When you think of Palm Beach County, you probably picture luxury mansions, manicured golf courses, and endless stretches of mainland sand. But did you know this coastline is actually home to over 25 named islands? Most of them—like Jupiter or Singer Island—are connected by massive bridges, blending seamlessly into the mainland. But a handful remain beautifully isolated, reachable only by water. At the top of that list is Peanut Island Park. Whether you want to snorkel crystal-clear reefs, tour a hidden Cold War bunker, or camp under the stars, here is why this 79-acre paradise needs to be your next weekend escape.
Peanut Island was originally called Inlet Island and it is, in fact, a man-made island completed in 1918 through a related dredging project that also created the Inlet and the Port of Palm Beach. Later on the name was changed to Peanut Island due to the intentions of using this island for a Peanut oil-shipping operation, though those plans never actually materialized.
What is so nice about Peanut Island is that you can go and spend only a few hours, a whole day or even spend the night camping. There is an opportunity for everyone to enjoy it! But from my experience, spending your whole day, and or camping, is the best way to go. When I visited the attraction with my friends, we were there for only three hours and I can tell you that it wasn’t enough time to throughly experience the whole Island. I’m definetly planning a trip back to check it in more detail. Never the less, the time I spent there was enough to know that the Island is a great place to check out.
How to Get to Peanut Island: Shuttles & Costs
The easiest and most budget friendly way to visit the Island is by using the services of the Peanut Island Shuttle Boat from the Riviera Beach Marina Village (you can check schedules and updates at https://peanutislandshuttleboat.com/peanut-island-day-trips). It costs $25 for an adult ticket and it runs every 15 to 30 minutes. When you buy your ticket you will receive a wristband that will grant you access to one single roundtrip. The water taxi is big enough so you can bring all your gear with you—from beach chairs and heavy coolers to the beach carts needed to roll it all. It’s important to note that alcoholic beverages are not allowed on the island, so the boat team may (very likely) inspect your bags and coolers for it. It happened to us when we went, and yes, we did have alcoholic beverages with us. In cases like this they will keep your beverages in a cooler at the ticket house. The loophole to this restriction is if you rent a charter boat service or if you go on your own boat, and keep it in the vessel. These options, however, tend to be a lot more costly. There is a third way to get to Peanut Island, and that is by paddle boarding or kayaking, which we will talk more about it later.
Yes, dragging a heavy cooler onto a shuttle boat and abiding by the strict no-alcohol rules takes a little bit of pre-planning. But honestly? That is exactly what keeps this island so clean, family-friendly, and preserved compared to most public beaches.
Planning Your Trip: Location, Hours, & Parking
Peanut Island is located in the Intercoastal area in between Riviera Beach Mainland and Singer Island. As mentioned, the easiest way to reach the Island is by Water Taxi found at the Riviera Beach Marina, located on 200 E 13th St, Riviera Beach, FL 33404.
While as a camper you may stay at the Island for the length of your stay, if you rent private charters or arrive at the island by Kayak and Paddleboard you may come and go at the desired time. But if you are using the services of the water taxi, it specifically runs shuttles from mainland to the Island from 10am to 3pm, and the last return trip happens at 5pm. The park and the Shuttle Boat are operated seven days a week.
Parking at the Marina is limited and is free only for the first 2 hours, so arriving at morning time is highly recommended. Most likely you will be required to pay for a whole day worth of parking, just as I had to, which cost me just above $15. The parking payment system is an online payment service, where you scan the QR code located at the signs found across the parking area.
Important Water Taxi Rules & Fees
When buying your Water Taxi tickets please have these details in mind:
- Walk-Ins are sold first-come first served. The Island does have a capacity limit and they will stop selling tickets once they reach that limit.
- During Peak Season they may only accept online reservations for weekends and holidays.
- Adult tickets are $25 per person for round-trip for passengers 11 years and up. Children tickets are going for $12.
- The Island is dog-friendly and their entry is free of charge
- If you used your round trip for the day and wishes to re-entry, your return to the Island will cost you an additional $12.
- There are additional charges to bring your own Paddleboard ($18) and Kayaks are not permitted on board.
- If bringing a Beach Cart, they will charge an additional. $5.
- These were the prices at their website at the time of writing this article. Please refer to their website link to check for any updates.
Exploring the Island: The 6 Main Areas
Peanut Island has six main areas: Boat Deck, Boat Basin and Channels; Camping Ground; Reef Boardwalk; Snorkeling Reef and Breakwater Beach; the Coast Guard House.
