On the shores of Clear Lake, you'll find the 2.5-acre Tavis Park, located behind Cocoa High School…read more The park's focal point is the community center, nicknamed the "Tiger Den" because of its close connection to the school. The center features a gymnasium and activity rooms, and during the summer it provides free meals for children ages 18 and under. The park also offers recreation amenities that include a half basketball court, two lighted sand volleyball courts, and a shaded playground. There is also a picnic shelter for outdoor meals I discovered the park while hiking the one-mile Johnnie Johnson Nature Trail, which I accessed from the Brevard Museum of History and Natural Science and Eastern Florida State College. The picnic tables at Tavis Park provided a welcome place to rest before heading back to the museum.

Sidney Fischer Park is a 10 acre oceanfront park in Cocoa Beach. The park is named in honor of…read moreSidney Fischer, who served as Cocoa Beach's mayor from 1956 to 1960 and helped guide the community through the early, formative years of the Space Coast boom. A raised boardwalk leads directly from the paved parking lot to the beach. The park also offers public restrooms, outdoor showers, changing areas, multiple covered picnic pavilions, picnic tables, and a children's playground. It's a great spot to have a party or family gathering and to spend the day at the beach. The park is also the site of the Bicentennial Memorial, dedicated in 1976 to commemorate the nation's 200th anniversary. It was interesting to find it since we recently celebrated the 250th birthday of the nation. The biggest downside to this beach park is the cost of parking. Unlike most of the nearby beachfront parks, Sidney Fischer Park charges for parking, $6 per hour or $25 for the day. With so many other Cocoa Beach parks offering free parking, it's easy to see why this one was relatively quiet during my visit. If however you're a local with a valid Cocoa Beach parking permit, it is honored here.

The Mansfield Maritime Hammock is a pristine natural area located at the back of Lori Wilson Park…read more On August 19, 2022, the hammock was officially named in honor of Phyllis and Howard Mansfield, whose decades of volunteer work helped protect this important habitat for both migratory and resident birds. Although Howard Mansfield passed away in 2017 before the dedication ceremony, his contributions were remembered and celebrated alongside Phyllis. Longtime Cocoa Beach residents, the Mansfields began working at the hammock in 1990 and they became passionate about protecting the many species of birds that depend on it. As part of the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail, the hammock is an important stopover for migratory birds. Birders have recorded 32 species of wood-warblers here, including the rare Cerulean, Nashville, Connecticut, and Wilson's Warblers. Other notable migrants include the Painted Bunting, Great Crested Flycatcher, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and Scarlet Tanager. Over the years, the Mansfields and fellow volunteers from the Cocoa Beach Tree People removed invasive plants and litter, maintained bird feeders and a freshwater pond, shared local bird sightings with visiting birders, and planted hundreds of native trees and plants throughout the city. Phyllis also helped to stop proposed plans to build another road through the hammock. At the dedication ceremony Phyllis Mansfield said: "This maritime hammock is a wonderful part of the greater Lori Wilson Park, and I hope my friends, county residents, birders, and volunteers will all work to ensure this maritime hammock's wildlife habitat will be restored by removing and replacing invasive plants with desirable bird attractors and a water feature." In recent years, the City invested approximately $4 million in improvements to Lori Wilson Park. The project included replacing and refurbishing the beach crossovers and boardwalks, restrooms, showers, dog park, maritime hammock, and other park amenities, with funding provided through tourist development taxes. Admission and parking are free. Visitors can explore the 27 acre hammock by walking the 0.6-mile interpretive boardwalk, accessible from the north parking lot or via the paved pathway from the south parking lot. On the day I visited the outside temperature was 105 degrees but even though the temperature was scorching, the walk was made bearable by the shade. The boardwalks were in good shape with seating areas and I liked that there were signs telling me what to look for and what I was looking at. I would have enjoyed the walk more on a cooler day but I am glad to know that this place exists to provide support to the local and visiting birds.

If you want a great view of the Indian River look no further than this little known treasure. It…read moretook me two tries to try and find the entrance to the parking lot but it was worth the extra effort. Shoreside Park offers a tranquil retreat for visitors. Park amenities includes a fishing dock, new picnic pavilion with tables, and a playground with climbing equipment, slides, and swings. I think the best feature of this park just might be the beautiful view of the Indian River where you might catch sight of native Florida birds, dolphins, and manatees. A great egret was waiting for me on the pier while osprey flew overhead. The park has a view of the nearby Pineda Causeway. This serene park is the perfect antidote to the daily stressors of life.

This park is along the East side of US 1 just south of the Pineda Causeway. The parking lot has…read moreabout 8 parking spaces and no other room. There is a ramp down to the walkway and the playground. The playground is to the north side (straight ahead) when coming down the ramp. The walkway to the right leads off to to a covered dock. The view is very pretty of the river and the land across the water. It is a very pleasant place to just enjoy the water, to fish or watch the birds. It is a hidden gem for the area.

