The name "Okeeheelee" spelled phonetically means "quiet waters" in the unwritten language of the Seminole Native American culture. This is an appropriate description of the natural and man-made forces that have influenced the 1,000-acre Okeeheelee Park.

The natural forces that raised and lowered the seas created the geology that comprises much of south Florida. Millions of years ago, this very site was under water. Fossilized coral reefs and shellbeds underlie the woodlands and wetlands throughout the southern portion of the state.

It was the deposits of solidified shell material that led to the initial influences by man on the Okeeheelee Park property when, during the 1950's and 60's, strip mining was conducted on the property to obtain road base material. That activity denuded most of the site's natural vegetation, leaving a corrugated landscape of shallow pits filled with water. Due to the lack of environmental regulations during that time, there were no provisions for reclamation of the land, and the site remained in this condition until the mid 1970's when, through a series of land exchanges, the property came under Palm Beach County's ownership.

In 1975, an initial park master plan was produced by Gee and Jenson, Engineers-Architects-Planners, Inc. Based on this plan, Palm Beach County's site planning, landscape architecture, and irrigation team began a six-year dredging program to create appropriate water bodies and to reclaim the pitted landscape. The water bodies were designed as a linear lake system for water management, security, and recreation capabilities. The shape of the water bodies and the shoreline slope have created an ideal facility for water skiing, and Okeeheelee Park has become internationally known as a site for water skiing tournaments.

In 1979, a $5 million allocation was made to the park from the $50 Million Dollar Park and Beach Bond Issue. These monies were used to develop the first phase of the recreation facilities, which included the creation of a central clearwater lake for non-motorized boating and bank fishing. Quadplexes of little league, softball, and football fields were also built, each with a restroom/concession building and other site amenities which help to facilitate tournament crowds. These bond monies, in conjunction with federal grant money, also funded the first of several large group picnic shelter areas.

The passage of a $30 Million Dollar Park Development Bond issue in 1986 brought another $4.5 million to Okeeheelee Park, leading to the construction of over eight miles of hard surfaced pathways throughout the park, popular with cyclists and roller-bladers. The rest of the money was utilized to build an 18,000-square-foot nature center building, introducing visitors to the the 100 acres of natural area remaining on-site and describing the history of the park, with a display of fossils and artifacts to assist in telling the story. The final major development of Okeeheelee Park is a 27-hole public golf course featuring marsh-pine flatwoods and lakeside settings.

Meeting all expectations, Okeeheelee Park has become a facility which is the center of activity of Palm Beach County, while at the same time living up to its name of "quiet waters." LASN