Located in Deerfield Beach, Florida, Deerfield Island is a designated Urban Wilderness Area island park accessible by boat It is bordered by the Intracoastal Waterway and the Hillsboro and Royal Palm canals. The heavily wooded 56-acre site is leased from the state, and its coastal strand community includes an eight-and-a-half-acre mangrove swamp. The park provides a critical habitat for the gopher tortoise and is a nesting place for squirrels, raccoons, and armadillos. Both migratory and indigenous sea birds use it as a roosting and feeding place.
The island's main trails are the half-mile Coquina Trail, which runs through a coastal hardwood hammock and includes an observation platform overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway, and the three-quarter-mile Mangrove Trail, which includes a 1,600-foot boardwalk through a mangrove wetland. There is one picnic shelter (40 capacity) with grills, water, tables, and electricity, available for rental. Other picnic areas with grills and tables are available on a first-come, first-served basis. There is also a small playground. Primitive nature camping is available by reservation to nonprofit groups only.
A free shuttle transports visitors to the island (call for times and reservations), and there is a marina with six slips available for small boats on a first-come, first-served basis.
This is a Broward County park and you cannot launch from the shuttle dock (Sullivan Park), which is about 100 yards from the marina. Despite the hyperbole, the island is pretty dry and scrubby, but it is a natural island and not a spoil island. Not a bad spot to go and have a picnic during the cooler months. My daughter actually had more fun looking at the luxurious waterfront homes north of the island.
Directions: I-95 to Hillsboro Blvd east. Turn left at NE 5th Ave, which takes you into Pioneer Park.
Entrance fee/parking: Free. Plenty of parking.
Facilities: Large playground, restrooms at the put-in. Restrooms and picnic sites on the island.
Put-in/Take-out: Pioneer Park has cement boat ramps. These get pretty crowded on weekends.
Route: Head northeast, curve around under US1 and stay to the right. The island marina is along the southwest side near the tip (pink arrow). Sullivan park is where the shuttle goes. You can tie your boat to the dock or drag it up onto the grass.
Wildlife: The usual herons, cormorants and such. Allegedly raccoons, armadillos and tortoises.
Maps from Mapquest.com
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