The Boat Deck is located in the Northwest side of the Island and it is where the water taxi will drop you off and pick you up. While the Boat Basin and Channels, located on the East side of the island, is where charter boat services or private boat owners will dock their boats for there is where you are allowed to keep the vessel docked for longer than 10 minutes.
Assuming that you are using the water taxi services, as I did, once you disembark you will immediately see the camping grounds, the bathrooms, and the picnic and barbecue tables. There are several of these tables scattered across the island, but the majority of them are to the left of the pier within the Boat Deck proximity. Each of these tables come with their own barbecue grill, and if you get there early or are lucky enough you may choose from the ones that are covered with shade. These amenities allow you to enjoy your time with friends and family, grill your own burgers, hot dogs or whatever floats your boat.
Additional amenities you will find are: bathroom facility by the these picnic tables, and a water fountain. I know for myself that having a nearby bathroom will make it or break it when deciding to spend the day by the beach. There are, also, showers around the perimeter of the island.
Peanut Island is a great location to spend a weekend or holiday. However, keep in mind that because the island is relatively small, – the island counts with around 37 acres accessible to visitors, while the remaining 40 acres in the center of the island is restricted – and you will need to arrive early to reserve the preferred tables. I went on a Tuesday after Memorial Day and it had a lot more visitors than I was expecting. I can only imagine how busy it gets during more popular days.
When planning your time at Peanut Island, you need to plan ahead so you can go prepared. There are no convenience stores or restaurants on the island. As mentioned, there are showers available and a water fountain by the bathrooms, but anything else you might need to hydrate or nourish yourself will need to be brought with you. Funny story. When my friends and I went, we had brought a box of chips for snacks. I left these chips with one of my friends before we embarked the boat, and by the time we arrived to the island that box had vanished. She had left it at the marina and by the time we came back three hours later, it was gone. Luckily we had just had breakfast, so it wasn’t such a tragedy.
Once we set up at one of the picnic table, we walked just a few steps to the beach. The waters were clear and at a refreshing temperature! It was May, so the temperatures will vary throughout the year.
Be careful with the bottom of the ocean at that specific area, for it is covered with shells and small rocks, which can hurt or cut your feet. Perhaps wearing one of those protective water shoes would be a good idea.
We laid in the sun for a while and enjoyed the warm waters, however I soon decided to explore the rest of the Island. Because of the island size, you can walk all around the island perimeter path in 30 mins or less. The paved trail runs for 1.25 miles and there is no way you can get lost! The walking path is easy to walk on, and there is no going up or down hills. Just a nice relaxing walk, with an absolute beautiful view of Florida’s vegetation or the intercostal waters and a chance to spot some local birds as Wading Birds. Benches are available along the walk, and so are more picnic tables and showers. During our walk my friend and I stopped at another beach section not too far from the main part. The water was even clearer there! It was such a great experience seeing fish swimming around us and moving on like we were just another obstacle in the ocean.
Throughout our walk around the island we spotted a few other small piers to deck boats and we also came across an observation deck that gave an absolute beautiful view over the Lake Worth’s Lagoon facing the Riviera Beach side. Towards the end of the circle we walked across another of the six main areas, the Lake Worth Inlet Coast Guard House which was constructed in 1936. As we were passing by we noticed the buildings were going through a restoration.
These buildings were used as a base for beach patrols, in addition to search and rescue operations during the WWII. During John F. Kennedy presidency and the Cuban Missile Crisis a fallout shelter was built. The now called Kennedy Bunker was built to provide shelter to the president and his family if there was a nuclear threat during his stays at the family home in Palm Beach. The Bunker is currently closed, and I did not have the chance to check it out, but it should be going under restoration before it reopens to the public.
Top Water Activities at Peanut Island
Snorkeling the Man-Made Reefs
Just around the corner from the Coast Guard House you can find both the Reef Boardwalk and the Snorkeling Reef and Breakwater Beach.
The Reef Boardwalk stretches above the Snorkeling Lagoon, and allows you to observe the marine life. It is 280ft long, over the water so you check the reef habitat, without having to dive into the waters.
Now, if you are ready for some more close contact with the marine life, you may do so at the Snorkeling Reef and Lagoon. The area is closed off for boats guaranteeing you can swim and snorkel safely. It is important to note that Lifeguards are present in Peanut Island only during the weekends. Even though the water around the Island are normally calm, you should make sure you are able to handle strong currents at deeper waters.
