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Boardwalk between palms and oaks

Oak Hammock Trail

The wildlife-rich interpretive Oak Hammock Trail at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge provides an easy introduction to the hammocks of the island

Merritt Island NWR  |  Titusville
( 28.644268, -80.716569 )      0.7 miles

204 shares

Enticing visitors into a walk in the woods through a thicket of ferns under the shade of live oaks, the Oak Hammock Trail at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is a delight.

It provides an easy introduction to one of the most pleasant habitats at the north end of the island, the hammock.

An interpretive trail, much of it is a boardwalk above the sometimes-soggy forest floor.

Watch the understory carefully, as we’ve spotted dozens of armadillos roaming around these woods.

Oak canopy over trail The dense oak canopy


Resources

50 Hikes in Central Florida Central Florida Orlando Explorers Guide book cover Complete Guide to Florida Wildflowers Hikers Guide to the Sunshine State book cover

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


Overview

Location: Titusville
Length: 0.7 mile loop
Trailhead: 28.644268, -80.716569
Fees: Free
Restroom: None here, but the Visitor Center is nearby
Land manager: Merritt Island NWR
Phone: 321-861-0669

Open dawn to dusk. Expect mosquitoes: use bug spray.

While much of the trail is on boardwalks, it is not wheelchair accessible due to the need to cross a railroad track en route to the boardwalk.

Wild orange tree and oak tree on Merritt Island


Directions

 
From Interstate 95 exit 220, Titusville, follow SR 406 east for 8 miles to cross the Max Brewer Bridge and the causeway to Merritt Island. Stay right at the divide in the road to continue on CR 402. Around 3 miles, watch for the “Hammock Trails” sign after you pass the Visitor Center entrance eastbound. An ample parking lot is along the north side of CR 402.

Hike

The Oak Hammock Trail starts to the right of the kiosk for the Hammock Trails. Beneath the tall oaks, sword ferns crowd densely along the trail.

Citrus trees grow wild here, a remnant of a homestead from the 1940s. Captain Douglas Dummitt established the very first citrus grove in America not far north of here in 1807.

The homestead here belonged to the Danenburg family between 1947 and 1964, and they grew gladiolias and oranges until the Space Center came along.

Then they ran a mobile home park on this site until they were bought out during the formation of this refuge.

Sword fern lining footpath Sword ferns thrive at the former homestead


After crossing a bridge over a marshy ditch, you cross the NASA railroad line, followed by another bridge and a jeep trail.

Continue on to the shade of a giant old water oak, where the trail splits in two directions.

Loop junction on boardwalk Signs for the loop junction


Follow the left fork through tall saw palmettos and up to a boardwalk. Turn left at the first intersection for a walk through a laurel oak forest. You’ll start to see some unusual trees.

Their trunks are bare and smooth, with an orange hue. These nakedwood trees, also known as white stopper, grow profusely along all of the trails in the hammock.

Boardwalk under large oak Along the new boardwalk. Nakedwood to right of oak


The Oak Hammock Trail continues on a boardwalk through a hydric hammock. Islands of ferns break up the dark tannic swamp, which does dry out in the summertime.

At 0.4 mile, you meet the inner boardwalk. Turn left, passing a short dead-end trail. The boardwalk ends, and the trail continues as a natural footpath.

Boardwalk under palm trees Following the boardwalk into a palm hammock


Wild coffee grows along both sides of the trail. Some of the plants are more than four feet tall! Watch for its glossy leaves and in fall, distinctive reddish-brown coffee beans.

The trail veers to the right, continuing back to the main junction under the old water oak. Turn left to return to the trailhead, completing a 0.7-mile walk.

Wild coffee Wild coffee with blossoms


Trail Map

Hammock Trails Map Palm and Oak Hammock Trails


Related Articles

Palm Hammock Trail Merritt Island

Back to the Hammock

Hiking the Hammock Trails in Merritt Island NWR this weekend brought back memories of hiking and camping in these woods as a young Boy Scout in the 1960s and 70s

Explore More!

Learn more about Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

Dummett Cove Merritt Island

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

With recreational activities ranging from hiking to biking, boating, fishing, and bioluminscent kayaking, Florida’s top destination for birding is also home to Kennedy Space Center


Nearby Adventures

More to explore in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

Palm trunks in palm hammock

Palm Hammock Trail

Delving deep into the hammocks of North Merritt Island, the Palm Hammock Trail treats you to a lush forest of mature saw palmettos under a dense canopy of live oaks on the way to an island of cabbage palms

Boardwalk under oaks with a bench along it

Visitor Center Boardwalk

The only fully-accessible trail at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, the Visitor Center Boardwalk offers many overlooks for wildlife watching and birding

Wild Birds Unlimited Trail

Wild Birds Unlimited Trail

An easy walk for birding along Black Point Wildlife Drive in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Wild Birds Unlimited Trail is a short trail with observation platforms

Manatee Viewing Area at Merritt Island NWR

Manatee Observation Deck

Where Haulover Canal connects the Indian River Lagoon and Mosquito Lagoon in Merritt Island NWR, a manatee observation deck makes it easy to watch for manatees drifting by


Slideshow

See our photos of the Oak Hammock Trail

Refuge Map (PDF) Official Website

Category: Central Florida, Day Hikes, Hikes, Loop Hikes, Nature TrailsTag: Boardwalks, Family-Friendly, Favorites, Merritt Island, Merritt Island NWR, National Wildlife Refuges, Scenic Hikes, Titusville, Wildlife Viewing

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