Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center

Beautiful! Peaceful drive, slow moving, one-​way winding road. It was so relaxing to see all the water birds, fish, and turtles. I highly recommend grabbing your camera, pay the $ 5 per vehicle honor system, and go see the finest of Florida Nature.

Canaveral Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
Here’s what to know about this national park… it’s big…140,000 acres that includes everything from pristine beach front to swamps… so narrow your trip down the essentials.
Step one is to drop by the ranger’s office (Visitors information center and it’s clearly marked from the road) and get a map. The center has a small gift shop and mini-​museum and a boardwalk that overlooks a freshwater marsh. Bring bottled water and a small snack since there are no stores in the area although Titusville is only 4 miles away.
If you want see gators in the wild go to Bio Lab road and drive the six miles down the dirt road very slowly and at some point YOU WILL spot a gator in the swamp. Wild boar are everywhere as are turtles of various sizes.
The beach area is mostly open to the public (Bio Lab road is across the bay from the beach area) Black Point Road is a 7 miles circular (dirt) drive that takes in a part of the park and is filled with ponds and swamps and birds and the occasional snake… great place for photos. There are Manatees floating underwater in the nearby Haulover Canal and there’s a great observation deck but you’ll need the patience of a Saint to see them come up for air.

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge was a blast! When I got to the visitors center (always a good idea to get a map!), they told me I wouldn’t see much on the paid, touristy driving trail called Black Point Wildlife Drive due to the weather and directed me to a other roads (Peacock’s Pocket). They warned me that the roads were ‘rougher’, unpaved and hard to navigate should someone be coming from the other direction. They didn’t make it seem like it would be too terrible, so I set out on my adventure. After a mile, I was disappointed. Very few wildlife, lots of trees, boring. Then this happened. The road got smaller and I was surrounded by water on both sides. I had to roll up my windows because there was a curtain of insects, including thousands of dragon flys. I spotted the eery eyes of gators staring at me. As I continued to drive, more birds, different birds, flew around, planting themselves on the foliage. I was scared some of the time, excited most of it, it was a blast and it was free! I took Peacock’s Pocket down to Canaveral Seashore (fee is like $ 5) to dip my feet into the ocean. I also went down a nearby path to see manatees. All this advice from the volunteers at the visitors center so I really really recommend that map! And water. The only thing that stinks is there are no restrooms and it’s hard to turn around if you feel the need to since the roads are so skinny.

Stop in and speak with the volunteer (assumingly retired) lady qt the front desk to ask for her recommendations before exploring – I think her name is Maryann. She offered information about specific locations that you could never find in a guide book. We could hqve spent days at this location. The wildlife is active and abundant. I will certainly return here on my next visit to Florida!

We drove Black Point Wildlife Drive today. I would love to have more time to do some of the hiking paths — but the wildlife drive blew me away. I did end up walking quite a bit of the way … my dad driving the car behind me – or sitting on the side of the road waiting for me to take photos. One of the first things I noticed was the field of Webs … amazing!!! tons of spider webs — each one a rare beauty. Lots of butterflies — haven’t looked them up yet — but I was able to take photos of at 2 species that I don’t have in my butterfly garden at home (Orlando). The landscape is gorgeous. Lots and Lots of species of birds and ducks. Took a short walk to a viewing area and on the way back saw a snake. But the highlight of the trip was getting to see 2 bobcats. The one was pretty well hunkered down, but I did get a decent photo of the other. (Lens envy here — had I had a better camera — OMG!)
The netsite said to go within 2 hours of dawn and 2 hours of dusk for best wildlife viewing. We arrived at 8:00 am (sunrise was at 7:30 am)
Can’t wait to go back; but need to find someone who wants to walk the trails with me.
PS — do put on some bug spray — I got eaten alive by the mosquitos
PS — it’s in Titusville — Not Merritt Island and not Cocoa.

We drove Black Point Wildlife Drive, and it was fantastic. It was longer than we had anticipated but we loved each moment. It’s quiet back there, it’s pristine setting is just great for fotos over the marsh. We say many ibis lik ebirds, we saw a croc, it was fun, and all from the seat of your car!
The website informs visitors that there will be a few starting Sept 1, 2011 of $ 5.
Enjoy your visit

an interesting wildlife area too bad there was no wildlife really. its free so its recommended to go on a trip to the kennedy space center.

We spent a good portion of the day here. Being a photographer I enjoyed many of the areas to experience. My highlights were a road we found called Gator Road and there were lots of birds in this area. We went of the Black Point drive and great sites of Gators and Birds. The drive I thought gave lots of info on how all the refuge was put together and the protection for the animals. We also went to the Manatee Viewing spot-​no Manatee’s but someone told us about a spot on the other side at the boat launch area and there were 4 Manatee’s and they were so close. The National Seashore was beautiful with the dunes and lots of parking. For those with kids you may not want to go to the last parking lot and beach due to north is a nude bathers. Personally it did not bother me but, for some it may.

I was pretty skeptical when my wife put us all in the van to head to this wildlife refuge. I mean, we’re on vacation, and we’re going to go here?
After finally finding the visitor’s center, we got some helpful pointers and took the walk on the boardwalk. It is a good time to visit, as there were no mosquitos to be contended with. We then loaded up the van and took the 6 mile driving tour nearby (Black Cove Road? I forget), which afforded plenty of bird sightings, and it taught me just how pathetic my bird knowledge really is. We did see one very, very big alligator near marker #10 or so, sunning himself. Of all the neat birding opportunities, this was what the kids wanted to see!
We passed the manatee viewing platform, as we were told that the water was too cold, and they’d be near a warm water discharge of a local power plant. Would have been neat in summer!
We then drove over to Bio-​Lab Road, a 6 mile stretch of dirt road along the bay. We had been told it was the best place to see gators, and sure enough, we saw 18 more. Unlike Gatorland, which we would see before heading home, this was the real deal. No plexi-​glass, no gators bloated by tourists throwing hot dogs, no schools of imported fish to munch upon. We’re talking beasts of nature, live, with nothing but my faith of Ford’s Econoline production line’s ability to make a gator-​proof vehicle. Kind of like the movie «Jurassaic Park», but with an Econoline and gators. Ok, without the attacks. Still, very cool.
I think this place will impress you. No rides, no lines, no fees, no pushy parents who have been saving their pennies for 14 years to experience this moment, no fastpass. You will see ducks, mice, and more beautiful, pristine nature than you can shake a magic kingdom at. If you are a birder, it is supposedly one of the best places in the nation, come Jan-​Feb, during migration. Bone up on your bird knowlege before you go!

Beautiful, huge FREE park includes a manatee observation area, walking/​hiking trails, crazy vegetation, and much more. There is also a beach ($ 3/​per person) that I did not visit. The refuge is a great, um, refuge after spending time at other, more tourist-​y sites in the area (Disney, Kennedy Space Center, etc.).
Be warned though, mosquitos here are out of control. Come armed with bug spray.