Ryckman Park is located on Ocean Avenue in Melbourne Beach. It is on the Indian River in the…read morehistoric section of town. The park contains important town buildings including the Town Hall and the Melbourne Beach Community Center which was formerly the Women's Club. It also has a playground, several gazebos, public art, restrooms, and splash pad. Displayed throughout the park are Hometown Hero banners that recognize Melbourne Beach residents and family members, past and present, who have served in the Armed Forces. The Parks Board sponsored this project. My favorite part of Ryckman Park is all of the historical buildings and structures. The Ryckham House, one of the oldest homes in Melbourne Beach is front and center in the park. The park also has a replica of the Beaujean home and first post office and the Melbourne Beach Pier which was built in 1889. I very much enjoyed all of the history and beauty of the this scenic waterfront park. It was especially nice to relax on a bench swing in the breeze as I took in the view. If there is a drawback to this park it would be that you have to pay to park. The kiosk was broken and you had to either scan the QR code or text to pay. It took a few extra minutes to figure it all out but the enjoyment I got from this park was well worth the $3.25 I paid. While I was sorting out the parking I noticed Djon's Steak and Lobster House across from the park. It is a longtime community favorite known for their excellent happy hour menu. I will definitely put it at the top pf the list next tine I am in the area.

A lovely park in Melbourne Beach, Fl This park is located at…read morethe turn where Ocean Ave turns north and becomes Riverside Drive. It is across from Djon's Steak and Lobster house and to the west of the Fire station. It has several nice features to it. There is the historical Ryckman and Beaujean houses and railroad tracks, a pier, and a playground. The parking is directly in front of the park along the road. The spaces are numbers and there is a pay station for your convenience. It cost about $2/hour. There are several informational displays by the houses and the pier. The pier is very nice and can give you a lovely view of the sunset across the water and has a unique design feature that allows you to walk on the outside of the pier. The playground has a basketball court, swing set, and jungle jim. Along the path is a set of post with road signs with distances to different locations around the globe. All parts of the park seem very clean and well kept. There is a set of restrooms behind the Ryckman house. Overall, I thought this was a very nice park for walking, playing or learning the history of the local area. Definitely a good place to stop if you are in the area.

Ais Trail Park is a great place for all ages and abilities to hike. This 18 acre parcel was the…read morelast undeveloped property along Turkey Creek in Palm Bay when it was purchased from the Sterner family in order to preserve it in its natural state. The park gives you access to the Ais Trail, a .6 mile loop, natural earth trail. The park and trail are named for the Ais people, a group of Native Americans that lived in eastern Florida. Their territory included coastal areas and islands from Cape Canaveral to the Indian River. The best account we have of these people comes from the journal of Jonathan Dickinson which recorded their appearance, diet, and customs. Dickinson and his party spent several weeks with them when they were shipwrecked in 1696. By 1760 the Ais were extinct as a result of enslavement, war, and disease. I really enjoyed my hike on the Ais Trail that traverses through scrubby flatwoods, sand scrub, hardwood hammock, mangrove shoreline, and a brackish creek ecosystem. Plants you will encounter will include Hickory and Loblolly Bay trees, American Beauty Berry, ferns, hog plums, wild olives, native rosemary, cabbage palms, saw palmettoes, slash and longleaf pines. The trail was mostly shaded and part of it was on a boardwalk where I met several large Eastern Lubber Grasshoppers. If you want a longer hike you can connect from the Ais Trail to Dewar Park via a boardwalk. In addition to the trail, the park also has a fishing pier on Turkey Creek, canoe and kayak launch, pavilion, and restroom. The park is open daily, 7am until sunset.

This is a small primitive park, but a nice walking path. Also a short boardwalk…read more I was told by a frequent visitor that he has seen a few bobcats.

This place was awesome! Definitely need bug spray but once applied it's worth the walk. Beautiful…read moretrails leading to the water. Benches throughout the trails to take a brake even a picnic table to stop and snack. Very shaded and well kept. I had a wonderful day exploring here.

Tranquil hiking trail with bridges , mangroves, lagoon , and several paths. Didn't see much of…read morewildlife, but enjoyed beautiful scenic walk. Definitely apply bug spray before you venture here.

Kiwanis Park at Geiger Point is a passive park located at the base of the western side of the…read moreMelbourne Causeway that crosses from Melbourne to Indialantic. Look for the entrance on the right side before you cross over. The seven acre park is right on the Indian River Lagoon making it an ideal spot for shoreline fishing. There is .25-mile paved walkway that connects the pavilion, benches, and picnic tables where you can enjoy an outdoor meal. The city uses this park to launch the fireworks for the annual Fourth of July celebration. If you want to walk over the Melbourne Causeway for exercise and the view, this would be a good place to park. You can also walk under the causeway. I stopped by to try and catch sight of a dolphin or manatee from the shoreline. I didn't see any this time but this park is also great for birdwatching the many native Florida wading birds that stop by.

