We stayed at Jonathan Dickinson State Park for 11 days. Gin and Syl arrived a day after us. Unfortunately, they both contracted “The Flu” at Disney World;o(( So they just stayed put and got better for several days. A little later in the week, Dan and Tricia arrived. Rather than do a day by day account, we will cover our stay here by topics.
Click on any photo to enlarge
TOPIC ONE: THE CAMPGROUND…
We left Fort Wilderness at Disney World on Tuesday, January 28th and headed southeast to Jonathan Dickinson State Park. It is located off Route 1 between Hobe Sound and the Loxahatchee River – south of Stuart and north of Jupiter, Florida.
From the parking lot at the entrance,
It was interesting to learn that
Jonathan Dickinson was a Quaker and he was headed to our birth state of PA.
The campground is tree-less and right next to the highway;o(( Apparently, both hurricanes and an uncontrolled prescribed burn managed to eradicate all the trees. It would be a wonderful campground if it was moved further into the State Park, away from the road and they could get some trees to grow. 
All the sites are full hookup and level with a patio area :o)
Our site 46 was in the perfect location.
About as far from the road as you can get and it was positioned to avoid the afternoon sun!!
Did I mention it was too windy to put your awning out;o((
We managed to get this site by sheer luck – somebody cancelled;o)))
Dan and Tricia's Site
Poor Gin and Syl were at the top of the hill right next to the highway;o((
This little gazebo by the pond was a great spot to watch the sun set at the campground.
Love the sign!!
Appears they worry about the pets, but people can go sit on the bench;o))
Appears they worry about the pets, but people can go sit on the bench;o))
The best place to get some perspective about the size of this large park is at
Hobe Mountain Tower.
The Tower is about a mile and a half ride or walk from the campground.
Originally, the state park land was known as Camp Murphy,
a military radar training facility.
The State Park extends from Route 1 on it’s east border,
4 miles west to the Loxahatchee River.
The Florida East Coast Rail Lines cuts through the middle of the park.
Looking West toward the Loxahatchee River and the Rail Line.
View North toward Stuart
View East toward Route 1, Hobe Sound, Jupiter Island and the Atlantic Ocean.
Many famous rich people, like Tiger Woods,
own mansions on Jupiter Island along Hobe Sound.
Looking South toward the campground and Jupiter Florida.
It is a 4 mile drive from the campground to the river on the western boarder.
Most of the state park is undeveloped land.
If you prefer to ride your bike, there is a paved bike trail which runs from the campground,
along the railroad line down to the river campground and the State Park Visitor Center.
Very interesting Vistor and Educational Center near the river.
You can rent canoes and kayaks or take a river cruise to Trapper Nelsons.
We paddled our Sea Eagles to see his interesting homestead, but that is a full blog itself;o))
Impressive park and history. Looks like a great place to kick back and recover from Disney :)
ReplyDeleteOh the memories! We had a blast at J-DICK but could have done without the wind and noise! :-)
ReplyDeleteVery interesting state park. Does look like a good place to recover from Disney. :)
ReplyDeleteIt was indeed a large park. Wish the wind hadn't been so strong. The area was very nice though.
ReplyDeleteSyl
Another gem of a park to visit. Very interesting tour, loved the historical signs, gives a special flavor to what you see. Nice way to unwind from all the hustle and bustle of Disney. ;c)
ReplyDeleteWhat a thorough tour of the park. Great idea for when you want to remember which park is which. Or is that just my memory where the specifics begin to fade a little too fast? :-))
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tour of the park. I'm making note of site 46. We want to stay there a few nights on the way to the Keys in a few weeks, but unfortunately no sites available in the newer section and I'm worried about fitting into the older sites.
ReplyDeleteIt definitely looks bad with all the damaged trees. I remember kayaking on the Loxahatchee River and getting LOST! There aren't too many rivers you can get lost on, but that is one of them. I haven't been too anxious to go back although we now have a gps which would probably have helped!
Let us know when you get to Lazy Days. We'd like to meet you and pick your brains about vegan eating.
Thanks for the tour. We had reservations here one time and a storm cancelled our plans when it flooded the campground.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed the tour and the historical signs. Have never heard of Camp Murphy but there are a lot of those type of Army settlements around from the war. The campground looks like it is well taken care of.
ReplyDelete