Every time we come to this Park we are just so delighted. The trails are in great condition. The staff is always helpful friendly and respectful. It is an hour drive for us but we find it so worth while. The food concession is a tremendous value and the food is great. They have bikes, kayaks and a river tour. Or you can pay the $6.00 per car and pack a lunch for one of the best values for a family. Great place to spend a day. read more

Jonathan Dickinson State Park - Parks Near Me - Hobe Sound, Florida

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Cool park! We drive by often and it's always something we've wanted to stop and check out. I had no idea this park is so huge! You could drive for 30 minutes and still not see everything! We stopped by on a weekday and the park was pretty and relaxing. Not too many people on the couple of trails we did. The observation tower is closed but they still have a nice boardwalk up to that area that makes for a great walk! It's pretty highly elevated for Florida - kind of impressive in person! Entry is $6 per car, and the lady provided a map and recommended her favorite trail. We checked that trail out as well (the white trail), but the height of the observation tower trail was really the star! We decided to drive around after doing both trails, and we saw their campgrounds. So surprising at how busy this place was! It seemed there was hardly an empty spot! Must be a happening place to camp! We'd definitely return for more adventures, as this is a cool park! read more

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This place is great for those into the outdoors or nature in general. Kayaking, camping, fishing, and plenty of wildlife you might run into. There's overlooks and and an endless supply of trails to choose. I will definitely be back with some chairs and hoping for some quiet time to myself. The environment is so unique here you feel like you're in a different country at times. read more

Jonathan Dickinson State Park - Hiking - Parks Near Me - Hobe Sound, Florida

Came here for a bike ride with my boyfriend and the staff working was very kind. We got free car admission since it was a holiday which was great. We had a wonderful time riding along and seeing all the nature in the area and the bike path is very easy to follow along. read more

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Such a beautiful park!! It feels like old FL with the shrubbery and the views are beautiful. Was sad that you couldn't go up the tower, not sure what's happening there. Easy to drive through and have a little walk. Grateful it's still here! read more

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Jonathan Dickerson State Park is absolutely massive. They have so many campsites they've expanded the camping experience. You can rent cabins, you can sleep in a tent or bring your camper or motorhome. If you are into biking walking running, they have so many trails you can't imagine how many trails they have. They have a gift shop. Also they do boat tours, tours in a large vehicle they have birdwatching areas where they have. I believe over 150 different bird species. Wildlife has been a little bit minimal this year. We haven't seen any deer, but lots of turtles and lizards hawks armadillo just to name a few. If you're looking for a good campsite that has a lot to do and also swim this is the place for you. I highly recommend coming here. You won't regret it. read more

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I hadn't visited Jonathan Dickinson in years until last night for the owl event. They hosted an owl pellet dissection from 4-6PM followed by a 6PM owl hike. Unfortunately, it was too cold and we didn't see any owls. On the flip side, we saw a beautiful sunset and squeezed in a little more than 1.5 miles. The staff members were both knowledgeable and friendly. The park ranger Rachel at the front entrance was a doll! She possesses a dynamite personality and was very helpful with directions. I forgot how massive the park is. If you're a camper, this might be your jam. read more

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We took our grandkids camping for the first time. The glamping tents are wonderful! Super clean and they really thought of everything. You really only need to bring food, towels for the bathroom. They even supply a coffee maker and coffee. We also went fishing and even caught a fish!!! Definitely a must do and book early. There are only 6 campsites. read more

Jonathan Dickinson State Park - Parks Near Me - Hobe Sound, Florida

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On this site on September 3, 1696, Jonathan Dickinson was part of a group of Quakers headed for Jamaica when his ship sank. The 24 survivors were captured by the Native People living in the area. Jonathan's account of his time with them was recorded in his book, God's Protecting Providence. It is the only account of the Native People in the area because shortly after that they were wiped out by disease and sent to Cuba as slaves. Eventually Jonathan's party was released and they made it to St. Augustine. In 1942 the US Army established the top secret Camp Murphy in what is now the park. The camp had over 1,000 buildings and house 6,000 soldiers and officers. After two years the camp closed and the buildings were torn down although you can still some remains, in 1950 the land opened as Jonathan Dickinson State Park. Today Jonathan Dickinson State Park has a wide range of amenities including bicycle trails, a boat ramp, camp sites, cabins, canoe/kayak launch and trails, educational programs at the Elsa Kimbell Environmental Education and Research Center, equestrian trails, fishing, hiking trails, historical trail, picnic areas, a restaurant and concession stand, boat tours, and restrooms. In the past I have been to the park to kayak several times and once to stay in the overnight cabins. Hiking Mount Hobe is always a stop. On this visit I was attending Springfest hosted by the Friends of Jonathan Dickinson State Park. I always love visiting this large park for the refuge that it provides hundreds of species of plants and animals and all of the fun and recreation it offers people. read more

