We stopped here briefly on a visit to Florida with my brother, who likes this beach. The beach is…read morelovely: a long, white sandy expanse. It was pretty empty on this weekday, a few scattered beachgoers; lots of parking (but probably not at peak times). Much of the vegetation had unfortunately been killed by the recent hard freeze, and patience will be required to see if it comes back. A walkway leads to the beach from the parking lot, and a wooden structure at the end overlooks the beach. A great beach for area visitors.

Another fabulous beach along the space coast. This park has roughly 20 free parking spots. It has…read morea station to wash off your body/sandy feet after a wonderful day at the beach. We found a spot with no issues and plenty of space on the beach. These beaches are never crowded! Love love love! Waves, finding fun shells and fun are all you need here.

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.

Sorry locals, I'm telling your secrets…read more This is where the manatees can be seen on those rare cold days, because, I guess, the canal water is warmer. They look like big rocks and kinda smell. The other park amenities here are geared towards exercise.

Great park, beautiful fountain, nice dock area for seeing wildlife. Tried the kayak launch and dock…read morethis weekend. The kayak slide was too thin for my yak (36") but would work nice for smaller kayaks under 34" wide probably. Walk in launch was very nice. Water level is very low. I won't be using this launch in future as to get to main canal, you have to shimmy through a tunnel under the road, fill with spider webs (clean now that I went through lol). Beautiful park and ball field here.

I really loved visiting the Fau Lake Wilderness Park. So cool to see snappers, gopher turtles, and…read moreanhinga there. Sad not to get a chance to see alligators, but apparently the water is too cold after the cold snap. Hardly anyone was here in January. The park has playgrounds, pavilions, benched and paved paths. No swimming due to alligators .

This is a fairly large Park!…read more There's a large lake here which I'm not sure they allow swimming. I did get to observe a few wild alligators in this pond. There's a pathway they can walk around the lake which has a few docks that you can stand out to look off of or fish. This park has public bathrooms the same very clean Fair Park that seems kind of far out. The park also has a play area for young kids with monkey bars and slides and swings. Was also large areas of open grass where kids and adults can play. You could probably spend an entire day just explore in this park. I did observe animals there so there's a pet friendly Park however I would keep the animals away from the water just to be safe.

A nice park to the north of Manatee Sanctuary Park If you…read moreliked Manatee Sanctuary Park, just keep going north like 3-4 minutes by car (or a little longer if you're walking) and you can find Banana River Park. It is basically the next little spot up the road on the same side of the river. The day I visited it was not busy and was clean. They've got a cute little dock on the north end where I stood when i visited and watched a couple manatees swimming within about 30 feet of the dock for easily a quarter of an hour. There's a big open soccer field up on the north end but just south of the little dock. It has actual goals if you ever feel like kicking a ball around. There is structure at the south end in front of the parking lot with bathrooms and a few tables that is open on 3 sides facing teh water and the park. It's a really nice park, but there's no real trail or long walkway along the water like at Manatee Sanctuary. It's more just grass, a few benches, and that dock. So if you're in the mood for a longer walk or that covered boardwalk vibe, stick with Manatee Sanctuary. But if you just wanna park, walk 30 seconds to the dock, and probably see manatees hanging out, Banana River Park is awesome for that. I'd hit both in the same morning!

Banana River Park sits along the waters edge and offers a calming view. It's not unusual to see…read moredolphin playing in the water. There are picnic tables and a grill available. They have a kayak launch, pocco ball and putting green. There is a covered playground with well maintained equipment.

I don't fish but I love a fishing pier. It is the best way to get out over the water when you don't…read morehave a boat. I like to peer over the side and see the wildlife swimming. The piers also tend to attract a lot of birds looking for the fishermen's leftovers. The Eau Gallie Pier is just behind the library and north of the Eau Gallie Causeway in Melbourne. It stretches out over the picturesque Indian River. You can see the bridge to your right. Besides the pier there are docks, 2 boat ramps, and couple of picnic tables at opposite ends of parking lot. The pier is perfect for wildlife watching, photography, fishing, and catching the sunset. Eau Gallie has a long history of fishing beginning with the Native Americans and continuing into the turn of the century when James Wadsworth Rossetter arrived in Eau Gallie in 1902 and became a leader in the local fishing industry. Todays sportsman continue to enjoy fishing for snapper, grouper and tarpon in the river. Best of all the parking and pier are both free. The Eau Gallie Historic Distric is steps away with restaurants, art, and shopping. Discoveries like this pier are just another reason to love Old Florida towns.

One of the many heavenly spots in this part of Florida. It is absolutely beautiful here and a…read morefavorite of mine. I recommend it for couples and families alike. Five Stars!

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.

When visiting this beautiful 32.43-acre oceanfront park it is to picture that this was once an…read moreunofficial city dump. Standing among the sea oats and beach, it's almost impossible to imagine that this land was neglected until the mid 1970s. The park owes its transformation to the vision and determination of Lori Wilson, an attorney, Florida State Senator, and passionate environmental advocate. After moving to Florida in 1960, Wilson served in the Florida Senate from 1973 to 1978, becoming only the third woman and the first Independent to hold the office. She was a strong supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment and championed numerous environmental causes, working with organizations such as Save Our Waterways, the National Association of County Officials Environmental Steering Committee, and the Central Florida Zoological Society. Senator Wilson was a visionary and she was determined to restore this stretch of coastline organized a massive community cleanup. Local youth organizations, including the Boys & Girls Clubs, spent weeks removing trash, planting native vegetation, and restoring it back to its natural condition. In appreciation for her leadership and dedication, the grateful community voted to name the restored park in her honor. Today, Lori Wilson Park is one of Cocoa Beach's most popular beach parks. The Mansfield Maritime Hammock which is stop on the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail, features a .6-mile interpretive boardwalk through a protected coastal canopy filled with native plants. It is an important stopover for migratory birds. Dog lovers will appreciate the spacious 32,000-square-foot fenced off-leash dog park, which opened in 2006 through a partnership between Cocoa Beach and Brevard County. More recent improvements include upgraded dune crossovers built with durable composite materials, a renovated dog park, and modernized restrooms and outdoor shower facilities. The park also is where you can find I Dream of Jeannie Lane named in 1996 in honor of the TV show I Dream of Jeannie, a TV show about a genie in love with an astronaut that aired from 1965 to 1970 and was fictionally set in Cocoa Beach. The historical marker was added in 2012. I appreciated that the parking is free and there is easy beach access. I also enjoyed my time exploring the maritime Hammock. Thanks to Lori Wilson residents and visitors can enjoy ocean access, nature walks, and a place for off leash dog play. Lori Wilson Park is an inspiring example of what a community can accomplish when they pull together.

My favorite beach in Central Florida. Bathrooms and shower available. They do have a lot of events…read morehere so sometimes parking can be rough