Peanut Island is an 80-acre county park in the Lake Worth Lagoon off Riviera Beach, reachable only by boat, with a protected snorkeling lagoon, a paved loop trail and a small tent campground. You get there by shuttle boat from Riviera Beach Marina or Sailfish Marina, by kayak from Phil Foster Park, or in your own boat. Park entry is free; you pay for the ride over.
Plan your visit
Plan your visit
- Check the tide table and aim for the hour around high tide.
- Confirm shuttle times on the operator’s site the night before.
- Arrive at the marina 30 minutes early on weekends.
- Buy a round-trip ticket and note the last boat back.
- Snorkel first, while the water is clearest.
- Walk the loop trail and eat under a pavilion.
- Rinse off at the outdoor showers before your return boat.
What you need
- Mask, snorkel and fins (no rentals on the island)
- Reef-safe sunscreen and a hat
- Water and food for the whole day
- Cash or card for the shuttle
- Water shoes for the rocky lagoon edge
- A dry bag if you paddle over
What Peanut Island actually is
The island sits at the mouth of the Lake Worth Inlet, between Singer Island and the Port of Palm Beach. It started as a 10-acre spoil pile when the inlet was dug in 1918, and dredging over the decades built it up to roughly 80 acres.
The name comes from a 1940s plan to ship peanut oil from a terminal here. The business collapsed, the name stuck.
Today Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation runs it as Peanut Island Park. The whole thing is day-use except the campground, and there is no bridge, no car ferry and no food for sale once you land.
People searching for Peanut Island West Palm Beach are usually a few miles off. The island belongs to Riviera Beach, about 15 minutes north of downtown West Palm, and every launch point sits on the Riviera Beach or Singer Island side.
Getting there and parking
You have four realistic options, and the right one depends on whether you have a boat, a paddle or neither.
Shuttle boat from Riviera Beach Marina
The Peanut Island Shuttle Boat leaves from Riviera Beach Marina Village on East 13th Street, just south of the Blue Heron Bridge. The crossing takes about 10 minutes.
Boats run through the day on a loop, more often on weekends and holidays. The last return trip leaves well before sunset, so write the time down when you board.
Adult round-trip fares currently run about $25 to $28 per person depending on the operator, with discounted child tickets. Confirm the current price and schedule on the operator’s website before you go, because both shift with the season.
Parking at the marina is in a paid lot. Weekends fill by late morning, especially when a fishing tournament or the Sunday farmers market is on.
Water taxi from Sailfish Marina
Sailfish Marina on Lake Drive in Palm Beach Shores, at the south tip of Singer Island, runs its own water taxi to the island. This is the easier pick if you are staying on Singer Island or coming down from Jupiter.
The ride is shorter, and the marina has a restaurant and bar for after. Parking is tighter than at Riviera Beach Marina, so arrive early or walk from a Singer Island hotel.
Kayak or paddleboard from Phil Foster Park
Phil Foster Park sits under the Blue Heron Bridge on Blue Heron Boulevard. From its boat ramp and beach, Peanut Island is roughly half a mile across the channel.
The paddle takes 15 to 25 minutes in calm conditions. You cross an active boat channel, so go early, wear a bright vest and watch for the shuttle boats and sportfishers running the inlet.
Phil Foster Park parking is free, but it is also the launch for the Blue Heron Bridge snorkel trail, one of the best shore dives in Florida. The lot is often full by 8 am on a weekend with a good tide. Rental outfits near the bridge rent kayaks and boards by the hour or half day.
Good to know
The outgoing tide at Lake Worth Inlet pulls hard toward the ocean. Paddlers and swimmers who leave the protected lagoon can get carried toward the jetties. Cross on a rising tide and stay inside the island’s south and west shores.
Private boat
If you trailer a boat, the Phil Foster Park ramp and the Riviera Beach Marina ramp are the closest launches. Both charge for trailer parking.
Peanut Island has a day dock on the south side near the shuttle landing and a small-boat beach along the north sandbar. Rafting up on the sandbar is the weekend scene; the dock is for drop-offs and short stays. Dock rules and any dockage fee are posted by the county, so check the park page before you count on tying up all day.
Coming from Miami, Fort Lauderdale or Boca
Take I-95 to Blue Heron Boulevard (exit 76) and head east. Riviera Beach Marina is a right turn on Broadway, then left on 13th Street, about five minutes from the interstate. Phil Foster Park is straight ahead at the bridge.