Jonathan Dickinson State Park - Parks Near Me - Hobe Sound, Florida

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Great place to bring your bikes. Camp. Trail. Relax. Had an amazing and relaxing time. A must try if you haven't been. You can even paddle board. . read more

Jonathan Dickinson State Park - Self love. :)) - Parks Near Me - Hobe Sound, Florida

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Visited in early March, weather was warm, not hot; clouds kept temps down. Mountain bike trails were interesting & good. Also rented kayaks to fish up the canals; very interesting. Found mom and baby alligators, and further on dad! All good. read more

Camping over Labor Day weekend was such a great time at the state park! We spent the weekend doing various things at the camp as well as in Jupiter area! I highly suggest hiking up to the top of Hobe Mountain Tower! The view is beautiful and it's only a 10 min walk from the parking lot! Another favorite from the weekend was fishing from the dock at the end of river camp! We caught puffer fish, garr, and stripped mojarra (may be spelled wrong lol)! It was a good time but be careful not to touch the puffer fish because they're poisonous!! The next highlight was walking the trails in the park! The Kitching Creek Nature Trail - Overlook is closed as of right now so the hike is pretty much the same the whole way. It's about a 1.5 mile walk. We camped at the River Campground, with 52 sites, is 4 miles from the park entrance, near the Loxahatchee River. That is where we fished in the evenings and mornings! I would say that close to all 52 sites were full for Labor Day, but it didn't seem crowded at all! The bathhouses held two showers and 3 bathrooms-quite clean as well! I would recommend stopping in if you get the chance! Plus super close to beautiful beaches! read more

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This park is a great place to hike, ride, camp, canoe or just appreciate nature. If you are a nature lover you will love this park. This is the type of place you can come multiple times and always find something different to do. Be prepared local wildlife encounters. If you are walking or swimming be mindful of your surroundings. I saw several snakes. Bring bug spray! If I lived close to this park l would definitely spend a lot of time here. read more

Jonathan Dickinson State Park - Parks Near Me - Hobe Sound, Florida

Well, if you want to hike in Florida, this is one of the few places for it! We did a simple 4 mile hike here, and it was nice to be able to stretch our legs without looking at a stretch of condos. This is allegedly the biggest State Park in Florida, and I would love to explore it more! Its facilities are really well-maintained and there is lots of camping. Just be sure to get your reservations weeks in advance if you're trying to camp in the busy season! (winter/Christmas) Glad Florida still has some truly wild places for folks to explore! read more

Great hiking and biking trails, canoe and kayak rentals on the Loxahatchee river, and boat tour to Trapper Nelson's camp read more

Jonathan Dickinson State Park - Phone numbers and fees - Parks Near Me - Hobe Sound, Florida

This time of a year this place is so busy, there was a line at checked in at 3:27 pm, we were told we have to come back in an hour because the cabin isn't ready. They cannot check us in yet. So we had to turn around and waited an hour. As we walked in the cabin, the place was cleaned, it was perfect! We stayed in cabin 5, it has normal size fridge, oven microwave, coffee maker pots and pans! It was. It has everything! The other family we were with was in cabin 3, no oven and no wall dividers, it's open concept. Overall we enjoyed it! I'm coming back! read more

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Beautiful big park on the Loxahatchee river. Lots to do - the campgrounds are lovely and quiet, boat ramp is very nice, lots of picnic areas and great bike trails. Park staff are friendly and helpful. The river cruise is a great option for families with small children or older folks, but it is run by a concessionaire who has occasionally been closed, so call ahead to the park if you are making a special trip for it. The adjacent Riverbend park is highly recommended for paddling. read more

