Jonathan Dickinson State Park

Jonathan Dickinson State Park is a Florida State Park and historic site located between Hobe Sound and Tequesta in Martin County, Florida. The park is home to the Elsa Kimbell Environmental Education and Research Center, as well as a variety of natural habitats, including sand pine scrub, pine flatwoods, mangrove swamps, and river swamps. The park is bisected by the Loxahatchee River, which was named a National Wild and Scenic River in 1985 (the first in Florida). Additionally, the park is located along the Ocean to Lake Trail. The park is located at 16450 Southeast. Hobe Sound's Federal Highway. Camp Murphy Mountain Bike Trails are a popular feature of the park.

The park is named after Jonathan Dickinson, a Quaker merchant who was shipwrecked along the Florida coast in 1696 with his family and others. He kept a diary of their interactions with indigenous peoples and their voyage along the coast to St. Augustine.

Trapper Nelson settled on the banks of the Loxahatchee River in the 1930s, subsisting off the land by trapping and selling furs. He quickly earned the moniker "Wildman of the Loxahatchee." Following his 1968 death, the state seized his property and deeded it to the park.

In 1942, the United States Army built Camp Murphy in the area that is now the park as a top-secret radar training facility. The camp consisted of over 1,000 structures and was home to approximately 6,000 commanders and troops. After just two years of existence, the camp was closed in 1944. The majority of the camp's structures have been demolished, although some of the foundations remain. In 1947, the state of Florida acquired the land, which opened as a state park in 1950.

Bicycling, boat tours, boating, cabins, canoeing, fishing, hiking, horse paths, kayaking, picnic spots, swimming, wildlife watching, and complete camping facilities are available at the park. Additionally, the park is home to the Elsa Kimbell Environmental Education and Research Center, which has exhibits on the area's natural and cultural heritage. The park provides tours to Trapper Nelson's farmstead in a 44-passenger boat.

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