From Miami, plan 90 minutes to two hours without traffic. From Fort Lauderdale, about an hour. Brightline to West Palm Beach station plus a 15-minute rideshare is a sane car-free option; Tri-Rail to West Palm Beach or Mangonia Park works too but needs the same rideshare leg.
Local tip
Weekday mornings are a different island. Ride the first shuttle on a Tuesday and you can have the lagoon to yourself for an hour before the tour boats arrive.
What to do, section by section
The island is small enough to see all of it in a day. The paved loop path runs about 1.25 miles around the shoreline and connects every area below.
The snorkeling lagoon
This is the reason most people come. The lagoon sits on the east side of the island, walled off from the inlet by rock breakwaters, so the water inside stays calm even when the channel is busy.
Depth runs from knee-deep at the beach to around 8 feet near the rock piles. The rocks are the habitat. Expect sergeant majors, parrotfish, snapper, grunts, the odd angelfish, and spotted rays cruising the sand. Manatees drift through on winter mornings, and a nurse shark resting under a ledge is not unusual.
Visibility depends almost entirely on tide. Incoming water from the inlet is clear Atlantic blue; outgoing water carries lagoon silt. Plan your swim for the two hours before high tide and you will see three times as much.
There are no lifeguards. The lagoon is shallow and friendly, but it is still open water with boat wakes rolling in from the channel side. Keep kids inside the breakwater.
The north sandbar
On the north and west shores, a wide sandbar comes out of the water at low tide. Weekend boaters anchor in a row and wade between hulls with coolers.
If you came by shuttle, you can walk to it along the path. It is a good swim spot at low tide and a good people-watching spot at any tide. Alcohol is not permitted on the park side of the shoreline, and county rangers do patrol.
Picnic areas and pavilions
Covered pavilions with grills sit near the shuttle landing and along the south side. All pavilions and picnic tables in the public areas are first come, first served, sunrise to sunset; the county’s Peanut Island page lists no reservable pavilions on the island.
Restrooms and outdoor showers are near the landing. Bring everything you plan to eat and drink, plus a bag to carry it all back off.
The campground
Peanut Island has a tent-only campground on the south side with 17 sites, each with a table and grill, plus shared restrooms. Reservations are required and go through Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation, not through the shuttle companies.
Sites book out weeks ahead for winter and spring weekends. Nightly fees change by season, so confirm the current rate when you reserve. You still need to arrange your own boat over and back, and the last shuttle still leaves in the afternoon, so pack as if you were backpacking.
Camping here is one of the few ways to legally stay overnight on a South Florida island without a long boat ride. The other is Garden Key, which is a different scale of trip; our piece on getting to dry tortugas covers that one.
Fishing
You can fish from the seawalls and the rock breakwaters outside the swim lagoon. Snook, jack and snapper work the inlet current, and sheepshead hang on the rocks in winter.
Florida saltwater license rules apply. Residents can get a free shoreline license from FWC; non-residents need a paid one. Check the posted signs, because fishing is allowed outside the designated swim areas but not inside the lagoon or guarded swim zones.
The Kennedy Bunker and Coast Guard station
President Kennedy’s fallout shelter, built shortly after his 1960 election, is on the island, along with a historic Coast Guard station and boathouse. For years the Palm Beach Maritime Museum ran tours, but the bunker closed to tours in October 2017 and the buildings have been closed to the public since, although the museum still holds a lease on the Coast Guard station.
The county has discussed restoration and reopening more than once. Before you promise anyone a bunker tour, check the Peanut Island page on the Palm Beach County parks website for the current status.
Guided tours
Several operators sell Peanut Island snorkel and boat tours from Riviera Beach Marina and from downtown West Palm Beach. A typical half-day tour includes the boat, gear, a guide in the lagoon and sometimes a stop at the Blue Heron Bridge trail or a manatee viewing area in winter.
Tours make sense if you do not own gear, have never snorkeled, or want someone else to handle tides and parking. If you have your own mask and fins, the shuttle plus a tide table gets you the same water for a fraction of the price.
Book tours directly with the operator and read the cancellation policy. Summer thunderstorms cancel afternoon departures a few times a month.