This wonderful park is just North of the County line and well worth the visit. I guess I think of it as being part of Jupiter, since it's easiest to get to from Indiantown Road if coming from I-95, and since you can canoe the Loxahatchee River starting from Riverbend Park in Jupiter and end in Jonathan Dickinson. JD is not the beach and not the Everglades, but it is the Florida forest and a peaceful place. One of my first memories of JD is visiting as a child and loving Trappers Nelson's historic home and thinking that maybe I could run away and live in the woods too. This area is only accessible via waterway; the last time I visited was stopping there on that canoe trip that begins at Riverbend, a wonderful trip in itself; this stop was the perfect place for snacks and naps! Another novelty of JD is they have a small area of the Loxahatchee blocked off with netting so people (and dogs I believe) can safely swim/wade in an alligator-free zone. I am keen to try out the camping areas with my children, since I have brought other people's children here many times over the years to 'hike' trails while feeling like we're far from civilization. read more

I could not have been more impressed with this state park. I have pinned it on my map and will return often. It is by far the best park to camp for newbies as it has electricity and water in each lot you camp and the bathrooms are ULTRA clean with hot water--even at the end of the day when the whole campsite is full. We reserved on the riverside campground and couldn't be happier with our lot as it had enough trees around. The soil is mostly sand which helped with staking the tent and made it comfortable with minimal bugs. The lot had a campfire ring, bbq, 2 regular electric plugs (with a cover to protect from rain) plus some additional ones that I assume are for higher voltage things. We were lucky to have trees close enough to hang our hammock but NOTE you can only do so with a thick flat strap to avoid damage to the trees--there's some sort of beetle that infects the trees upon damage. The bathrooms are close to the lots regardless of where you camp it seems ( and through out amenities in the park) and I can't emphasize how clean they were. The whole place is clean! The rangers were super friendly and helpful and on top of things to make sure everything was going smooth. Even when we were packing to leave they came around to take out the ashes from the bbq and fire pit. We felt safe the entire time yet be aware that wildlife is real and so keep your food in the car or secured and make sure you take out the trash to the large bins at the entrance of the campground unless you wanna wake up to racoons or boars trying to get at them. As far as activities go there's plenty. Hiking and biking trails galore, a mountain bike/bmx trail, horse back riding from Nov-Easter, boat tours, kayak/paddle boat rentals, a platform that overlooks the whole park and ocean, geo caching and more. I highly suggest the horses as these are the most obedient horses I've ever been on--note you will go very slow but take the chance to spot deer or boars . Other wildlife we spotted were turkeys, land turtles, and we think a coyote... Finally there's a little store that sells wood, ice and more as well as a food truck close to the "beach" in the park. There is wifi 24hours at the center if needed. There are also plenty of LARGE pavilions around to take advantage of and honestly the town is SUPER CUTE if you want to grab food outside and bring back in. This is definitely a gem in south florida!!! read more

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What a nice park to hang out with nature and chill. We came here today to go canoeing. I had not been canoeing since the last time with my brother and he tipped his canoe and so I was a little apprehensive about getting in this canoe or tipping it. Hunter the young man at the ramp was really nice to steady this canoe as we sat down. I sat in the front and prayed my friend would not tip this canoe but she knew what she was doing. I managed to get us stuck in the mangroves for a good view of a heron. We rented the canoe for a couple of hours and it was so peaceful and beautiful, something very healing about being in solitude with nature. We did see an alligator and of course, turtles, jumping fish, and a few birds. Our rental cost was about 29.00 and the park entrance fee was 6.00. About this park history. Jonathan Dickinson State Park Jonathan Dickinson State Park is named after a Quaker merchant by the name of Jonathan Dickinson who was shipwrecked off the coast in 1696. During World War II, the land was home to Camp Murphy, an army base for Southern Signal Corps School. The barracks are still visible. The recreation-rich park of Jonathan Dickinson rests several miles inland off the southeastern shores of Florida. Close to 11,500 acres of land and river a mosaic of thirteen ecological communities including sand scrub and pine Flatwoods to bald cypress swamps and red mangrove estuaries exist in the park. About 20 percent of the park is covered in coastal sand pine scrub, a biological community so rare it is designated "globally imperiled." The large picnic area is on the banks of the Loxahatchee River. Four pavilions are available for group or family picnics. Single picnic tables with barbecue grills are scattered under large shade trees. Don't be surprised if you see a Deer pass by as you enjoy your meal. Two of the nature trails start right in the picnic area. A moment away is Hobe Mountain, a 124-foot tower offering sights of the forest on the west and sights of the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean on the east. This observation tower is accessed on a short road just beyond the park's entrance lot. Florida Peninsula Cooter Turtles The Loxahatchee River was named a National Wild and Scenic River in 1985. Named by the Seminole Indians, "Loxahatchee" means River of Turtles. It winds its way through the park, passing under a canopy of centuries-old cypress trees. The river has a timeless beauty all its own, possessing remarkable ecological and recreational values which are unique in the United States. Living at the water's edge, you'll find a variety of wading birds including Herons, Egrets, Ibis, and Anhingas. Be sure to keep an eye out overhead for soaring Osprey and the American Bald Eagle. Many nests within the park. As you approach the water, look for signs of River Otter. They are rarely seen but do enjoy the fresh tea-colored water of the Loxahatchee River. Glimpses of Florida Sandhill Crane, Scrub-Jay, and Gopher Tortoise are frequently recorded. The best time to see wildlife at Jonathan Dickinson State Park is in the early morning. This high-usage park oftentimes sends wildlife scurrying for cover. Another way to explore the wildlife is by canoe. Jonathan Dickinson State Park has the last Atlantic coast state campground before the Florida Keys. This park has nearly something for every outdoor taste. There is a hiking path, paddling, biking, horseback riding, picnicking, boat tours, environmental education programs, campgrounds with 135 campsites. read more

