I came here with my homeschooling co-op, they did a free mini class event for us. Very nice of the…read moreteacher to take the time to teach the kiddos all about navigation and she made it really fun for them as well as broke it down for them to understand in game form. I think it lasted about 25 mins or so. Only wish I would have walked more into their trail to see the water view if there is one I didn't get to see it. In all a cool spot to get a bit of history and sight seeing.

Wow! What a cool place. My husband and I have been choosing a different nature sanctuary in…read moreBrevard county to explore and walk, today we chose Sams house and Pine Island sanctuary. We decided to park at the Pine Island end of the trail, there are a couple of rustic areas to park. The trail head for the Pine Island loop which is about 3/4 of a mile is near the manatee viewing area and kayak launch. The walk from parking area to the start of the garnet trail which takes you to Sam's house is a wide open green area that is used for walking or horseback riding, there is no shade but if you're lucky there is a beautiful breeze along the lake. The trail to Sam's house is very rustic with some boardwalks and lots of root covered ground. The path is clear but some areas a a little soft due to the surrounding canals. Sam's house is one of the original homes in Merritt Island. There are areas with explanations and examples of what was grown and sold in the area. Apparently there were prehistoric animal remains found in the area as well as the burial mound of Indigenous people. This is a definite place to revisit and explore the other trails and bits of history.

I loved it, the trail was a comfortable walk. Not much sightseeing or anything major but its…read moreperfect for a nice walk, very relaxing to me.

This is a small Park in a small interesting area. I see a…read morelot of really negative reviews about this part as seems odd to me. This park has multiple launches for canoes and kayaks so you can go around the area. I didn't see quite a few of these boat launches were occupied which makes me happy to see you getting used. The main gimmick of this park is a lookout tower. I'm sorry the tower offers some pretty cool views. If you are in the area during a rocket launch this observation tower would be pretty cool.

While on my drive I had came across this park so I decided to make a stop at it. I wanted to go on…read morethe beach and this was just the right place to be able to stop at to get a good view of the beach. It was free to go here and parking was very easy and accessible. If you are needing to use the restroom they do have a bathroom out here. Again if you are looking to be able to get a good view of the beach then definitely stop here.

This is my go to spot to park at when visiting Cocoa Beach! There is plenty of parking and the best…read morepart about it is that it is FREE. I enjoy watching sunrises and this parking lot is open all the time to be able to park super early and walk out to the beach. There were so many bunnies running around in the early hours so there must be quite a bit of burrows nearby. The park/parking lot area seemed to be well kept. Everything looked clean with no trash thrown about. The trash cans were empty and not overflowing. There is a decent shower out front. Bathrooms were located nearby, however I did not go in them so I cannot speak on them or their cleanliness. The beach boardwalk was nice. The wood was in good shape and provided a nice stroll out to the sand. The beach was clean and beautiful. We had the most amazing morning here watching the sunrise and got beautiful photos. While we were there a photographer was getting shots of someone and I know they came out great because the backdrop was perfect. There is a Hilton next door with a restaurant inside so if you wish to walk over for a bite to eat, its only a few minute walk.

In 1991, these 200 acres of wetlands between the Brevard Zoo and the St. Johns River floodplain…read morewere established by the Brevard County Government as a stormwater treatment system for the adjacent South Central Regional Water Reclamation Facility. The treatment wetlands are divided into four cells of approximately 35 acres each, surrounding a central lake. Each cell was designed to maintain a different water depth, creating a variety of wetland habitats. These stormwater treatment wetlands play an important role in protecting the environment by capturing and retaining stormwater runoff, reducing the risk of flooding in surrounding areas. They also filter and store stormwater, helping recharge the aquifer. Wetland plants naturally remove pollutants from the water, improving its quality before it returns to the environment. Without treatment, stormwater runoff can contribute to algal blooms, muck accumulation, fish kills, and other ecological problems. In addition to their environmental benefits, the wetlands provide valuable habitat for a wide variety of wildlife, including many of Florida's wading birds, while offering visitors an opportunity for wildlife viewing and recreation. In December 2007, the wetlands were renamed the Ritch Grissom Memorial Wetlands in honor of Ritch Grissom, a longtime Brevard County employee who worked at the adjacent South Central Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility. The memorial recognizes his 16 years of service and his love for wildlife and the nature. In 2008, the Ritch Grissom Memorial Wetlands were added to the East Section of the Great Florida Birding Trail. It was extremely hot on the day I visited, so I recommend planning your visit during the cooler months of the year for the most enjoyment. Even in the heat, I enjoyed exploring the trails. I spotted numerous ospreys, red-winged blackbirds, an alligator, and even a raccoon on the move that I followed for a while. Unfortunately, I didn't notice until I looked down that my legs were covered in mosquitoes, so be sure to bring insect repellent, sunscreen, and water. If you enjoy nature and wildlife off the beaten path you can easily spend hours here. The wetlands are open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Follow the wetlands' Facebook page for the latest updates and photos of recently spotted wildlife.