Best time to go
Water clarity peaks from late spring through early fall, when the Atlantic is calm and warm. Winter brings cooler water in the high 60s to low 70s, which means a thin wetsuit, but it also brings manatees and far smaller crowds.
Inside any season, the tide matters more than the month. A rising tide on a weekday morning beats a falling tide on a holiday weekend every time.
Summer afternoons bring storms that build over the Everglades and roll east by 2 or 3 pm. Our west palm beach weather breakdown by month has the rainfall and water temperature detail if you are choosing dates.
Avoid Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day unless you want the sandbar party. The shuttle lines stretch an hour and the lagoon gets churned up by hundreds of fins.
Common problems and fixes
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Missed the last shuttle | Call the operator from the dock; Sailfish Marina’s taxi may still be running |
| Murky lagoon | You came on an outgoing tide; wait for the turn or walk to the sandbar |
| Phil Foster lot full | Park at Riviera Beach Marina and take the shuttle instead |
| Forgot water | None sold on the island; the marina store is your last stop |
| Summer storm rolling in | Pavilions give shelter, but boats stop running in lightning |
| Thought you could bring the dog | Pets are not allowed on Peanut Island |
Nearby and worth combining
Phil Foster Park’s Blue Heron Bridge snorkel trail is 10 minutes from the island by water and draws divers from across the country for seahorses, octopus and frogfish in 10 to 15 feet of water. Do the bridge at slack high tide in the morning and Peanut Island after.
Manatee Lagoon, the free FPL viewing center on the west shore of the Lake Worth Lagoon, is a 10-minute drive south and reliable for manatees from November through March.
John D. MacArthur Beach State Park on Singer Island gives you a real Atlantic beach with a nature center. Singer Island’s public beach by the Ocean Walk is closer and simpler.
Riviera Beach Marina Village has a handful of waterfront restaurants and a fish market for the post-island meal. The marina also hosts fishing charters that run out the inlet past the island.
If you want a comparison point, Peanut Island feels nothing like the big ocean beaches further south. The lagoon is a swimming pool with fish; Haulover Beach or any of the miami beaches is surf, sand and lifeguards. Different days, different packing lists.
Rules that catch people out
Park hours are sunrise to sunset for day use. No alcohol, no glass, no pets, no fires outside the grills, no drones without a county permit.
Everything you bring in goes out with you. There is limited trash service and the shuttle crews will tell you to carry your bag back.
Swim only inside the marked lagoon. The inlet channel is a working port entrance with cruise ships, tugs and container traffic from the Port of Palm Beach, and the current at the jetties has pulled in strong swimmers.
When to get help
For campground and pavilion bookings, closures or bunker status, use the Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation website or call the parks main line listed there. For shuttle times and fares, call the shuttle operator directly. For a water emergency on the island, call 911; the Riviera Beach marine unit and the Coast Guard station at the inlet both respond.
FAQ
Where is Peanut Island in Florida?
It sits in the Lake Worth Lagoon at the Lake Worth Inlet, in Riviera Beach, Palm Beach County. The launch points are Riviera Beach Marina, Sailfish Marina on Singer Island and Phil Foster Park under the Blue Heron Bridge, all about 15 minutes north of downtown West Palm Beach.
Does it cost anything to visit Peanut Island?
Entry to the county park is free. You pay for the shuttle, water taxi, kayak rental, tour or boat ramp fee to get there, plus camping or pavilion fees if you book those.
Is Peanut Island good for beginner snorkelers?
Yes. The lagoon is shallow, protected by breakwaters and has fish within 20 feet of the beach. Go on a rising tide for clear water, wear water shoes for the rocks and stay inside the swim area.
Can you walk or drive to Peanut Island?
No. There is no bridge or causeway. Every visitor arrives by shuttle boat, water taxi, kayak, paddleboard, tour boat or private boat.
What makes an island an island?
Land surrounded on all sides by water at high tide. Peanut Island qualifies even though people built it: the original spoil pile from the 1918 inlet dredging was enlarged by decades of later dredging until it became the 80-acre park you visit today.
Is Peanut Island related to the Island app or Island browser?
No. Searches for the Island app or Island browser refer to an enterprise web browser for businesses, which has nothing to do with the park. For Peanut Island information, use the Palm Beach County parks website and the shuttle operators’ sites.
