Riverbend Park, Jupiter

Palm Beach, FL Print   Leave a comment

Description

Riverbend Park is a tropical paradise. Here cute little woven huts shade picnic tables with BBQs on the banks of the Loxahatchee River. Amazing trees including a huge strangler fig tree surround you and lush soft grass is everywhere. You can rent bikes and enjoy the winding bike paths, or rent canoes and paddle peacefully past the mysterious Cypress trees. What joy! Unfortunately, there is no playground (possibly because children should be close to parents because of alligators). There are no restrooms or running water, only porta-potties.
Bike and canoe/kayak rentals are from Jupiter Outdoor Center, located inside the park under a huge grass shack by the parking lot. You pay and then walk over to the river bank where they help you launch your canoe/kayak. Cost is $37 for a kayak or $54 for a double kayak/canoe for two hours (slightly more for a half day). Your credit card or $100 cash serves as a deposit. I recommend renting a kayak over a canoe because they are much easier to handle. Also, choose a regular kayak not an ocean kayak, because the seats are far more comfortable which will make you last longer on the river. Once on the river, you can paddle to the right and follow the map to reach the second dam. This takes about three or four hours round-trip. You start out on the wide river with tall wonderful trees around you. You head under some bridges, including Indiantown Rd! Woosh you go over the first dam, or you can walk your kayak around it- you will see the wooden deck. Soon the river narrows and you duck under tree branches. It's beautiful and enchanting. The way back is harder because you are paddling upstream. Kids over thirty pounds can join you on your lap or on a seat (they are provided with a life-vest), and they'll love it. Bug spray is not necessary when the river has been moving- ask at the rental place. Rental place is closed Tues and Wed.
Bike rentals costs $40 for full day, $30 half day, or $20 for two hours. $25 for a bike with a child seat on it. There are kid's bikes available too.
After our paddle at Riverbend Park, we found out that a ten year old boy died here when he jumped out of his canoe to get his sunglasses that he'd dropped and an eleven-foot alligator killed him. There is a definite spooky feeling in this park around the black water, and this news saddened and scared us. Not sure I'll be coming back.
A woman also saw an alligator while walking her dogs at the park- be on the alert and stay close to your children.
This is a good place to stop if you're doing a long drive on the Turnpike and need to stretch your legs. It's close to the offramps. It's only useful in winter though because the summer mosquitoes are too much.

Photo Gallery

Time to BBQ!	Plenty of tall trees...	Curving path.
Loxahatchee River.	Shady spot.	Love the thatched roof.
Driving through the park is beautiful.	The dark water and pretty shore at Riverbend Park.	Lovely jogging path through tropical trees.
Popular running path through gorgeous trees.	Paddling on the river.	Canoes for rent.
A peacock admires himself in the mirror that is a truck's bumper!	It's fun to see the peacock at Riverbend Park, usually near the parking lot.	Flowers on a trail in Riverbend Park.
Strangler Fig tree.	A wintertime paddler.	Shade and some cute grasses, under the pavilion that houses some offices and the restrooms.
Rangers riding horses through the park.	Water lilies on the river.	Looking across the river to the other side.
A turtle bobs under the water!	Palms galore!	Amazing tropical place!
Light catches the leaves of a palm tree.	Hut with information and map.	Shady path and blissful trees.
Birds!	Daisy in the light.	Information hut along the wide path.
Wildflowers.	A huge grass hut pavilion along the water.	Old River Run sign and swamp.
Path through the palms.	Criss cross palm trees.	Ferns galore!
Winding path through palms...like an old jungle photo.	Sunlight hits the path.

Directions

From Highway 95 or the Turnpike, exit at Indiantown Rd and head inland. Turn left at the left-turn lane into Riverbend Park- there is a large sign. There is plenty of free parking.
Jupiter Outdoor Center, 9060 West Indiantown Road, Jupiter, FL 33478, call (561) 944-2841. Open daily 9-5. You can reserve online.

This is an interactive map, you can zoom and move it.

Overall Visitor Rating:

William Nock 02/10/2018 01:36

Beautiful park. What a great area to spend time biking or hiking and observing Florida nature. Bathroom facilities are very clean and the staff very friendly and helpful.