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

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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

GUIDE & INTERACTIVE MAP

A Paddle I Will Never Forget

Paddling Mosquito Lagoon

March 1, 2019    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.

Back to the Hammock

Palm Hammock Trail Merritt Island

June 11, 2015    John Keatley

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

Bairs Cove

Manatees in Bairs Cove

Merritt Island NWR  |  Titusville
( 28.733150, -80.756378 )      

A go-to location for spotting manatees at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Bairs Cove off Haulover Canal is also a launch point for bioluminescence

Biking Downtown Titusville

Titusville Bike Path

September 4, 2016    John Keatley

It’s taken six months to be able to get back on a bike, and I’m back to checking out progress on the C2C. Here’s what’s new through downtown Titusville for riders.

Bioluminescence on the Indian River Lagoon

Bioluminscence in the Indian River Lagoon

June 30, 2019    John Keatley

It’s a summer thing, this shimmering glow of blue that rises from the shallows of Florida’s largest lagoon. Learn why it happens and how to see it yourself.

Bioluminescent Paddling in Titusville

Bioluminescence glowing blue under a kayak

July 23, 2020    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.

Black Point Wildlife Drive

Cars parked along a mangrove marsh

Merritt Island NWR  |  Titusville
( 28.657507, -80.754484 )      7.0 miles

Winding along a narrow dirt road, Black Point Wildlife Drive offers from-your-car birding in the marshes and mud flats of Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

Cruickshank Trail

View of mangrove-lined ponds with salt marsh in distance

Merritt Island NWR  |  Titusville
( 28.678159, -80.771798 )      4.8 miles

The longest hiking trail at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, the 4.8-mile Allan Cruickshank Memorial Trail makes a large loop off Black Point Wildlife Drive

Every Kid Outdoors

Every Kid in a Park pass

February 21, 2019    Sandra Friend

Got kids? If any of them are in fourth grade, they can get a free pass to ALL Federal public lands good for the whole family through the end of August. Here’s how.

Manatee Observation Deck

Manatee Viewing Area at Merritt Island NWR

Merritt Island NWR  |  Titusville
( 28.737637, -80.754674 )      

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

North Merritt Island by Bike

How many cyclists does it take to fix a flat?

July 12, 2013    John Keatley

A bike ride through the northern part of Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge from Titusville to the Haulover Canal and back.

Oak Hammock Trail

Boardwalk between palms and oaks

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

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

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