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Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides

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Birding at Merritt Island NWR

Merritt Island

Best known as the home of Kennedy Space Center, Merritt Island spans most of the length of Brevard County

Sams House lagoon view

Exploring Merritt Island

If there’s one thing that Merritt Island is best known for, it’s space. Not just for Kennedy Space Center and a growing number of space-related industries working to put humans back into orbit from Florida’s shores, but for its vast wild spaces along its northern tip protected as Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

What’s lesser known about Merritt Island is that it serves as a natural buffer between Cape Canaveral and the inland towns of Brevard County. It sits in the Indian River Lagoon, and was once the major producer of citrus in the United States because of its temperate climate. The town of Merritt Island is in its midsection, between Cocoa and Cocoa Beach, and from that point south the island is primarily residental. But there are many parks and trails tucked away in the island’s quieter corners, especially along its shorelines.

Resources

50 Hikes in Central Florida Central Florida Orlando Explorers Guide book cover

Disclosure: As authors and affiliates, we receive earnings when you buy these through our links. This helps us continue to provide public information on this website.

Outdoor Recreation Destinations

Paddling Mosquito Lagoon

A Paddle I Will Never Forget

A Paddle I Will Never Forget
Manatees in Bairs Cove

Bairs Cove

Bairs Cove
Bioluminescence glowing blue under a kayak

Bioluminescent Paddling in Titusville

Bioluminescent Paddling in Titusville
Cars parked along a mangrove marsh

Black Point Wildlife Drive

Black Point Wildlife Drive
View of mangrove-lined ponds with salt marsh in distance

Cruickshank Trail

Cruickshank Trail
Mangrove tunnel with paddlers

Exploring the Pioneer Paddling Trail

Exploring the Pioneer Paddling Trail
Freshwater lake at Kings Park

Kings Park

Kings Park
Manatee Viewing Area at Merritt Island NWR

Manatee Observation Deck

Manatee Observation Deck
Dummett Cove Merritt Island

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
Boardwalk between palms and oaks

Oak Hammock Trail

Oak Hammock Trail
Palm trunks in palm hammock

Palm Hammock Trail

Palm Hammock Trail
Parrish Park sunset

Parrish Park

Parrish Park
Sams House Hammock Loop

Sams House at Pine Island

Sams House at Pine Island
Boardwalk under oaks with a bench along it

Visitor Center Boardwalk

Visitor Center Boardwalk
Wild Birds Unlimited Trail

Wild Birds Unlimited Trail

Wild Birds Unlimited Trail

Recent Articles

Mangrove tunnel with paddlers

Exploring the Pioneer Paddling Trail

May 11, 2022//  by John Keatley

Amid mangrove swamps along an old pioneer route in Kings Park, the Pioneer Paddling Trail offers an intimate look at a forgotten wild corridor on Merritt Island.

Pelicans on Pine Island Creek

Biking Pine Island Conservation Area

December 20, 2020//  by John Keatley

Within sight of the massive Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center, this ride to the Indian River Lagoon offers some of the best birding you’ll do by bike.

Bioluminescence glowing blue under a kayak

Bioluminescent Paddling in Titusville

July 23, 2020//  by John Keatley

During the summer months, bioluminescence makes its appearance in the Indian River Lagoon and is especially strong along Merritt Island near Titusville. On my paddling trip, I saw the best glow I’ve ever seen.

Paddling Mosquito Lagoon

A Paddle I Will Never Forget

March 1, 2019//  by John Keatley

Taking on a remote stretch of the Indian River Lagoon paralleling the wildest part of Canaveral National Seashore, our group of paddlers turns back until only two kayakers are left, fighting the wind to reach our goal.

ALL Articles and Destinations

NEARBY: Cocoa Beach, Merritt Island NWR, Melbourne, New Smyrna Beach, Titusville, | PART OF: Florida’s Space Coast | Central Florida

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