Glad we visited on a Monday and not on a weekend when I am guessing this place is very busy. Only $6 to enter. We drove to the Kitching area and did a hike around the nature trail which was very nice. We did not have bikes with us but we saw the bike trail through the park - it looked pretty smooth. We aren't mountain bikers but saw some of those trails and they looked extensive and pretty cool. We also walked up the Hobe "Mountain" tower which has a great 360 degree view though it was super windy so we didn't linger. You could really spend a lot of quality time here. read more

Nice getaway for maybe 2 days. You can only rent boats during certain times as well as tour boat only certain days. Nice paved bike trail. Down near RR crossing is off road trail as well. Highly recommend Harry and the Natives to eat 5 miles north on US1..We stayed in the cabin. If you do as well get one with deck on back. Worth the few extra dollars. Beds not too co.fortable but cabin overall nice. read more

Jonathan Dickinson State Park - Parks Near Me - Hobe Sound, Florida

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One of my favorite places in the world. There's so much to and see here, but kayaking, biking, hiking, and camping are at the top of my list. As a young boy, I grew up with the story and legend of Trapper Nelson, and you can take a boat tour to his former small zoo and homestead. On our trip, we were lucky to see some river otters at play. What's here is wildness, beauty, history and adventure. The rangers are dedicated and helpful. The admission is well worth it, considering everything that's here. read more

Great places and lots to do... went with a group and camped and just enjoyed nature. The grounds are well maintained and the rangers are really friendly read more

Jonathan Dickinson State Park has so much to do like bicycling, boat tours, boating, cabins, canoeing, fishing, hiking, horse trails, kayaking, picnicking areas, swimming, wildlife viewing and full camping facilities. It also has an Environmental Education and Research Center, with exhibits about the park's natural and cultural history. Growing up in South Florida I spent time visiting this park and the surrounding area. Even into adulthood I took my daughter and family visitors. Florida State Parks in my opinion are some of the nicest in the United States. I'm recommending if you live in Florida or are a visitor. This park is especially enjoyable if you like to wander in nature or enjoy outdoors activities. read more

There are 2 campgrounds in this state park. Pine Grove and River. We stayed for 7 nights at the River Campground. We payed almost $30 per night. The River campground is nice. Much more shade and foliage than Pine. Large campsites. Most are covered and divided by beautiful foliage. Most sites are gravel with a couple paved. Lots to do here. Many miles of shared trails for hikers, bikers, and equestrians. Pine has full hookups where River has water and electric only. Camp Murphy offers trails for 10 miles of off road bicycles, mountain bikes. Designated trails with novice, intermediate, or expert! The Loxahatchee river offers boat tours at $27 each person. They rent kayaks and canoes. This is an awesome river to kayak. The current is slow and makes for an easy paddle along mangroves. Many gators, birds, and large turtles along the way. They have an overlook tower with ramped boardwalks that lead to the tower, which sits atop the highest natural point in South Florida. What I don't like about this place? 1. out of close to 100 campsites here, there is only one dump station! And it is at the Pine Campground, almost 5 miles from the River campground. Without sewer here in the River campground, I would not attempt to pull a poop wagon 5 miles! Stupid that the Dump Station is located at the campground with full hookups. Duh! 2. They offer wash and dry laundry and it takes 10 quarters, no credit cards, and guess what? You cannot get change here! 3. The 7 nights we were here there were many open sites. The sign out front reads Campground is Full! Saturday I counted 6 empty sites at River Campground. I don't believe this is a fault of JD but it is frustrating to think how many sites are empty when there are many campers trying to get in here. I wish FL State Parks could figure a way to free or make available their empty sites. 4. Horrible Verizon coverage here. 1 sometimes 2 bars. read more

