2240 N. Federal Highway
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General Information

Acreage:  10

Park Hours:  Sunrise – 9:00 p.m.

Special Information

A unique feature of this park is access for non-motorized vessel launching; swimming is not permitted in the pond or in the Intracoastal Waterway. A Veterans Memorial is located at the entrance to the park. A 1/3-mile concrete path winds around a small lake with a floating fountain.

Manatees have been known to frequent the area. Call 1-888-404-3922, or *FMP on your cell phone, or use VHF Channel 16 to report an injured manatee.

The wreckage of Lofthus, a 223-foot Norwegian shipping vessel that sank off the coast of Boynton Beach in 1898 while en route from Pensacola to Buenos Aires with a cargo of lumber.  It was Palm Beach County's first officially designated underwater archaeological preserve which protects it from destruction and salvage. The ship's deck beams, mast, bow and hull have created a marine sanctuary for a variety of tropical fish, stingrays, anemones and spiny lobsters, and are considered a significant local dive spot.

The Lofthus was built and launched in England in 1868 and was first used in the East Indian trade. It was later purchased by a Norwegian for use in transferring lumber throughout the Americas, before eventually being blown off course by a storm and wrecking off the coast of Boynton Beach. The wreckage now rests in 15-20 feet of water. The Lofthus shipwreck is the state's eighth underwater archeological preserve.

Amenities
BBQ grills, beach, benches, non-motorized vessel access, drinking fountain, meeting space, monofilament recycling bins, nature preserve (mitigation area), pavilions, picnic tables, playground, recreation building, rental shelters, restrooms, Intracoastal Waterway

Historical Information

The property was purchased in 1988 through a bond issue. At the time, the City Commission was supportive and a general bond referendum was passed by the voters. The park was master planned first in the early 1990's. The money became available for building the park when Palm Beach County approached the City with a desire to increase boating opportunities for local residents. The City redeveloped Boat Club Park (added additional boat trailer parking, holding docks) and was able to develop Intracoastal Park. The park's grand opening celebration was October 17, 2003.

There is a pond in the park's center that was slated to be a dry retention area. It was decided that a pond would serve the purpose better and be more attractive to visitors. The Utilities Department installed a hydro-guard water-flushing device adjacent to the fresh water pond the flushes clean water into the pond that is used to pump out the water to irrigate the grass areas at no cost to the City.

When the park was built, the existing mangrove and native coastal planting areas in the southeast corner of the property were preserved. It is a mitigation area (protected mangroves) with a conservation easement with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

The Clubhouse at Intracoastal Park opened in September 2007. The two-story building features classrooms, catering kitchens, elevator, rental space, and a 10-foot wrap-around balcony overlooking the beautiful Intracoastal Waterway.