Beluthahatchee Park

Overview

Located on the William Bartram Scenic Highway (SR 13), Beluthahatchee Park is a four (4) acre park located within the 70-acre tract of land purchased by Stetson Kennedy in 1948 after the 18 acre Beluthahatchee Lake was created by impounding Mill Creek in 1945. This lake meanders through a natural basin and is surrounded by high bluffs, currently owned by the Lake Dwellers Association, a non-profit Florida corporation formed by the lakefront residents.

The perimeter of the property is surrounded by a heavy canopy of native vegetation overstory consisting of mixed coniferous and hardwood defined by live oak, laurel oak, water oak, long leaf pine and cabbage palms. The native vegetation understory consists of saw palmetto, southern magnolia, water and laurel oak. The lake native vegetation overstory consists of pignut hickory, sweet gum and bald cypress and the understory consists of sweet gum, southern magnolia and swamp dogwood.

Much of the perimeter native vegetation has been preserved, despite intensive development around its border. The Beluthahatchee enclave provides wildlife habitat and continues to serve as a rookery and roosting place for ospreys, eagles, snowy egrets, tri-colored heron, white ibis, little blue heron, wood storks, black-crow night herons, wood ducks, anhingas, purple gallinules, bronze grackles, red-winged blackbirds and many other species.