Canaveral National Seashore - Titusville and New Smyrna Beach, Florida - 24 mile beach, swimming, birding, fishing, wildlife - National Park Service.
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| Canaveral
National
Seashore
Titusville &
New Smyrna Beach
Florida
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May 5 & 6: Playalinda CLOSED north of Parking Lot #10 - DETAILS
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| 2008 TURTLE WATCH PROGRAMS |
Headquarters
212 S. Washington Ave.
Titusville, FL 32796
321-267-1110
FAX: 321-264-2906
eMail
Map to headquarters
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South District
Ranger Station
321-867-4077
BE PREPARED: The seashore is located 12 miles east of Titusville on S.R. 402. Bring water, food, sunscreen, etc. This is nature unspoiled! The only amenity on this seashore is toilets.
Access to the South Beaches, near Titusville, FL, is closed three days prior to Shuttle Launches at Kennedy Space Center. It reopens the day after a successful launch. |
North District
Visitor Information Center
7611 South Atlantic Avenue
New Smyrna Beach, FL 32169
386-428-3384 |
North District HOURS
6:00am - 8:00pm
Information Ctr.: 9:00am - 5:00pm | South District HOURS
Winter (EST): 6:00am - 6:00pm
Summer (EDT): 6:00am - 8:00pm |
 Carol Clark, Superintendent |
DIRECTIONS:
Canaveral National Seashore has two districts, and is located on the East Coast of Central Florida between New Smyrna Beach and Kennedy Space Center. The Seashore is accessible via Interstate 95 (Exit 80 and Exit 84), U. S. 1, State Road 44 and State Road 406/402. |
General Information
Fees | Things to Remember |
| Playalinda Beach Tide and Current Predictor |
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The National Park Service...
... protects 10 National Seashores in the United States. Canaveral National Seashore is a step into the past, protection for the present, and a doorway into the future. The 100 Timucuan Mounds that are within our boundaries are evidence of past generations of people that lived here. Canaveral National Seashore covers 57,000 acres and is the longest stretch (24 miles) of undeveloped beach on Florida's east coast. Fourteen endangered species make their home within Canaveral's boundaries.
Kennedy Space Center...
... owns the land that is managed by the National Park Service and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Joint efforts of three agencies is protecting it from development and preserving the history, the wildlife and the diverse habitats. This nation's desire for a future space program in 1955, protected this area from development and preserved the history, the wildlife, the diverse habitats.
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Our Seashore... ... offers undeveloped beaches with limited services. There are no designated picnic areas, food services, beach showers. Life guards are on duty May 30th through September 1st and limited horseback riding is available in the north district. Short, self-guiding trails and beach and island camping are available in the north district. |
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WHAT WE OFFER
BEACH ACCESS
Twenty-four miles of undeveloped beach is available at Apollo Beach in the North District of the park near New Smyrna Beach and Playalinda Beach at the South District. Boardwalks from the parking areas offer access to the beach protecting the fragile sand dunes from foot traffic.
Life guards are stationed at each district of the park at Parking Area 1 on Apollo Beach and at Parking Area 2 on Playalinda Beach. Life guards are on duty from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., May 30 through September 1. There is no water available, no showers, or public telephones.
OCEAN SAFETY TIPS
For your protection be aware of safety concerns when visiting the ocean. Rip currents, lightning, and Portuguese man-of-war can be hazardous.
RIP CURRENTS
Rip currents that flow seaward from the beach can be deadly. On sandy beach, sandbars often develop a short distance from shore (10-100 yards). Ocean water washes across the bar, gathers in the trough, and rushes back out through the breaks in the sand bar, thus creating a rip current. Rip currents can be very strong. Unwary bathers are sometimes caught in rip currents and carried deeper into the ocean. Learn how to identify rips. Know the conditions that produce them. To escape a rip, swim across the current not directly back into it. Once free of the rip, swim back to shore. Most important of all, remain calm. Panic in rip currents causes death.
WATCH THE WEATHER
Central Florida is the lightning capital of the world. If you observe lightning while on the beach seek shelter in your car until the storm passes by.
PORTUGUESE MAN-OF-WAR
The Portuguese man-of-war is a floating drifting jellyfish that trails long "feeding" tentacles designed to sting and stun prey. The living cells in these tentacles can severely sting beach users. The Portuguese man-of-war looks like a purple balloon to children. Sometimes they will try to touch it or pick it up. If you see a man-of-war floating in the water, remember the tentacles can stretch up to 50 feet. Keep your distance. Even when washed up on the beach and apparently dead contact with the man-of-war can cause severe reactions. If stung, quickly and carefully remove any tentacle parts that may remain on the skin. A mixture of 50% vinegar and 50% water or meat tenderizer is useful to bring to the beach or you may contact a park ranger for assistance. Some people may have severe reactions.
