Black Point Wildlife Drive at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

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See the Scenic Drives web page for an interactive location map.

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Length: 7 miles
Drive Time: 1.5 hours
Biking Time: 2 hours
Hiking Time: 3.5 hours
Add 30 minutes to hike the Wild Birds Unlimited Trail and 2.5 hours for the Allan D. Crucikshank Memorial Trail.

Black Point Wildlife Drive is a seven-mile, one-way dirt road that runs through the southwestern end of Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The road is open to vehicles, bikes, and pedestrians. The speed limit is only 15 MPH, and that’s really about as fast as you can go, so the road is safe for bikers and hikers (see the Biking web page for tips on biking the wildlife drive). Buses and vehicles over 29 feet long and 2.5 tons are not allowed on the road.

Biking Black Point Wildlife Drive at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

There is a fee to access Black Point Wildlife Drive, and this fee gets you a pass that is good for the day at any of the fee-based facilities within Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. You can get a 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 kiosk located at the entrance to the road. 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 self-pay kiosk. If you need change, you must get a pass at the Visitor Center. I recommend first stopping there 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 all facilities within Merritt Island (boat ramps, Bio Lab Road, and Black Point Wildlife Drive). At the time of this writing the fee is $10 / day, but be sure to get the latest prices on Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge’s Visit Us web page.

Pay station at the start of the Black Point Wildlife Drive at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

Twelve numbered stops along the road correspond to numbers in a tour booklet that you can get at the self-service kiosk or at the Visitor Center (if you go to the Visitor Center, get a booklet there, that way you don’t have to worry about an empty brochure box). All stops have roadside parking areas where you can pull over and read the description of the area. Plan to spend about 1.5 hours for the drive if you visit all of the stops and read the information.

Numbered post along Black Point Wildlife Drive, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

If you are up for a 7-mile hike and don’t mind being exposed to the sun the entire time, on foot is the best way to travel Black Point Wildlife Drive (be sure to have a ride at the end, otherwise it is a 14-mile hike). Biking is also a good way to tour the road. At a slower pace you have a better chance of spotting hard-to-see animals such as alligators, you don’t have to get in and out of your car every time you want to take a photo, and you are less likely to scare off the animals than when driving. A similar alternative would be to drive the road and hike the 5-mile Cruickshank Trail, which starts about 3.5 miles from the entrance. The Cruickshank Trail is basically a trail version of the road.

Black Point Wildlife Drive at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

Black Point Wildlife Drive circles an area of the park that is full of ponds, marshes, and roadside canals, which is why it is such a great place to see animals. You will mainly see birds, but there are a few alligators in the waters as well. Other animals you might see include armadillos, snakes, turtles, and even pigs. (If you really want to see alligators, head down to Everglades National Park where they are as common as dogs.)

Blue Heron at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

Coots along Black Point Wildlife Drive at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

Alligator along Black Point Wildlife Drive at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

Family of wild pigs on the Black Point Wildlife Drive at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

Pond along Black Point Wildlife Drive at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

There are two hiking trails along the road, and hiking both will add about three hours to the drive. The Wild Birds Unlimited Trail is the first you will come to. It is located about two miles from the entrance gate at Stop #4. This is a short out-and-back trail that runs along the top of a dike between two bodies of water. There are two observation decks that function as enclosed duck blinds, so you can observe the birds without them seeing you. Visit the Wild Birds Unlimited Trail review page for more information.

Observation deck on the Wild Birds Unlimited Trail, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

The second trail comes a mile-and-a-half farther down the road at Stop #9. Named after Allan Cruickshank, a wildlife photographer and naturalist who helped create Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, the Allan D. Cruickshank Memorial Trail is the park’s longest at five miles. I saw many birds and one alligator along this trail. See the Allan D. Cruickshank Memorial Trail review page for more information.

Scenery along the Allan D. Cruickshank Memorial Trail, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

If you want to see animals, especially birds, you can’t do much better than Black Point Wildlife Drive and the two trails. There are three other trails within Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, but these just showcase different types of terrain and are more focused on vegetation than wildlife.

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