Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center

Love going here but be prepared to wait. It is a nature park that you drive through. It is a one way single lane road. There are places that if others are considerate they can move over so others can pass. Alot af photographers visit. They will move to the side of the road and get out to get their photos. It is a hit or miss on what animals/birds you will see. On my last visit the highlights were alligators, turtles, spoonbills, white pelicans, tri color & white egrets, kingfisher and more.

Went there at the end of October and was so happy to see manatees at the manatee viewing spot and across the way by the boat launch! There were around 20 of them feeding on the bottom of the river (so got to see their pancake tails) and sometimes rolling around in the more shallow spots. Was amazing to see! In addition to the manatees we saw so many bird and even a tiny alligator. It’s really worth a stop if you are looking to see some wildlife.

Not to be missed for bird and wildlife lovers. In a few hours in September 10, I spotted some 30 bird species, many at close range, as well as box turtles, wild pigs, and a few snakes at safe distance. Stunning, varied land and sea scapes.

We enjoyed coming here for some walking. We were appreciative that it was dog friendly as well. I wish more places like this were priortized. Wonderful resource for the area.

It was a nice drive, but because of the weather, which was way too hot.There was really nothing to see. I was surprised not even an alligator was laying around.

We drove around looking for Roseate Spoonbills but sadly found none. The welcome center is closed for remodeling and the temporary trailer was closed as well. We saw egrets, white herons and storks, Mangrove flats, painted barricades, NASA launch pads, several pull offs for fishing, no restrooms so go before you go over the causeway bridge. We never got out of the car, side road paths are not paved. Would like to go back to find the Roseate spoonbills and flamingo’s when cooler and welcome center opens.

The Visitor Center staff are so helpful, especially Deb. The trails and wildlife viewing are wonderful. We plan to come back!

Awesome place. Definitely recommend the wildlife drive. Lots of animals.

Lovely learning center for the refuge, with gift shop and auditorium with a film about the wildlife.

A great gateway to the Merrit Island National Wildlife Refuge This is a wonderful starting point for an understanding of not only this national wildlife refuge but where the other ones are and what a refuge is all about. It is a beautiful Visitor's Center with wonderfully helpful and friendly staff. This is located right off the south side of the Max Brewer Memorial highway and has good signage. This is a 1 story building on the south side of the road near the south-end entrance of the Canaveral national seashore. It is definitely a great place to stop. It has a running movie that explains the seashore and the wildlife contained there. There is a small paved parking lot with an overflow gravel parking lot right next to it. The rangers were especially helpful in explaining the options to the park. There is a fee to drive specific parts of the park but, I think, it is well worth it for the pleasant drive and wildlife you will see. Behind the building is a walkway around one side of the lake and through the forest/wetlands. It also has a gift shop, restrooms, and some interactive displays to explain parts of the park. During this most recent visit, the gift shop and part of the walkway around the lake were closed. Even with these restrictions, I highly recommend this as a first stop for the park.

Super great spot for all you lovers of nature. Bird watchers rejoice as you will love it here. I went for a hike in the low season i.e. the Summertime. Had the trails practically to myself yet was a bit hot & humid. There was quite a bit of mosquitos as well near the damp grounds along the water. So many cool amazing birds, trees, nature, & unspoiled nature away from the concrete. Still so many amazing beautiful birds from local to migratory that you can't help not to love it here. Will have to check back again when it gets a bit cooler & more comfortable as will likely be less mosquitoes.

The drive, the friendly and informative park rangers are just the beginning. After you pick a place to park and you walk across the dune bridge, and you see the Beautiful Atlantic Ocean. It's just you and nature, and if you put foolish thoughts and worries aside it's breathtaking. Sun, Sand and Seclusion theirs so much beach to explore and enjoy you can't help but leave with a renewed sense of mind that comes from your connection with nature.

How have I lived over here for almost 3 years and missed this beautiful sanctuary! It's literally 15 minutes from my house and it's FREE! We decided to escape all of the crowds at the malls and wanted a low key day. The weather was absolutely gorgeous! The pathways are drivable but are made of dirt and only one car can pass at a time. Stopping to let someone pass just gives you more time to take in all of the beautiful scenery and wildlife. To the east you have an awesome view of the VAB over at NASA and to the west you have the Titusville skyline. There are little spots where you can pull over and fish or crab or just walk along the shore. Be careful though as this is truly an outdoor experience and there are snakes, gators etc. Luckily we didn't encounter any of them but we did see several birds enjoying themselves. We stopped and spoke to some of the fishermen that were out to see their catch of the day. Lots of catfish and crabs. This place definitely helped all of the stress and anxiety melt away. I cannot wait to return and hopefully see other wildlife in their natural habitat.