BEACH & ISLAND CAMPING
Limited backcountry camping in the Seashore is permitted on the beach November 1 through April 30 and on designated islands all year around. A backcountry camping permit is required; call: (386) 428-3384. Click for more information. |
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HORSEBACK RIDING
Horse use is restricted to Apollo Beach (north). There is no horse use at Playalinda Beach (south). INFORMATION
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TRAILS AT THE SEASHORE
Walking trails to prehistoric and historic destinations, some with interpretive signs. One leads to the Eldora State House. The Canoe Trail is located around the mangrove islands.Click for more information.
SEA TURTLES
Canaveral National Seashore serves as an important nesting area for sea turtles. During the months of May through August, giant sea turtles lumber ashore to nest on the beach. Three species are know to nest within the park; the loggerhead, leatherback and green sea turtle. Loggerheads lay 3,000 - 4,000 nests per year. Up to three hundred greens and only a few leatherbacks deposit their eggs within the park boundaries each nesting season.
The sea turtles lay approximately 100 round, white, leathery eggs in each nest. Prior to 1984, most of the eggs laid within the seashore were eaten by raccoons, and to a lesser extent by ghost crabs. Some nests are lost when beaches erode during storms.
In the early 1980's researchers found raccoons were destroying 98 percent of Canaveral's turtle nests. The park began a program to help reverse this trend. After experimenting with several different ways of protecting the eggs, park rangers found that by securing a wire mesh screen over the nest, raccoons were prevented from digging in to the nests. The small hatchlings could still exit the next through the openings in the mesh. During the months of May through August, park rangers and volunteers work each night to screen the nests. After two months, when all the eggs have hatched, the screens are removed. Over 80 percent of the turtle nests have been protected using this method.
Sea Turtle Nest Totals, 1984-2000
Archie Carr Center for Sea Turtle Research (U.F.)
Caribbean Conservation Corporation - Sea Turtle Survival League
Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge
Sea Turtle Preservation Society
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SLOGAN AND LOGO
As a part of the National Park Service, Canaveral National Seashore preserves and protects all cultural and natural resources within it boundaries, and provides recreational opportunities for park visitors.
Each item in the emblem represents a feature protected with the National Park sites. The tree represents all plants, the buffalo represents all animals, the mountains represent land formations, the lake represents all waters, and the shape represents history. |
OTHER CONCERNS:
Canaveral National Seashore hosts 1,500,000 visitors a year. We offer 24 miles of secluded beach and 57,000 acres of relatively undisturbed wilderness. This seclusion offers the opportunity for visitors to enjoy a walk along a pristine beach and enjoy nature at it's best.
In secluded areas there are some concerns. While visiting Canaveral National Seashore you must remember the following:
- Don't bring valuables to the beach. If possible leave everything locked securely in a motel or hotel safe or leave them at home. If you must bring them with you secure them out of sight.
- The weather can be unpredictable. Please leave the beach immediately if you see lightning. Florida is the lightning capital of the world.
- We have no running water except at the Information Center near New Smyrna Beach. Bring plenty of water to drink.
- There are no showers at Canaveral National Seashore. Our beach facilities have self-contained chemical toilets. If you wish to wash you hands or rinse the sand off your body after a day on the beach, each person in your party should bring a gallon or two of water.
- Protect yourself from the sun with sunscreen and from biting insects with insect repellant.
- Racoons can be bothersome. Do not feed them. Keep all food locked in your car until you are ready to eat it. Visitors have lost purses and there contents simply because there was food inside. Raccoons have been known to drag purses into the dunes, where they are permanently lost.
- Alligators are dangerous. Do not feed or throw rocks at them. They are protected. They may seem docile as they bask in the sun but they can move quickly and will if harassed or fed.
- Many visitors have lost car keys in the ocean. Please secure your keys and other personal items in a safe place.
- There are no concessions at the Seashore. As in wilderness areas, bring everything you need with you and leave only your foot prints behind.
- Use of Service Animals by Persons with Disabilities in the National Park System
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Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival - January
Ecotourism in North Brevard
Enchanted Forest Sanctuary
Education Sites in North Brevard
Brevard Nature Alliance
Places to Go & Things to Do in and near North Brevard
Titusville Area Visitors Council
Space Coast Tourist Development Council
Kennedy Space Center Visitor's Complex
Kennedy Space Center Launch Schedule
Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission
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