Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge was created in 1963 from land that was originally purchased to build the Kennedy Space Center but ended up going unused. The Refuge is managed by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and is not part of Canaveral National Seashore. However, to the typical tourist, the Refuge and the Seashore are indistinguishable from each other. Even the National Park Service map for Canaveral shows the two parks as one, and it is hard to find any map that shows where the boundary between the two is drawn. For that reason, National Park Planner has included Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge activities in its review of Canaveral National Seashore.

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is open daily from sunrise to sunset. It is a day-use park, meaning there is no camping or overnight parking allowed. The only exceptions are those night fishing from a boat, in which case parking is allowed after dark at the Bair’s Cove Boat Ramp and the Beacon 42 Boat Ramp.

There is a fee to drive on Black Point Wildlife Drive and Bio Lab Road and to use any of the boat launches. You can purchase a day pass online in advance at Recreation.gov or on the day of your visit at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center or the self-pay kiosks located at the boat ramps and scenic drive entrances. Payment is cash or check only, even at the Visitor Center—no credit or debit cards. You cannot get change if paying in cash at the kiosks. If you need change, you must get a pass at the Visitor Center. I recommend first stopping at the Visitor Center anyway just to get basic information. National Park Service annual passes, Duck Stamps, Canaveral National Seashore passes, and annual Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge passes are also good for using the fee-based facilities at Merritt Island. Annual passes are on sale at the Visitor Center. At the time of this writing the day pass fee is $10 / day, but be sure to get the latest prices on Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge’s Visit Us web page.

As its name implies, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is the place to come to see wildlife. Here you will find a wide variety of bird species and reptiles such as alligators and turtles, all of which can be seen along the hiking trails and scenic roads set aside for nature viewing.

Unfortunately for the animals, it’s not a refuge year-round, because both waterfowl, deer, and hog hunting are allowed during the normal Florida hunting seasons, which usually run from October through January. Most, but not all of the Refuge is open for hunting. Fishing is also allowed. See the Fishing and Hunting web page for more information.

If you plan on biking in the park, there is one thing to be aware of. While it may seem logical to think that the roads running through a “Wildlife Refuge” would be low-speed, scenic roads perfect for biking, in reality all paved roads within the Refuge are major highways with 55+ MPH traffic and no road shoulder. The only safe roads for biking are the Black Point Wildlife Drive and Bio Lab Road. Both of these are very scenic and offer plenty of opportunities to see birds and alligators. Bikes are not allowed on the hiking trails.

All trails, boat ramps, and other attractions are well marked by road signs. There is always a sign that indicates an attraction is coming up and a second sign at the point of the turn.

For more information, see the official Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge website.