Trapper Nelson's Homestead

This is the homestead of Trapper Nelson, a New Jersey native born Vincent Natulkiewicz who moved to Jupiter in the 1920s, later moving inland along the banks of the Loxahatchee River to get away from civilization. He trapped animals to make a living, later opening a zoo that would become one of Florida's early tourist attractions. He would become known variously as the Tarzan of the Loxahatchee or the Wildman of the Loxahatchee, entertaining the famous and near-famous as well as every-day tourists. Eventually he accumulated about a thousand acres of land along the Loxahatchee, much of which eventually became part of Jonathan Dickinson State Park after his death in 1968. His homestead has been preserved, and is open to tours via the Loxahatchee Queen II and volunteer guides.

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