The park's admission fee is just $5.00 per vehicle with a maximum of eight people. A single occupant vehicle or motorcycles pay $4.00. The cost for pedestrians or bicyclists is $2.00 each.

Like all Florida state parks, John D. MacArthur is open to the public from 8 AM until sunset every day of the year including holidays.

Some of the park's features include a 4,000 square foot nature center, a 1,600 foot boardwalk that goes over Lake Worth Cove, a small amphitheater, a pristine beach, kayak rentals, a gift shop, a passenger tram service, and camping areas.

The 225 acre park's most commonly seen wildlife includes butterflies, hummingbirds, sea turtles, herons, ibis, osprey, fiddler crabs, roseate spoonbills, brown pelicans, terns, sea gulls and sandpipers. The mix of tropical hammock, coastal hammock and mangrove forest environments on the barrier island create an ideal habitat for an eclectic collection of local species.

We visited John D. MacArthur Beach State Park during early November which is close to the end of South Florida's sea turtle season. During sea turtle season, early May to late October, Florida's beaches aren't cleared of accumulated seaweed to avoid disturbing any of the sea turtle nests buried in the sand. There were over 1,200 nests at John D. MacArthur Beach Sate Park last season.