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Florida Hikes!

Your guide to Florida's outdoors, by Sandra Friend, Florida's hiking expert, and her co-author John Keatley, covering the Florida Trail and other trails throughout Florida.

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Titusville

A central point for outdoor recreation along the St. Johns River and the Indian River Lagoon, Titusville is surrounded by natural lands with hiking, paddling, and bike trails, including the East Coast Greenway and the under-construction C2C (Coast to Coast Connector) which, when complete, will let you ride to St. Peterburg across Florida on dedicated bike paths. A string of waterfront parks along US 1 provides easy access to the Indian River Lagoon. Just ten miles west are segments of the Florida Trail in Tosohatchee WMA that are well worth a backpacking trip.

Nearby communities: Christmas, Cocoa Beach, Geneva, New Smyrna Beach, Orlando, Oviedo.

Titusville Trails

  • Parking Area 32 Biking Tosohatchee- A 20.2-mile circuit on forest roads by bike provides a unique perspective on this 31,000-acre preserve along the St. Johns River floodplain in Christmas.
  • Buck Lake WMA East Loop Buck Lake East Loop- On this 1.5-mile loop atop a scrub ridge in the southeast corner of Buck Lake Conservation Area, watch for a flash of blue- Florida scrub-jays are found here.
  • Canaveral Marshes Conservation Area Canaveral Marshes- Hike up to 5 miles on levees through the marshes of the St. Johns River at Canaveral Marshes Conservation Area between Orlando and Titusville.
  • City of Titusville Multi-Use Trail City of Titusville Multi-Use Trail- Exploring Titusville by bike, I return to an old favorite and little-known 3.6-mile round-trip bike path that gives cyclists a great workout as it climbs atop the Atlantic Coastal Ridge: the City of Titusville Multi-Use Trail
  • C2C sign and bike Coast to Coast Trail- Stretching more than 250 miles from Titusville to St. Petersburg, the Coast to Coast Trail (C2C) is a network of paved bicycle paths touching on both rural and urban portions of Central Florida.
  • Cruickshank Trail Cruickshank Trail- The longest hiking trail at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, the 4.8-mile Allan Cruickshank Memorial Trail loops out to the Indian River Lagoon.
  • Dicerandra Scrub Dicerandra Scrub Sanctuary- One of a string of scrub preserves that sprinkle the Space Coast, Dicerandra Scrub protects a sliver of scrub – only 44 acres - atop the Atlantic Coastal Ridge
  • The Enchanted Forest Enchanted Forest Sanctuary- It's not rocket science: the first and finest of the Brevard Environmental Endangered Lands, Enchanted Forest Sanctuary in Titusville is a fabulous destination for family hiking.
  • In the open pine flatwoods Fox Lake Sanctuary- Protecting more than 2,500 acres along the western edge of Titusville, Fox Lake Sanctuary offers an immense landscape for exploration, with more than 7 miles of marked, interconnecting trails for hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, and equestrian use.
  • On the Oak Hammock boardwalk Oak Hammock Trail- The wildlife-rich interpretive Oak Hammock Trail at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge provides an easy 3/4-mile introduction to the hammocks of the island.
  • Orlando Wetlands Park Orlando Wetlands Park- For a hike filled with the flutter and squawk of birds about their daily routines, Orlando Wetlands Park is one of the best birding spots in the state. This 5-mile loop showcases our favorite route.
  • Palm Hammock Trail 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
  • Salt Lake WMA Salt Lake WMA- Accessed via a network of blazed forest roads, the 7,800 acres of Salt Lake WMA offers wildlife watching in the uplands above Salt Lake on a loop trail system.
  • On the Red Trail at Scottsmoor Flatwoods Scottsmoor Flatwoods Sanctuary- Straddling the sandy uplands of the Atlantic Coastal Ridge, Scottsmoor Flatwoods Sanctuary protects 1,500 acres of flatwoods, scrub, and wetlands in North Brevard while offering more than 6 miles of hiking.
  • Loughman Lake Seminole Ranch – Loughman Lake- At the northern end of Seminole Ranch Conservation Area, an easy-to-follow trail to an observation tower provides a panorama across Loughman Lake.
  • Puzzle Lake Seminole Ranch – Puzzle Lake- At the northern end of Seminole Ranch Conservation Area, roam 8.4 miles along the marshy eastern shore of Puzzle Lake, part of the St. Johns River system.
  • Seminole Rest Trail Seminole Rest Trail- The accessible Seminole Rest Trail provides interpretive information about a historic and archaeological site at Canaveral National Seashore along the shores of the Indian River Lagoon.
  • Visitor Center Boardwalk at Merritt Island NWR Visitor Center Boardwalk- At Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, the Visitor Center Boardwalk introduces you to typical habitats on the refuge and provides an easy spot for viewing birds and wildlife
  • Wild Birds Unlimited Trail Wild Birds Unlimited Trail- Along Black Point Wildlife Drive in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Wild Birds Unlimited Trail is a short accessible trail connecting two great bird observation platforms on the marshes.
  • In the thick of the palm hammock at Wuestoff Park Wuestoff Park- To see what Titusville used to look like before Kennedy Space Center, take a stroll through Wuesthoff Park, a city of Titusville nature park with a variety of habitats from red maple swamp to subtropical hammock