Jonathan Dickinson State Park - Parks Near Me - Hobe Sound, Florida

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This is a great way to experience just what Florida outdoors is all about. Hiking, biking, kayaking, canoeing and even horseback riding is all available. The campground area is really nice. Just be prepared -there are bugs (LOTS of bugs, snakes, lizards, bobcats, deer, coyotes and alligators. Not to scare you but they are definitely there. Just always be aware of your surroundings and be respectful of the wildlife. Also-please please be safety conscious as well-it does get dry here and there is always a fire risk. read more

Opens at 8am and closes at sunset. $4 per car plus $2 per person in the car. Cash or card is accepted. Bring change, if paying in cash, because they don't carry change with them. Great location for hiking, biking, canoeing, picnics, and camping just to name a few. We went canoeing. Cost $25 for two hours plus $5 for every hour after. Up to three people can fit into one canoe. Very relaxing if your sitting in the middle like I was and just enjoying the jumping fish. Can easily spend the day on the water. Very clean park. read more

Jonathan Dickinson State Park - Parks Near Me - Hobe Sound, Florida

Had. A great day at the park and looking forward to our next visit. View point was cool, then rented a motor boat and it was fairly price, had a great time. The trapper area was so cool. read more

Jonathan Dickinson State Park - Mountain view - Parks Near Me - Hobe Sound, Florida

I love this state park one of my favorites in Florida great clean and maintained park , love the outdoor activities and rentals are pretty cool . The ranger station staff are awesome and very helpful and resourceful read more

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This place is amazing and very safe. I got to see, 3 turtles, 2 deer, one coyote, many birds, we even caught a fish. ( We released it) My daughter went horseback riding and enjoyed it very much The bathrooms were spotless. Campers as well as staff were friendly. We stayed for 3 days and wished it had been longer for there was so much to do. read more

A brilliant, well kept, enormous state park for everyone to enjoy. There's too much to cover here in an afternoon that you need multiple trips. I will definitely be back. If you don't have a lot of time, there's an auto tour where you can get a cd and hear about each major stop in the park as you driv. **YOU NEED To ask for this at the entrance; unfortunately there's no where else to get it.** Visit the environmental center for a wonderful set of artwork and an informative video explaining the park's efforts and nature you can see. Also, the restrooms here are well stocked and clean. Tons of mountain biking trails, paved trails, hiking trails, BYO bikes, canoe, kayak, coolers for a great day out. Also bring plenty of bug spray, the no-see-ums and gnats game is strong out here. On some trails there's a very limited amount of tree cover, so dress for that. Check the friends of Jonathan Dickinson state park page, as there's always some kind of event going on here. Today is "take a kid mountain biking day." No worries about the park at capacity though. It's over 800 acres, and the highest point in South Florida is here. Bring food, sunscreen, your favorite activities, people you love, and enjoy! read more

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If you want to get back to nature, Jonathan Dickinson State Park is the place to go. I really felt like I was in the woods with wildlife everywhere you look. Beautiful trees, bamboo stands, streams and fabulous, fantastic woodlands are what bring the people in. Jonathan Dickinson is quite different from the other many state parks I've been to. It's a great place to hike, camp or go boating. Most other parks I've been to have all the trappings of a city park. That doesn't mean Jonathan Dickinson doesn't have nice picnic tables, they do! The highlight of the park is a truck that sells various beers to cool you off in the Florida heat. Take my advice and get back to nature and visit the very unusual Jonathan Dickinson State Park!!! It's a winner!! read more