Just as the island it self, these snorkeling reefs areas not naturally formed. They were created through a project to restore marine habitats around the Lake Worth Lagoon area. The snorkeling Lagoon was built in 2003, during the Peanut Island Environmental Enhancement Project as a haven for the local marine life and it holds many different species. For as much as it is man-made, it still rivals the natural reefs from Florida Keys.
The whole snorkeling area is self-guided, so all you need is to bring your snorkeling gear and have the ability to swim. Bear in mind that the best times to go snorkeling are within two hours before or after high tide, which you can quickly find out with a google search. If you don’t own snorkeling gear or are just passing by, do not fret. You may rent it at the water taxi ticket house, the same place you purchase your transportation voucher. To rent the snorkeling equipment they charge only $20 per set (at the time of writing). They will require a valid I.D for the rental.
Kayaking & Paddleboarding from Riviera Beach
Kayaking and paddle boarding are also between the most popular activities to do around Peanut Island. Many people will rent the equipments and row their way to the Island from the Riviera Beach Marina. Due to its short distance from the mainland, only 300 yards (less than 0.3 miles), it makes a great activity for experienced and novice. Many report even sporting the sought out Manatees when rowing across. There’s a fascinating, environmental reason for this! The Lake Worth Lagoon is actually a critical winter haven for Florida manatees. Because these gentle marine mammals lack thick blubber, they can’t survive in water below 68F. From mid-November to March, hundreds of them migrate directly into this channel to bask in the warm-water outflow from the adjacent FPL Riviera Beach Clean Energy Center. If you are paddling across during the cooler months, you are essentially traversing a manatee highway!
This cross-section does, however cross a highly trafficked channel by yachts, ferries and powerboats, so be watchful. One other detail to keep in mind is the current which can increase the difficulty of the crossing and some may not be able to go against it.
There are many companies you can rent a Kayak or Paddleboard from, but one that jumps out is Get Wet Watersports. They offer a variety of services, being one of them the rental of a kayak for two, and includes two masks, 2 snorkels and two sets of fins for only $99 (at time of writing).
Fishing on Peanut Island
Fishing at the Island is also a highly loved activity due to the strong presence of marine life. Fishing is strictly illegal in designated swimming areas, public docks, and regular boardwalks. The Fishing Pier on the Northeast side of the island is the dedicated and encourage area for the activity. As there are no Bait Shops on the Island you will need to bring your own.
Camping at Peanut Island: Rules & Rates
As mentioned at the beginning, there is a hammock and campground area in the Island. It is important to know that a permit is required and reservations are limited (only 17 spaces), preferably two months in advance, for what I have been told. The single campsite costs $65 per night (at the time of writing), while the expanded sites may have additional costs. Because campers come with more gear, the shuttle tickets also run a little higher, at $30 per adult.
The campground offers restrooms with hot indoor showers, a picnic pavilion and a fire ring, ideal for luaus. It is also important to mention that once you have made your reservations you must call the Peanut Island Shuttle Boat and reserve your tickets in advance due to limited vessel space. The shuttle boat hours for campers are between 11am and 2pm.
Final Thoughts: Is the Effort Worth It?
At first glance, a day trip to Peanut Island requires a bit of pre-planning—loading up a heavy beach cart, catching a strict ferry schedule, and mapping out your own food and hydration since there are no concession stands. That slight barrier to entry is, however, what makes this hidden gem so special. It keeps the sand clean, the historic sites preserved, and the manatee channels peaceful. It is a tiny, beautiful slice of isolated Florida right in our backyard, and it is entirely worth the extra coordination.
Peanut Island Park truly stands out as one of the most unique things to do in Palm Beach County. From Cold War history to face-to-face encounters with tropical fish and marine mammals, it offers a distinct island escape without ever leaving the coast.
Whether you visit for a quick three-hour visit like I did or pitch a tent to spend the night, Peanut Island is proof that you don’t need to go far for a true escape. Just remember to pack your water shoes, double-check the high-tide schedule for the best snorkeling, and—most importantly—keep a very close eye on your box of chips at the marina!
If you’re planning your next South Florida weekend adventure, make sure this man-made paradise is at the top of your list. For more insider guides to local attractions across the Palm Beaches and beyond, don’t forget to subscribe to the newsletter!