This is a 140,000-acre nature reserve run by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. The highlight here, in my opinion, is the scenic nature drive called Black Point Wildlife Drive. This is still operating during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here, you take your car and slowly traverse a gorgeous, winding 7-mile gravel road. At various points, there are places to pull over and park in order to do a quick stroll to lookout points or just to read some informational placards. There is a $10 fee (cash or check) per vehicle for a day pass that is on the honor system. Please pay it! It goes towards habitat conservation. On this drive, we saw baby alligators, ibises, roseate spoonbills, great egrets, snowy egrets, herons, crabs, and much more! Highly recommended.

Great spot to see both resident and migrating birds. If you want to take photos of birds take the 12 mile drive through the wetlands along Black Point Trail. There are birds everywhere so bring your camera with a zoom lens and a pair of binoculars. You can stay in your car and just drive slowly. Well worth the trip if you like observing wildlife. Stop at the visitor center on the way in. It has picnic tables and a short movie about the area.

To make this one short and sweet, we made our now annual visit to search primarily for manatees plus of course any other wildlife that could be found. Knowing that we had a ton of luck over at the Bairs Cove boat ramp last year we started our search there. This time we indeed found manatees but they were mostly staying submerged due to the high heat and the very high level of boat traffic. Seemingly every person that owned something with a motor was attempting to launch that afternoon and most were not even close to observing the No Wake rule as they quasi-thundered in/out of the cove area. After about an hour or so we had seen all we were going to see and moved on. We back tracked and drove the Black Point Wildlife Drive and just like last year saw in essence, nothing. I didn't see a bobcat or even a guy named Bob with a cat. After two more hours, simply nothing. I guess in the immortal words of the prophet Dr. John: I been in the right place but it must have been the wrong time. Merritt is still a beautiful, intriguing and unique place that is more than worth a visit to. Do I wish that I would have been a bit more lucky in terms of what other Yelpers have seen? Of course, but even without a gator coming over to say hello I'm sure I'll be back next time we're in the area next year.

Over the years, I've visited Merritt Island several times for bioluminescent kayaking, which has consistently been a wonderful experience.

This is a great place to visit. So many great things to do. You can take a scenic ride and see some birds and manatees in the refuge. There are lots of trails off the main road

What a cute beach and area. Lots of wildlife. Yes, there is a nude beach all the way down. The beach is nice and clean. It's also in an area where you maybe able to catch a shuttle go off from NASA. Parking is free, at least when we went and where we parked. Keep watch for wildlife, slow down!

We visited FL especially to visit Merritt Island NWR. The black point auto tour is one of the best features and you could easily spend all day just birding that one spot. You can purchase a pass or pay $10 when you come in, by check or with cash. They make it really easy to pay and they have plenty of spots to stop and do so. The birding is excellent and the road is big enough that you can stop and cars can go around you.

Go by the ranger station first (visitor center), they have Banker Hours, 9-4 and closed on Sunday. Black Point Wildlife trail is a great birding drive by car. We were there in July for something else, so I didn't expect to see much as winter is prime birding season. I still a couple of nice keeper. There was Reddish Egret that seem to have his spot near the front as you drive in. He was there both times. The first time it was over cast and light rain. I got a good shot of him hunting for food. Near the end of the drive there was Great Blue Heron setting in a close tree while it was raining a little. The light was great and did a hand hold of the 600mm lens and filled the frame with him. You can see the rain drops in the background and on his feathers. Can't wait to come back in winter and see the place full of birds! The road is a little small in places, so watch where you pull over to stop. You needed to pull over or you'll block traffic behind you.

This place is so nice! I went kayaking, and apparently this is one of the few refuges where people are allowed to fish, boat, and kayak! We saw so many manatees and dolphins! Everything was so pretty. The current definitely made us work out but it was a blast!

