Red Reef Park

Nice park but like others have said, there is no actual reef just rocks in some areas. There are a good amount of lifeguards on site, which frequently whistled people away from the rocks. The beach itself was beautiful, never too crowded, and there are plenty of outdoor showers around the picnic areas. Parking is a little pricey, $ 16 for a day on the weekdays and $ 18 for a weekend day, although they do allow you to come and go as you please so keep your receipt! The second day at the park we just parked across the street with the golf course parking and this is a bit more cost effective as it is pay by the hour. We enjoyed our time at this beach/​park and loved the more secluded feel than you get at many beaches. We would definitely return when in Boca!

Okay, hear me out… I am a resident Florida for 25 years now and I have explored much of the Gold Coast. In fact my fiancé and I live in delray beach just a 3 minute walk from the beach.
I haven’t been going online in search of a reef that I can snorkel that is right off the beach. Several websites boast the beauty of rhe snorkeling at Red reef park.
If you park at the park you are charged $ 16 at the gate… Or you can go across the street and pay hourly a day lesser rate.
When we walk on the beach and asked the lifeguard wear the best free snorkeling it is he informed us that all of the reef was gone. He said that the dredging in combination with Sandy had covered the reef with sand…
I was Very disappointed to have left my awesome beach spot that is walking distance to DRIVE to a park that has no added
This speech is nothing special without the reef… I believe that it is misleading and a waste of money to visit this park.
I want to be clear, by do not hate any beach however, Southeast Florida has beaches and beaches and beaches… So to go to this one would be a shame and costly.

Nice park right next to the ocean. I really just came through here for the easy beach access, which is much less of a hassle than down the road at South Beach Pavilion, which is almost always crowded and parking is extremely limited. I highly recommend parking across the street from this park in the golf course lot, which is surprisingly cheap and only a short walk over the road to the actual park. (If you park at the park itself, it’s $ 18! At least on the weekends.)
There are some basic facilities here like picnic tables, restrooms, showering stations, walking paths, etc. The park seems very quiet, secluded and shady; definitely a nice venue to consider for a casual family gathering in good weather. The beach is up a walking bridge and then a few yards down the sand to the ocean.

I was unimpressed… and Karl F really nailed it… it should be called «No Reef Park».
I must admit I’ve become pretty spoiled when it comes to Boca beaches. My boyfriend lives on the west side of A1A, so I have free parking at his place, and a short walk across the street to get to a private beach, and there are even a few reefs there we can snorkel out to. I admit they’re nothing breathtaking, but you do see a nice variety of sea life.
Now Red Reef park. I met my boyfriend to go to the beach on Sunday. He wanted to try a little snorkeling and I mainly just wanted to sit and read, but he had seen a sign or something for Red Reef park and assumed that meant it had reefs… I probably should have researched first, but I was just going with the flow.
We arrived and paid the $ 18 (!!!) per car parking. I knew beach parking in Boca was expensive, most of the lots are at least $ 3 an hour… but $ 18? We walked down to the beach, and I do admit the park has a nice setup. There is a picnic area with grills as well as a bathrooms. The walkway to the beach is nice, but when we got down to the beach I kind of realized it probably wasn’t going to be my favorite experience. Yes, I’m spoiled by the private beach we go to, but I just don’t like my reading chair set up next to a family who brought their whole camper to the beach… and that was pretty much all this was… families who brought way too much stuff… a 10×10 tent? Really?
My boyfriend headed up to talk to the lifeguard about the reefs, and the lifeguard pointed to the rocks in the water that we could see. It is a man made reef… which is somewhat common in this area… but then the lifeguard also noted that there aren’t many fish there anymore. The reef was very close to shore and the water was quite rough, so I think the environment in this area has changed quite a bit since the reefs were initially put in, and the fish just aren’t interested in it anymore, maybe there is a better time of year, but I wouldn’t come here counting on any sort of reef experience.
I will say the beach is clean, the facilities are nice, and the lifeguards were friendly, but for the price of parking this beach just isn’t worth it… we have a whole coast to pick from, go somewhere else.

So the pros are that it’s a short walk from the entrance to the water. Who wants to lug beach stuff far away? I don’t! Where I go parking isn’t bad, as I park at the public lot for the golf course. Weekends it’s $ 3 an hour, less on weekdays and just across the road from a park entrance. At this spot, in the park before the beach, there are picnic tables, rest rooms, shower for the sand and I believe a couple of grills. It’s not a huge area but this is just one section. Even on weekends I find parking and the beach isn’t super crowded. The water is great and the beach clean.
The only downside is there isn’t anywhere to purchase food or beverages so plan to bring your own! You can drive to drop off on the park/​beach side then exit to park across the road. It’s where I always come for beach in Boca.

Nice clean beach. Parking is too expensive. You’re at the beach not a 5 star restaurant!

First of all, parking is $ 18 for the park. Save some money and park right across the street at the golf course for $ 2/​hr. Second, if you’re coming here to snorkel, think again. The reef has been mostly burried due to erosion, don’t waste you’re time. And third, the water visibility is pretty awful. All in all it’s good if you just want to go to a beach without a lot of people around.

Judd,
I am willing to bet that you are not a native of Boca or Florida for that matter. I do agree with you on the «High» price keeping out the Rif-​Raf though. I am willing to pay the price in order to avoid the people that visit Ft. Lauderdale Beach (ghetto).

They should rename this — «No Reef Park»
A year ago there was a really cool man made reef just off that beach that was full of schools of all sorts of fish and even some larger fish. Now the reefs are all but gone. However, the $ 16 parking remains. It’s $ 18 per car on the weekends and «official» holidays. The park itself is fairly nice with decent facilities, but there are equally nice parks around that don’t charge for parking or use.

Clean beaches and a nice play area for kids. Super! (Note: $ 15 dollars and up to park your car.)