John D. MacArthur Beach State Park

John D. MacArthur Beach State Park was established in 1989, the only state park in Palm Beach County. The State Park was established to protect a diverse and undisturbed subtropical coastal habitat from development. The Park is named for John D. MacArthur, whose generosity allowed the State of Florida to secure the land. Developed in part with funds donated by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Park opened to the public in 1989. The purpose was and is still today, to protect a very rare and spectacularly beautiful piece of Florida’s southeast coast. John D. MacArthur realized this after a university study in the 1970’s revealed the biological treasures in this area. The National Recreation and Parks Association, in partnership with the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration, announced Florida State Parks as the 2019 Gold Medal award winner. This achievement makes Florida the first park system in the nation to win a fourth Gold Medal. Situated between the Atlantic Ocean and the Lake Worth Lagoon, the Park is 436 acres of natural environments, including seven species of plants and twenty-two species of animals designated as endangered or threatened. In the early 1900’s, Munyon Island was famous for its lavish resort hotel, “The Hygeia.” Built by Dr. James Munyon, the hotel was destroyed by fire in 1915. Munyon Island is part of the Park, accessible by boat, kayak, or paddleboard only. The earliest evidence of human occupation com