Exploring Titusville

As the home of Kennedy Space Center, Titusville has seen countless waves of residents come and go with each space program. This boom-bust cycle hasn't been kind to the city, although its historic core along US 1 is a nice place to stroll and shop. Downtown, don't miss Space View Park for its memorials to each of the space programs (and the manatees that come to the seawall). And a visit to Titusville isn't complete without rock shrimp savored at Dixie Crossroads!

What put Titusville on the ecotourism map is Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which surrounds KSC. From bioluminscent kayaking in summer to spotting roseate spoonbills in winter, it's an unparalleled natural destination on Florida's East Coast. Explore it on your own or with a guide at the Space Coast Wildlife & Birding Festival, Florida's longest running birding festival. Held each January, it introduces participants to the vast nature preserves surrounding the city.

Where to stay in Titusville

The one truly unique lodging you'll find in town is Casa Coquina del Mar, a B&B with comfortable suites in a 1920s home with views of the Indian River.

Camping? Manatee Hammock is a county campground right along the lagoon and nicely shaded by live oaks. It fills up quick, so reserve early! We spent a week in a cabin at the Titusville/Kennedy Space Center KOA and enjoyed it, both for the ease of getting out and about and the location off SR 46.

Places to visit in Titusville

  • Black Point Wildlife Drive Black Point Wildlife Drive- Winding along a narrow hardpacked limestone road for 7 miles, Black Point Wildlife Drive offers from-your-car birding amid the marshes of Merritt Island NWR.
  • Canaveral National Seashore Canaveral National Seashore- Canaveral National Seashore protects 58,000 acres of maritime hammocks, dunes, and coastline surrounding Cape Canaveral, a natural sandy cape that formed where ocean currents meet.
  • 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
  • Mangrove marshes at Merritt Island NWR Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge- Blanketing the north end of Merritt Island between the Indian River Lagoon and the Atlantic Ocean, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge protects 140,000 acres with some of the best birding in Florida.
  • Playalinda Beach, Canaveral National Seashore Playalinda Beach- At the south end of Canaveral National Seashore, Playalinda Beach is a popular destination for beachgoers along the Space Coast thanks to its natural beaches and views of Kennedy Space Center.
  • Space View Park Space View Park- With a panoramic view across the Indian River Lagoon in downtown Titusville, Space View Park memorializes highlights of the space program while providing a scenic spot to watch launches - and wildlife.
  • Tosohatchee WMA Tosohatchee WMA- Protecting more than 30,000 acres of the St. Johns River floodplain near Christmas, Tosohatchee WMA is a place to immerse yourself in the grandeur of old Florida and its bounty of botanical beauty

More Titusville articles

Reflections on the National Park Centennial August 29, 2016
Hiking Fox Lake Sanctuary November 21, 2013
Explore Pine Lily Preserve December 28, 2011
Hiking into Christmas December 25, 2011
Spiderwebs and fog December 15, 2011
Hiking in Moonshadows December 12, 2011

On a mission with Space Shuttle Atlantis (Buckettripper.com)

Our guidebooks for Central Florida

Guthook GuidesGuthook Guides Comprehensive logistics and offline maps for the Florida National Scenic Trail.


Florida Trail Guide 50 Hikes in Central FloridaFive Star Trails Orlando Five Star Trails Gainesville & Ocala Explorers Guide Central Florida Exploring Florida's Botanical Wonders Hiker's Guide to the Sunshine State

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