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Nature!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Woo Hooo. I have rented things on two separate occasions form JDSP. Most recently I rented a bike and took to the nature trails. On the previous encounter, we rented kayaks. I didn't have a great experience with my bike. They are all old (new ones are coming in a month according to the person working the register) and my chain fell off my bike at least 10 times in my 2.5 hours we rode, plus I unlocked the bonus of the back tire going flat so I had to walk the last half mile to the country store. Trent.. why didn't you give it a 1-star rating?!?!?!?.. Because nature, that's why! The park is very beautiful. We saw some amazing plants, birds and even ran into a tortoise. There were a lot of people enjoying many different activities and you can even go to the highest point in South Florida.... spoiler alert not that high (the view is awesome af tho). Went we rented kayaks everything went smoothly. Great waterways, lots of fun people and its cool being on the water and seeing lots of fish and birds.... maybe even an alligator. They also opened up a new trail for mountain biking which looks really fun. I would suggest taking a weekend day and enjoying the various things you can do in the park. read more

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Don't have a restaurant listed on your website if you don't have a restaurant. Food truck is closed, snack bar has junk.

Showed up to at 3:00 to rent a kayak. A man in front of me is talking to the woman renting. At 3:01 i ask to rent a kayak and she says we were too late. Meanwhile a family is checking out and getting their equipment. To not let us go out because of one minute is petty and unprofessional. I'll never come here again. Their attitudes were awful and she took no consideration that I'd been standing inline waiting. Even worse the other clerk lied and said they had no boats. Looked down at the dock and there they are. read more

Jonathan Dickinson State Park - The kayaks they didn't have! - Parks Near Me - Hobe Sound, Florida

I have been wanting to visit here after passing through the area on vacation and listening to a podcast about the story of Trapper Nelson, who lived on a secluded island in the park. For more on the story, listening to the episode on Southern Mysteries podcast. My boyfriend and I visited on a beautiful day in February, and we paid $6 to enter the park. We took a little drive through the park to the observation tower first and walked the five minutes to the top of the tower to take in the view of the surrounding area. On a sunny day, the water is so pretty and blue. We hopped back in the car and drove to the visitor center and picnic area, where the concession stand and ticket sales for the boat tour are. It is about $25 a person for the boat tour, which is about 1 1/2 hours on a shaded pontoon boat. We wanted to rent the little skiffs for $50 for two hours, but there were no skiffs available. The boat tour ended up being a good idea, as we were able to take in the scenery and listen to the boat captain tell us about the vegetation in the area, the animals, and the story of the area. When we arrived at the island, there was a dock to a volunteer that stays at the island for each boat visit. The volunteer was well versed in the story of Trapper Nelson, and he guided us around the island, talking and showing us the settlement. It was highly interesting and pretty cool to see how he lived during that time. The tour lasted about 30 minutes before we went back on the boat for the ride back. We had such a great time and enjoyed the park thoroughly. We recommend it to other visitors and hope to come back soon on our next vacation. read more

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The land is gorgeous but the trails are not well-maintained at all and you pay money so it's not fair. So many roads and trails could be made so that people could walk on them. The grasses are overgrown and last year they have turned the soil and the roads are not passable. The loop is not passable. Also, they are supposed to be custodians of the land and instead they have quite trashed it. The boats that they used to make money off of the tourists dump so much gasoline in the water that it floats on the surface. Terrible for the wildlife. Quite shameful in my opinion. read more

Another great RV Camping visit at Jonathan Dickinson State Park over July 4th weekend. So much fun and so much to see inside the park, including canoe, kayak, paddle board, motor boat, and bike rentals. Great for family picnics at the water's edge including a store for supplies. They even have an observation deck to hike up to with spectacular views of the Sunset. Overall the park is well maintained and amenities are clean. Never had any issues and will continue to come back for good fun. read more

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Jonathan Dickinson State Park is a Florida State Park located in Martin County Florida. The Loxahatchee River (a National Wild and Scenic River) runs thru the park. The park has such amenities as bicycling, boat tours, boating, cabins, canoeing, fishing, hiking, horse trails, kayaking, picnicking areas, swimming, wildlife viewing and full camping facilities. It also has the Elsa Kimbell Environmental Education and Research Center, with exhibits about the park's natural and cultural history. The park operates a 44-passenger boat for tours of Trapper Nelson's homestead. The U.S.Army operated Camp Murphy, a secret radar research facility, at this site beginning in 1942 -- it operated for 2 years. The federal government transferred this site to the State of Florida in 1947. read more