Our family has wintered in Cocoa Beach for the last 10 years and we always visit the refuge at least once each year. It's one of our favorite places in Florida. You're pretty much guaranteed to see alligators and some incredible birds as well as other surprises. Occasionally, you'll see wild boars and while we've never actually seen a panther here, this year we saw fresh panther tracks on one of the trails. Just really great scenery and wildlife here.

We drove Black Point Wildlife Drive, and it was fantastic. It was longer than we had anticipated but we loved each moment. It's quiet back there, it's pristine setting is just great for fotos over the marsh. We say many ibis lik ebirds, we saw a croc, it was fun, and all from the seat of your car! The website informs visitors that there will be a few starting Sept 1, 2011 of $5. http://www.fws.gov/merrittisland/ Enjoy your visit

Peaceful drive through Merritt Island's back water bays and tidal marshes! I immediately adopted this scenic drive and it's abundant wildlife and put it on my short list for future visits. Loads of opportunities for shore bird photos and scenic sunset shots. Early morning around 0800-ish or late about an hour before sunset, 1730-ish, seemed to be the best time for a visit. Spotted Osprey's, King Fishers, Wood Storks, Snowy Egrets, Turkey Vultures on the drive. Still trying to classify a few. Thanks to Tom S. for the detailed notes and photos of Black Point Drive! Best part of my trip to the Cocoa Beach area so far! If it's an early morning visit wrap it up with breakfast at Steve's Family Diner. Tell them Dutch sent you. ;)

I was pretty skeptical when my wife put us all in the van to head to this wildlife refuge. I mean, we're on vacation, and we're going to go here? After finally finding the visitor's center, we got some helpful pointers and took the walk on the boardwalk. It is a good time to visit, as there were no mosquitos to be contended with. We then loaded up the van and took the 6 mile driving tour nearby (Black Cove Road? I forget), which afforded plenty of bird sightings, and it taught me just how pathetic my bird knowledge really is. We did see one very, very big alligator near marker #10 or so, sunning himself. Of all the neat birding opportunities, this was what the kids wanted to see! We passed the manatee viewing platform, as we were told that the water was too cold, and they'd be near a warm water discharge of a local power plant. Would have been neat in summer! We then drove over to Bio-Lab Road, a 6 mile stretch of dirt road along the bay. We had been told it was the best place to see gators, and sure enough, we saw 18 more. Unlike Gatorland, which we would see before heading home, this was the real deal. No plexi-glass, no gators bloated by tourists throwing hot dogs, no schools of imported fish to munch upon. We're talking beasts of nature, live, with nothing but my faith of Ford's Econoline production line's ability to make a gator-proof vehicle. Kind of like the movie "Jurassaic Park", but with an Econoline and gators. Ok, without the attacks. Still, very cool. I think this place will impress you. No rides, no lines, no fees, no pushy parents who have been saving their pennies for 14 years to experience this moment, no fastpass. You will see ducks, mice, and more beautiful, pristine nature than you can shake a magic kingdom at. If you are a birder, it is supposedly one of the best places in the nation, come Jan-Feb, during migration. Bone up on your bird knowlege before you go!

Beautiful! Peaceful drive, slow moving, one-way winding road. It was so relaxing to see all the water birds, fish, and turtles. I highly recommend grabbing your camera, pay the $5 per vehicle honor system, and go see the finest of Florida Nature.

We spent a good portion of the day here. Being a photographer I enjoyed many of the areas to experience. My highlights were a road we found called Gator Road and there were lots of birds in this area. We went of the Black Point drive and great sites of Gators and Birds. The drive I thought gave lots of info on how all the refuge was put together and the protection for the animals. We also went to the Manatee Viewing spot-no Manatee's but someone told us about a spot on the other side at the boat launch area and there were 4 Manatee's and they were so close. The National Seashore was beautiful with the dunes and lots of parking. For those with kids you may not want to go to the last parking lot and beach due to north is a nude bathers. Personally it did not bother me but, for some it may.

