You will travel through a portion of the giant Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge. Since you are immediately north of busy Kennedy Space Center, you will see the huge Vehicle Assembly Building VAB looming in the near distance off to your right and some rocket launch towers.
After passing through the toll booth, you will drive for a couple of miles north along a paved road that looks like A1A did many years ago. There are more parking areas at Playalinda Beach than at Apollo. There are 14 of them. Please be advised that nude bathers are quite often seen at the beaches adjacent to Parking areas 12, 13, and These structures do not have running water.
They are about as modern as the facilities your great grand parents used; primitive but better than outdoors. These are minor things that are far outweighed by the joy of having 24 miles of unspoiled beach beneath your bare feet. Hermit crabs, sand crabs, and small birds will scurry out of your way as you stroll along the shoreline.
Pelicans and seagulls will soar over the nearby surf looking for their next meal. Among the natural activities you can enjoy are catching sand crabs and taking them home with you to make sand crab soup as described in Florida Cracker Recipes.
Klondike Beach is a true wilderness beach that stretches for more than 10 miles and is just north of Playalinda Beach between it and Apollo Beach. It is at the northernmost tip of Brevard County, and is part of what is known as Backcountry at Canaveral National Seashore.
Backcountry is - generally speaking - the center of the barrier island between Apollo Beach on the north and Playalinda Beach on the south. Permits are required to hike the trails or Klondike beach.
Access to Klondike Beach is only available on foot from the northern reaches of Playalinda Beach. Backcountry camping is only allowed during the period November through April. A permit is required for camping. The mound is about 50 feet tall and is made up mostly of oyster shells remaining from the main food for the Timucuan. Ancient sailors along the Atlantic coast used Turtle Mound as a navigation aid. It can be seen from seven miles at sea. Turtle Mound can be climbed using a wooden boardwalk that has gentle ramps and is wheelchair accessible.
The view from the top is fantastic. You can see both the Atlantic Ocean on the east and the Mosquito Lagoon on the west. Eldora was a community settled in that was home to ancient Native Americans and some pioneer settlers.
It was a steamboat stop on the Mosquito Lagoon. In the first part of the twentieth century, the village shifted from agriculture to tourism and "gentleman farming". The little community became more accessible because the railroad came to the mainland across Mosquito Lagoon.
If you are in doubt, contact the Ranger Station for more information about permitted areas. Related Article: Surf fishing: Family fun for your beach day. Both of these hikes are short and shaded, so you can hike here comfortably in summer. There are unnamed trails at two Eldora Road parking lots that provide access to the lagoon for fishing and swimming.
Related Article: Castle Windy Trail. There are 14 primitive tent sites on select islands in Mosquito Lagoon, accessible only by boat. Each has a picnic table and fire ring. Nothing else. Bring the bug spray. It was named Mosquito Lagoon for good reason.
Truth be told, the no-seeums here are worse than the mosquitos, and the mosquitos are abundant. To camp on these islands, you must obtain a backcountry permit online from Recreation. There is a boat ramp near the entrance to the park that provides access for bigger boats, as well as kayaks and canoes.
There are also boat ramps in Oak Hill and Edgewater on the mainland. Most areas of the Indian River and Mosquito Lagoons are shallow flats with deeper channels snaking between islands, requiring boaters to be on constant alert for oyster bars, coral outcrops and shoals.
Local knowledge, or at least a nautical chart and depth-finder, as well as a keen eye, are highly recommended for motorboats. Oyster bars are everywhere, and the tidal flow varies significantly throughout the lagoon. Throw in a popular nude beach, and there you have it. Canaveral National Seashore and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge provide a wilderness buffer around the north border of the secure Kennedy Space Center, which still functions as a venue for frequent rocket launches even though the shuttle program has come to an end.
Once you pass the south entrance station, you have four miles of beach road with parking lots similar to those along Apollo Beach in the North District. No roads. If you wish to hike or camp on Klondike, you will need a backcountry permit, which you can obtain at the entrance Ranger Station.
Playalinda Beach straddles the border of both counties, so sunbathers who wish to shed their clothes need only drive out to Lot No. Fair warning: Nude sunbathers on Playalinda are not as discreet as on Apollo Beach in the north sector. If you are offended, stay south of the Volusia-Brevard county line. The information in this article was accurate when published but can change without notice. Please confirm details when planning your trip by following the links in this article.
This article is the property of FloridaRambler. Copyright Law. Re-publication without written permission is against the law. Six best towns for kayaking in Florida. Learn more about the Artist in Resident along with winter soundscape activities. Backcountry island camping provides a primitive camping experience for the adventurous camper.
Explore This Park. Canaveral National Seashore Florida. Info Alerts Maps Calendar Reserve.
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