm
Tuesday	8am - 7:45pm
Wednesday	8am - 7:45pm
Thursday	8am - 7:45pm
Friday	8am - 7:45pm
Saturday	8am - 7:45pm
Sunday	8am - 7:45pm

Website

http://www.macarthurbeach.org/

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