We drove Black Point Wildlife Drive today. I would love to have more time to do some of the hiking paths - but the wildlife drive blew me away. I did end up walking quite a bit of the way ... my dad driving the car behind me -- or sitting on the side of the road waiting for me to take photos. One of the first things I noticed was the field of Webs ... amazing!!!! tons of spider webs - each one a rare beauty. Lots of butterflies -- haven't looked them up yet - but I was able to take photos of at 2 species that I don't have in my butterfly garden at home (Orlando). The landscape is gorgeous. Lots and Lots of species of birds and ducks. Took a short walk to a viewing area and on the way back saw a snake. But the highlight of the trip was getting to see 2 bobcats. The one was pretty well hunkered down, but I did get a decent photo of the other. (Lens envy here - had I had a better camera - OMG!) The netsite said to go within 2 hours of dawn and 2 hours of dusk for best wildlife viewing. We arrived at 8:00 am (sunrise was at 7:30 am) Can't wait to go back; but need to find someone who wants to walk the trails with me. PS - do put on some bug spray -- I got eaten alive by the mosquitos PS - it's in Titusville - Not Merritt Island and not Cocoa.

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge was a blast! When I got to the visitors center (always a good idea to get a map!), they told me I wouldn't see much on the paid, touristy driving trail called Black Point Wildlife Drive due to the weather and directed me to a other roads (Peacock's Pocket). They warned me that the roads were 'rougher', unpaved and hard to navigate should someone be coming from the other direction. They didn't make it seem like it would be too terrible, so I set out on my adventure. After a mile, I was disappointed. Very few wildlife, lots of trees, boring. Then this happened. The road got smaller and I was surrounded by water on both sides. I had to roll up my windows because there was a curtain of insects, including thousands of dragon flys. I spotted the eery eyes of gators staring at me. As I continued to drive, more birds, different birds, flew around, planting themselves on the foliage. I was scared some of the time, excited most of it, it was a blast and it was free! I took Peacock's Pocket down to Canaveral Seashore (fee is like $5) to dip my feet into the ocean. I also went down a nearby path to see manatees. All this advice from the volunteers at the visitors center so I really really recommend that map! And water. The only thing that stinks is there are no restrooms and it's hard to turn around if you feel the need to since the roads are so skinny.

Beautiful, huge FREE park includes a manatee observation area, walking/hiking trails, crazy vegetation, and much more. There is also a beach ($3/per person) that I did not visit. The refuge is a great, um, refuge after spending time at other, more tourist-y sites in the area (Disney, Kennedy Space Center, etc.). Be warned though, mosquitos here are out of control. Come armed with bug spray.

Well-kept and organized area. Went in late October. The visitor's center is a great place to start, to get a map of the area and up to date info from the employees on what areas are open, closed, or more likely to have the wildlife you may be particularly interested in seeing. You also have to purchase the $10 day pass that allows you enter the park. Went to the Black Point Wildlife Drive after the visitor's center, spent about an hour going through. Lots of waterfowl and one gator. Really depends on the day and season for what you see, I think. I think I was really lucky to see a gator. Went to the Manatee viewing platform, where I saw a few manatees but the water is quite murky, can't really see them under the surface at all, only when their noses poke up for air. If you stop at Playalinda Beach parking area #1, there is a pretty good view of the Kennedy Space Center.

We've been here many times, usually in winter, and under many different weather conditions. For birdwatching, it almost never disappoints. Allow plenty time time -- we usually spend a full day and don't get everywhere we think we will. Black Point Wildlife Drive is most representative, but other places will yield other birds if that's what you're after. The easiest to spot are the long-legged wading birds including several heron/egret species, spoonbills, ibises, and wood storks (one of my favorites). Check out the visitor center if it's open. They have lists of what other people have seen recently. That could point you in a particular direction -- but take it with a grain of salt -- some of the entries look unreliable. Good photo ops w/long lens. Binoculars a must; spotting scope recommended. Pack a lunch and bring your own water.

an interesting wildlife area too bad there was no wildlife really. its free so its recommended to go on a trip to the kennedy space center.

Stop in and speak with the volunteer (assumingly retired) lady qt the front desk to ask for her recommendations before exploring--I think her name is Maryann. She offered information about specific locations that you could never find in a guide book. We could hqve spent days at this location. The wildlife is active and abundant. I will certainly return here on my next visit to Florida!

The wildlife center was great. Tons of birds to view as well as the marshland. I also had an opportunity to hike the Alan Cruickshank Trail off Blackpoint Wildlife Drive (stop 9, besides rest rooms). If you'd like to see my pics & a video of my hike you can do so at hctrails/merritt-island-wildlife-refuge/