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Kayaking at Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge
and Canaveral National Seashore near Titusville, Florida


We took a rare trip to the East Coast to do some paddling in the Merritt Island National Seashore. The kayak paddling is so diverse within an hour or two of our house that we rarely take the three hour drive across to the east coast.


A beautiful morning with flat glassy water and a sun filled sky. Merritt Island National Wildlife Reserve is one of the special places to kayak on the east coast of Florida. This spot is about an hour from Walt Disney World in Orlando.


We did our first kayak drop at Dummitt's Cove in the morning. When kayaking at the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge,
you have a choice of the Indian River Lagoon or Mosquito Lagoon.


Indian River Lagoon has more fresh water flow from the rivers up towards Daytona


If you look closely, you can see the tannic color that comes from the roots hanging into the freshwater rivers
that flow into the lagoon.


Off in the distance is Cape Canaveral. From the kayak you can see the vehicle assembly building in the distance.


Beautiful, peaceful kayaking on a sunny day on the Indian River Lagoon inside the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.


Later in the day we dropped a second time at Eddy Creek in the Canaveral National Seashore.


The chop was picking up and the Pelicans looked absolutely bored on a summer day.


When it gets hot in Florida, everybody just kind of sits around, including the birds. You usually want to be off the water by mid-day.


We stopped back in Merritt Island NWR on New Year's Eve and then spent the night at the Hilton Melbourne Beach
Not as much water as the first trip, but the low tides allow you time to check out the bird population very easily from the kayak.
Here the great egrets are sifting for shrimp in the mud.


Last sunset of 2008 as seen from Canaveral National Seashore. A front came through over the night and we awoke
on the beach New Year's morning with a 50 degree temp. and 25 knot winds.
Thankfully we had New Year's Eve off to go paddling and family obligations on New Years day.


Buzzards by the beach overlooking the Vehicle Assembly Building


Playalinda Beach goes all the way North to New Smyrna Beach. Canaveral National Seashore and
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refugages have both north and south entrances. This trip was all done
from the southern entry at Titusville, Florida. This beach access and the kayak drop are right across the street with one $5 per car price of admission for both.


The beach goes South into the prohibited area that is Cape Canaveral. Much of this area is closed
before and after launch days and around times of US Government Security Alerts like after 9/11


Beautiful Florida Seagrapes with the Cape Canaveral Vehicle Assembly Building in the background.


On the approach road to the beach, you are pretty close to the actual launch pads. No space shuttle on the pads today.

5206 E. Fowler Ave.
Tampa, FL 33617
john@vacationtc.com
(813) 868-0007

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vacation package with us and
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Where to Stay

Ramada Inn
Fowler Avenue, Tampa

Bradenton Beach

St. Petersburg Beach

5206 E. Fowler Ave.
Tampa, FL 33617
john@vacationtc.com
(813) 868-0007

Book your hotel, car and/or
vacation package with us and
the kayak advice is FREE!


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