This is a rather large Park easy to get to from i-95. Just exit viera and head West to your dead…read moreend at the park. This is a large Park with lots of walking trails around different wetland areas. It seems like it's a man-made Park with Wells constantly feeling lakes and pumps pumping water from one lake to the next lake. There are areas we can ride your bike for bike riding/mountain bike trails and lots of walking trails as well as there's docks you can walk out and look out on benches you can sit on and a few towers you can go up to get a bird's eye view. For wildlife I saw lots of different species of birds and a lot of alligators. These alligators did not seem friendly like the ones at gatorland. I also saw a lot of bunny rabbits and the rabbits were used to people unless you're pretty close to that.

What an absolutely beautiful sanctuary for appreciating nature and wildlife photography. There are…read moreno shortage of birds here, especially the Florida scrub Jay There's a short trail that winds through the vegetation, which is super easy to navigate and hike throat. It's only about 1.07 miles so it's super short, but super convenient and filled with amazing wildlife.

This natural area in Rockledge is named in honor of noted ornithologist, Allan Dudley Cruickshank…read moreand his wife Helen. He was known as "a modern Audubon with a camera". Helen and Allan first came to Florida in 1937 for their honeymoon and they were astounded by the beauty of the plants and the birds found here. After they moved to Cocoa in 1952, they led the Christmas bird count for more than two decades. Mr. Cruickshank was also a lecturer and teacher. He was on the staff of the National Audubon Society for 37 years and he wrote and illustrated many magazine articles and a number of books on ornithology, some with the help of his wife, Helen. Helen was an American nature writer and photographer of birds. She won the 1949 John Burroughs Medal for her 1948 book, Flight into Sunshine: Bird Experiences in Florida. Allan worked with officials at the rapidly growing rocket complexes at Cape Canaveral to ensure they would set aside prime habitat for the birds. This led to the creation of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge which had a very high population of Florida scrub-jays at the time. The scrub forest with tiny trees is the perfect habitat for scrub-jays found only in Florida. Two million years ago they became a distinct species. They are listed as threatened by the Federal Endangered Species Act and Florida's Endangered and Threatened Species Rule. It is estimated that there are only 2,500-10,000 left in the wild. Scrub-jays are a long tailed songbird 10 to 12 inches long with blue head, wings, and tail and a pale gray back and belly. Florida scrub-jays live in family units, with one serving as the sentinel that will alert the others. The Helen and Allan Cruickshank Sanctuary is 140 acres bounded by commercial and residential establishments. The land was acquired in partnership with the State of Florida and is part of the sanctuary network established by the Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands (EEL) This used to be a turpentine mine and farm. The sanctuary has a 1.1 mile loop trail through oak, sand pine scrub, and freshwater depression marshes. A scrub habitat like this one requires fire to regenerate. Otherwise it becomes overgrown and scrub-jays can't survive in it. Scrub-jays prefer for the scrub forest to be short. Besides the scrub-jays this is also the ideal habitat for threatened gopher tortoises. I have been to many natural areas that are scrub-jay habitats and have never seen one bird. I can't say I had high hopes for my visit here. Adding to that it was hot as heck out and there is no shade on the trail. I was heading back when a scrub-jay flew from behind me grazing my shoulder and landed on a tree right in front of me. I couldn't believe it. He was adorable! He stayed for a long time and let me take all the pictures I wanted. I had no idea they were so friendly. We sat there for quite awhile enjoying each others company and a pileated woodpecker joined us. Eventually he left to find his friends. This place is the real deal. I did not leave disappointed.

Really good area for kids camping and stuff like relaxing and parties or whatever quiet placeread more

Awesome little park with river front walk in. Gazebos for lunches/dinners, playground equipment,…read moreand a stage/party area as well. Lots of parking too.

Nice paved trail. Plenty of shade. No issue with bugs at 5pm since it was pretty hot. I took no…read morechances though & covered up with bug spray. Storm from other night flooded rest of trail. Saw no gators but heard them in the water!

Jungle Jay and Alex were our guides and they provided excellent services. We had a great time with…read morethe combo sunset and bioluminescent tour.

Our tour guide was Celina- she was highly knowledgeable about the local flora and fauna and also…read morecustom-made the tour for our interests and abilities. She obviously cares deeply about the well being of this habitat and loves to share her passion. Overall, this was a great trek. We saw a sea turtle, an otter, an Osprey chick peeking out of his nest, an alligator, and a sea otter. Wonderful time!