How to Visit Peanut Island: Shuttles, Snorkeling, and Camping

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 dotted with 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, walk past a Cold War bunker, or camp under the stars, here is why this 79-acre island needs to be your next weekend escape.

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, or even 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 thoroughly experience the whole Island. I’m definitely planning a trip back to check it in more detail. Nevertheless, 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 on the Peanut Island Shuttle Boat website. It costs $25 for an adult ticket and it runs about every 25 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 alcoholic beverages are only allowed in permit areas of the island, and never on the shuttle, 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 later.

Planning Your Trip: Location, Hours, & Parking

Peanut Island is located in the Intracoastal area in between the 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 at 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 runs from 10am to 5pm, and the last return trip off the island 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 in the morning 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 $12.
• Card payments carry a 2.5% fee.
• The Island is dog-friendly and their entry is free of charge.
• If you have used your round trip for the day and wish to re-enter, 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 on their website at the time of writing this article. Please refer to their website to check for any updates.

What to Bring

• Sunscreen and towels
• Water shoes, since the ocean floor near the main beach is covered with shells and small rocks
• Drinks and snacks for the whole day (no alcohol)
• Snorkeling gear, or a valid ID to rent a set at the ticket house
• A portable speaker, kept at a low volume

Exploring the Island: Layout & Amenities

Peanut Island has six main areas: the Boat Deck; the Boat Basin and Channels; the Camping Ground; the Reef Boardwalk; the Snorkeling Reef and Breakwater Beach; and the Coast Guard House.

The Boat Deck is located on the Northeast side of the Island and it is where the water taxi will drop you off and pick you up. The Boat Basin and Channels, located on the East side of the island, is where charter boat services or private boat owners dock their boats, since that is where you are allowed to keep a 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 near the Boat Deck. Each of these tables comes with its 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 a bathroom facility by 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 the island is relatively small (around 37 acres are accessible to visitors, while the remaining 40 acres in the center of the island are restricted), so 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 boarded the boat, and by the time we arrived at 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.

My Day on the Island

Once we set up at one of the picnic tables, 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 ocean floor in that specific area, since it is covered with shells and small rocks, which can hurt or cut your feet. Wearing a pair of 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 the whole perimeter path in 30 minutes or less. The paved trail runs for 1.25 miles and there is no way you can get lost! The path is easy to walk on, and there is no going up or down hills. Just a nice relaxing walk, with an absolutely beautiful view of Florida’s vegetation or the Intracoastal waters and a chance to spot some local 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 dock boats and we also came across an observation deck with an absolutely beautiful view over the Lake Worth Lagoon facing the Riviera Beach side. Towards the end of the loop we walked past 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 WWII. In 1961, early in John F. Kennedy’s presidency, a fallout shelter was built on the island. The Kennedy Bunker, as it is now called, 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 has been closed since 2017, so I did not have the chance to check it out. A sign by the Coast Guard House lays out the county’s plan in three phases: new docks first, then the Kennedy Bunker and its grounds, and finally the Coast Guard station and boathouse. Whether it gets restored and reopens to the public depends on a county parks bond that Palm Beach County voters decide on November 3, 2026.

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 and runs over the water, so you can check out the reef habitat without having to dive in.

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 to boats, so you can swim and snorkel safely. It is important to note that lifeguards are on duty only on weekends during the school year, and every day during summer break. Even though the waters around the Island are normally calm, you should make sure you are able to handle strong currents in deeper waters.

Just like the island itself, these snorkeling reef areas were not naturally formed. They were created through a project to restore marine habitats around the Lake Worth Lagoon area. The snorkeling lagoon was completed in 2005, as part of the Peanut Island Environmental Enhancement Project, as a haven for the local marine life, and it holds many different species.

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 check on NOAA’s tide chart for Palm Beach. 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 ID for the rental.

Kayaking & Paddleboarding from Riviera Beach

Kayaking and paddle boarding are also among the most popular activities to do around Peanut Island. Many people will rent the equipment and paddle their way to the Island from the Riviera Beach Marina. Due to its short distance from the mainland, only 300 yards (less than 0.2 miles), it makes a great activity for both experienced and novice paddlers. Many even report spotting the sought-after Manatees when paddling 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 68°F. From mid-November to March, hundreds of them migrate directly into this channel to bask in the warm-water outflow from the adjacent FPL’s Riviera Beach Next Generation Clean Energy Center. If you are paddling across during the cooler months, you are essentially crossing a manatee highway! But if you’d rather see them from dry land, Manatee Lagoon, right next to the plant, is free to visit.

This crossing does, however, cut through a channel heavily trafficked 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 paddle against it.

There are many companies you can rent a Kayak or Paddleboard from, but one that stands out is Get Wet Watersports. They offer a variety of services, one of them being the rental of a kayak for two that includes two masks, two snorkels and two sets of fins for only $99 (at the time of writing).

Fishing on Peanut Island

Fishing on the Island is also a much-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 encouraged 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 campground on the Island. It is important to know that a permit is required and space is limited (only 17 campsites). Reservations open up to 90 days in advance, and from what I have been told, it’s best to book about two months ahead. A single campsite costs $28 per night and an expanded site costs $56 (before tax, at the time of writing). 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 campsite reservation, you must call the Peanut Island Shuttle Boat at least 24 hours in advance to reserve your tickets, due to limited vessel space. The shuttle boat hours for campers are between 10am and 2pm (call ahead to confirm).

Curiosities & Details

Peanut Island was originally called Inlet Island and it is, in fact, a man-made island completed in 1918 through a dredging project that also created the Inlet and the Port of Palm Beach. Later on, the name was changed to Peanut Island because of plans to use the island for a peanut oil-shipping operation, though those plans never actually materialized.

The island started out at only about 10 acres. It grew to its current size from sand dredged out of the inlet and waterways over the decades, and the center of the island is still used to store that sand today. That is why about half of the island is off-limits to visitors.

The Coast Guard station on the island was one of only four like it in Florida, and the Coast Guard kept using it until 1995. As for the Kennedy Bunker, it was built in secret by the Navy’s Seabees, and it took them just seven days.

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 island 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.

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.