Broward County - Broward County Parks and Recreation

Deerfield Island Park
1720 Deerfield Island Park
Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

Accessible only by boat, this 56-acre park is bordered by the Intracoastal Waterway and the Hillsboro and Royal Palm canals. Remnants of a freshwater wetland are evident, although red and white mangroves are now dominant.

This park is a Designated Urban Wilderness Area and the island provides habitat for raccoons, squirrels, and gopher turtles, as well as migratory and indigenous birds.

The island's main trails are the half-mile Coquina Trail, which includes an observation platform overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway, and the Mangrove Trail, which includes a boardwalk through a mangrove swamp.

There is one medium-sized picnic shelter with grills, water, tables, electricity, volleyball, and horsehoes. The shelter must be reserved for use. Other picnic tables and grills located throughout the island are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The park is handicapped-accessible at high tide only. Call the park office for the tide schedule. Nature walks, bird walks, and other nature-oriented programs are available by reservation through the park naturalist.

A free boat shuttle transports park patrons to the island on a scheduled basis or by reservation. There is a marina with six slips for small boats and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Primitive camping is allowed on the island by registered nonprofit groups with reservations in advance.

Nature Adventures Offered Boat used for transportation to the island

The Deerfield Island Story —
Walk along the sandy Coquina Trail (1/2 mile) and discover some of the mysteries of the island. Peer into a gopher tortoise burrow and learn to identify plants by look, smell, and touch. Two hours, includes boat transportation. Group size: minimum 12.

Evolving Habitats—
Witness remnants of the past when freshwater plants lined the Hillsboro Canal. Discover how plants and animals have adapted to living near the intruding salt water along the Mangrove Trail (3/4 mile). Two hours, includes boat transportation. Group size: minimum 12.

A little history about Deerfield Island...This island was once part a peninsula Al Capone wanted to turn into a retreat. In 1934, however, the federal government took over the property as part of the gangster's bankrupt estate. It was later conveyed to the Florida Inland Navigation District (FIND), with the condition that it also be designated as Spoil Area #702 for use by the Army Corps of Engineers. During the mid '50s, the digging of the Royal Palm canal turned "Capone Island" into a real island. During the '50s and '60s, several options for the island were explored by FIND, Arvida, and other groups.

Two years after FIND failed to sell the island in 1964, it was dedicated to the Trustees of the Internal Improvement Fund for use as an outdoor recreational park. This organization gave Broward County a 95-year lease on the island in 1970 and the park offically opened in 1980 as a marine destination accessible only by boat. The park has now been declared an Urban Wilderness Area by the Broward County Board of County Commissioners.

Contact Information

Deerfield Island Park
1720 Deerfield Island Park
Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

Phone: 954-360-1320
Fax: 954-360-1333