Titusville’s prime place to watch the sunset isn’t on the city’s long shoreline on the Indian River Lagoon. It’s at Parrish Park, which faces west across the water.
Resources
Overview
Trailhead: 28.624745, -80.792944
Address: 1 Max Brewer Memorial Parkway, Titusville
Fees: None
Restrooms: Yes, near the FWC building
Land manager: Brevard County
Phone: 321-264-5105
Open 24 hours. Dogs are welcome. Please be courteous and do not park in the larger spaces for boat trailers if you do not have one.
Directions
From Interstate 95, follow Garden Street (SR 407) through Titusville east, crossing US 1. Immediately after you cross the Intracoastal Waterway on the Max Brewer Bridge, make a left to enter the park. Follow the drive around past the FWC building to the large paved parking area. If it is full, people are known to park in the dirt areas to the east of the FWC building.
Details
Spanning the length of the causeway between the Max Brewer Bridge and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Parrish Park is a destination for those who love to fish. There are lots of little hidey holes along the causeway to settle into to try your luck.
The developed northwest tip of the park has a large paved parking area and boat ramp for boaters and can handle larger craft. Although Hurricane Irma gave the docks a pounding, you can still cast from the seawalls.
It’s common to stand on the edge of the seawall and see sea turtles or manatees floating below. Dolphins are often spotted out in the open water, chasing after the spray behind boats. Covered picnic tables provide a perch to watch the show.
Parrish Park serves as the current eastern terminus of the Florida Coast to Coast Trail, a 250-mile bike route that extends to St. Petersburg. It’s hoped that eventually the terminus will shift to Playalinda Beach.
It is also the primary access point for walkers who like to get their exercise by climbing the Max Brewer Bridge. It IS the tallest hill in Titusville, so why not? The views are also outstanding. You can walk two miles or more by going across to Sand Point Park and back.
This is a big destination for watching rocket launches. You can’t get a better, clearer free view of Pad 39A, which SpaceX uses regularly, than from the walkway at the top of the bridge. Show up a few hours early to claim a parking spot.
Explore More
Parrish Park is both the terminus of the Coast to Coast Trail and the gateway to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.
Official Website