Deerfield Beach

The history of Deerfield Beach dates back to 1890 when a small settlement named Hillsborough was developed along the Hillsboro River.  The town was named Deerfield for the deer that grazed along the river.  Deerfield’s early settlers were mostly farmers who grew pineapples, tomatoes, green beans, squash and fished along the Intracoastal Waterway. The city remained a largely agricultural community, but in 1939 the changed its name to Deerfield Beach to let tourists know it has a beach and built the original Deerfield Beach Pier in 1952.  The 976 foot Deerfield Beach International Fishing Pier is located at 200 N.E. 21st Ave. and it attracts thousands of visitors and fishermen annually to Deerfield Beach. The pier is next to the Wyndamn Hotel and is surrounded by a number of restaurants and bars on the beach. 

 

This hike begins at the pier and follows Deerfield Beach for 1.4 miles south to Deerfield Beach Island. You can use a combination of the bike path or the beach on this hike – depending on the activity on each.  Since this is a backtrack hike – we used the beach southbound and the bike path northbound but either combination gives you a chance to enjoy the boardwalk or the coast.  There’s also plenty of restaurants and bars along this route if you want to enjoy the social life along the way.