Cute little park off of the causeway. There is not a lot to do necessarily, but it's a convenient…read moreplace to park and walk the causeway. Great place to exercise! They do have patches of grass if you wanted to sit, watch the boats go by, and enjoy the afternoon. They do have bathrooms in the form of a few port-a-potties as well.

Quiet park near the railroad tracks. Okay for birdwatching. If you are lucky you may see egrets or…read moreibises. Limited parking available.

I took a hike through here on a recent trip to Vero Beach. The parking is limited but you can also…read morepark at the nearby South Vero Square Shopping Center located just east of the conservation area. If you didn't bring bug spray or water pick it up at the Publix because you will need both. Trails are open sunrise to sunset and run 2.4 miles or more and there are no restrooms. Be aware the trail can get quite muddy at points. The conservation area is quite large, 298 acres!, and the back trail loops around the wetlands so you can see a lot of birds. It is jointly owned by St. Johns River Water Management District and Indian River County. There are boardwalks, an observation tower (currently closed), and a canoe launch. You enter the conservation area through the Herb Kale Trail which is named for one of Florida's most respected ornithologists. The ecosystem is made up of coastal hammock, scrubby flatwoods and estuarine wetlands. The conservation area is a designated stop on the Great Florida Birding Trail. In the coastal hammock you can find live oaks that are hundreds of years old. Ground plants are wild coffee, myrsine, marlberry, firebush, native wildflowers, saw palmetto, and cabbage palms. There are at least 20 rare plants living in this area including coral-root orchids and whisk fern. Along the hammock loop you may spot songbirds, woodpeckers, hawks, squirrels, snakes, raccoons, armadillo, and opossum. A bridge takes you over a mangrove swamp where you will encounter the most mosquitoes. Many years ago, the University of Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory used this area as an outdoor lab where they studied how mosquitoes transmit diseases. The Scrubby Pine Flatwoods trails are at a higher elevation. Expect to find bromeliads, large sand pines, saw palmettos and native wildflowers. This area hotter and dryer with little shade. The ground is sandy soil. At the rear of the preserve is the Coastal Wetlands managed by mosquito control. Here the trail leads to the closed observation tower as it loops around the wetlands. I was so disappointed to see the observation tower closed since this seemed to be the best place to bird watch. All that is there now is a sketchy looking bridge of single boards that stretch over the lagoon. At the end of the hike I had gone over 2 miles, was soaked in sweat and mosquito bitten. I always think of that scene in Lilo and Stitch when Cobra saves Earth from the alien race by convincing them that the mosquito is an endangered species. LOL Anyway mosquitoes are always a treat. Despite the bugs t was a fun hike and probably even more fun in January. I don't recommend it in June although I did see a lot of people on the trail. Who would have thought all of this can be found behind a Publix!

I've been to Oslo Riverfront Conservation on several occasions. There's not a lot of parking but…read moreearly morning it's not a problem. It's a pretty good place to hike but not the best. I mean, it's behind Publix supermarket. I tend to forget about Florida's weather. Still not used to it and never will be for that matter. Florida weather always lulls me into thinking it's nice while looking out the window and once outside it's almost always not. It's hot, muggy and lots of misquotes. Fairly clean place with occasional trash here or there but pretty well maintained. I've run into a homeless person every now and then but that doesn't bother me as long as they're doing the part and not trashing the place. Worth going but I'd recommend February or March. Watch for a cold front.

This is a very pretty one acre park located in Sebastian Florida north of County Road 510 off…read moreCounty Road 512. The canoe launch is located on Canoe Launch Cove. Park amenities include a canoe launch onto the South Prong of the Sebastian River, a pavilion, 3 picnic tables and paved parking. There isn't any rental concessions so you have to bring your own canoe or kayak. There also are no restrooms or water. The Sebastian River is protected waterway. On the river you may see alligators, manatees, native birds, and fish. From the launch you can paddle north to Donald MacDonald Park, Dale Wimbrow, or to the Indian River Lagoon. these trips average three to four hours. I didn't have a boat with me but I would love to paddle this river someday. Instead I hiked the Ansin Riverfront Conservation Area which shares a parking lot with Canoe Launch Park. I love how natural Florida was preserved in this area to protect the health of the river and the plants and animals that live here. Today you can still travel the waterways the way the first native Floridians did.

Great dog park. Plenty of room, separate "smaller dog" area, plenty of water stations and waste…read morebags. I met several nice 4 and 2 legged people and my dogs had a great time running, sniffing, and enjoying going off leash.

Huge park, the dogs loved it. Not too crowded but even if it was there is so much room you would…read morenever know. Definitely an amazing park.