You can access the Johnnie Johnson Nature Trails from the free parking lot for the Brevard Museum…read moreof History and Natural Science and Eastern Florida State College. The winding network of paved and natural earth trails meanders through 22 acres of native Florida upland and wetland ecosystems surrounding Clear Lake. The trails are named in honor of Johnnie Johnson, a prominent local naturalist and historian who served for many years on the Brevard County Historical Commission. During the 1960s, Johnson surveyed and documented what remained of the ancient Ais Indian mounds in the area. He coined the name "Ulumay" for the nearby sanctuary, which was later dedicated as a historical landmark by the Brevard County Historical Commission in 1993. Through his work and extensive knowledge of local history, Johnson preserved and documented the Indigenous history of the Space Coast. His legacy continues to shape conservation efforts in this part of Florida. There is a sign marking the entrance to the trails and they were easy to hike. The preserve is home to endangered gopher tortoises, although I didn't spot any during my visit. Even on a hot summer day, the dense tree canopy provided plenty of shade cooling the trail. I especially enjoyed the lovely Spanish moss draping from the trees giving it an Old Florida feel. My only disappointment was that there aren't many clear views of Clear Lake. Much of the shoreline has become overgrown with invasive vegetation, making it difficult to see the lake. I finally caught a glimpse from it from Travis park where the trail ends. If you visit the museum I highly recommend you take a few minutes for this hike that will help you appreciate how this area looked when the indigenous people lived here thousands of years ago.

I stopped by this park while driving through Rockledge and had a pleasant visit. I even had the…read moreentire park to myself. The park was dedicated on April 12, 2012, to Larry L. Schultz, a former Rockledge mayor who served on the City Council for 34 years before retiring in 2011. In addition to his public service, Schultz had a distinguished career with NASA at the John F. Kennedy Space Center, where he was responsible for the design, development, and operation of facilities, systems, and equipment used to support space vehicle launches. Together with his wife, Wanda, he also founded the Rockledge Open Space and Conservation (ROC) Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing recreation, open space, and conservation throughout the Rockledge community. Schultz passed away in 2018 at the age of 74. Adjacent to the parking lot is a memorial wall honoring police officers and firefighters. Jimmy Weaver Lake in the middle of the park is named in memory of Deputy First Class James "Jimmy" Weaver, who was tragically killed in 2003 after being struck by a vehicle while directing traffic at the scene of a crash. This 7.5-acre park features a half-mile walking path around the lake, a playground, restrooms, a fishing dock, benches, and a covered pavilion with picnic tables. I enjoyed my walk around the lake and spotted a pair of black-bellied whistling ducks, along with several ibis. While walking through the park I spotted a Peace Pole dedicated by the Rockledge Rotary Club. A Peace Pole is an eight-sided aluminum monument displaying the message "May Peace Prevail on Earth" in different languages on each side. These monuments are installed around the world to promote peace and harmony. The Peace Pole Project even has an interactive online map showing the locations of Peace Poles in communities across the globe. More than 200,000 Peace Poles have been installed on every continent. It is always fun to find one.

Great park just as you get into Rockledge, Florida. I enjoyed the walking path, which goes around a…read morelake. It also has a nice pavilion and a decent amount of parking. Since I was here on a Thursday just before noon, the park was not overly crowded (there were just a few people here) and it felt like I had the park to myself. All in all, this is a great park and a wonderful addition to the community.

This park is named in honor of Robert "Bob" Anderson, a longtime Space Coast educator who served on…read morethe Rockledge City Council for two decades. He was one of the foremost civic leaders in Brevard County. He served in leadership roles for 28 years at Brevard Community College, chaired the Brevard County School Board for seven years, and served more than 30 years on the Wuesthoff Hospital board of directors. Bob Anderson passed away in 2019 at the age of 92. The Dr. Robert A. Anderson Stormwater Park is an 80-acre park on Pluckebaum Road. It is home to the Barks & Recreation Dog Park, a playground, wildlife observation deck, fishing pier, and picnic pavilion. There is bridge connecting the dog park area to the stormwater park. The park also has on the property, the 1930's Thompson family cracker-style house. The 400 square-foot house can be rented for private events including baby showers, small organization meetings, club meetings, and class field trips. The facility can be rented alone or with the pavilion at Dr. Robert A. Anderson Stormwater Park. This park is one of five stormwater facilities managed by Rockledge Stormwater Utility. The storm water parks help to clean and filter water before it reaches the Indian River Lagoon. An added benefit to this process is it attracts wildlife and offers people recreational space. While walking near the water I spotted a couple of limpkin and I saw a great white heron fly over. Stormwater parks like this one are great recreational spaces for exercise and wildlife watching.

This is a serene water front park in Palm Bay. The park was named in honor of William A. Goode,…read moreJr., a former mayor of the city in the 1980's in recognition of his service to the community. Amenities at Goode Park include a playground and a large pavilion with picnic tables and restrooms at the top of the hill. The park slopes down to a boat dock on Turkey Creek and a fishing pier that gives you a view of the water. Goode Park also has the event venue that can be rented called the Captains House. It holds 100 to 150 people and comes with use of a patio, the large dock, and the boat ramp. While the view of Turkey Creek was pretty my favorite part of the park was when I discovered a gopher tortoise near the parking area. The little guy was happily munching away. I am always glad to come across them because they are considered a threatened species here in Florida.