Overview of Canaveral National Seashore
Canaveral National Seashore is the longest stretch of undeveloped beach on the East coast of Florida. It helps protect against storms and is home to thousands of species and plants. There are 3 main beaches: Apollo in the North, Klondike in the center, and Playalinda in the South.
Getting to Canaveral National Seashore
Canaveral National Seashore is located on the East coast of Florida. It is centrally located between Daytona Beach and Cocoa Beach. Orlando International Airport is by far the best option if flying in, since it is less than an hour away.
If you happen to live in the DC Metro area, consider flying out of Hagerstown, MD. Parking is free and the flights are extremely cheap. However, they only offer flights on certain days of the week.
Fees & Cancellation Stamp
It costs $20 per vehicle to enter Canaveral NS, and $10 if you are entering on foot or on a bicycle. All passes are good for 7 days.
I visited Canaveral with my family on a day trip to the beach. We happened to visit on a day the Visitor Center was closed, but thankfully, they did have a stamp at the gate where you pay to enter.
Time Required at Canaveral NS
Canaveral is a beach! How much time you need depends entirely on how many days you’d like to spend at the beach, or if you’d like to try and visit all 3 beaches within the park boundaries. Also, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is right next door, which might be of interest to you if you enjoy wildlife viewing.
One day is plenty if you are able to get to the visitor center when it opens and then head to the beach for the remainder of the day. Add another day or two if you are interested in backcountry camping, paddling/boating, or spending more than one day at the beach.
The Beaches of Canaveral NS
Apollo
Apollo Beach is on the northern end of Canaveral. It is accessible by road but is gated, so be sure to be cognizant of the hours during your visit. There is a nude beach accessible from the very last parking area. The Apollo Beach Visitor Center is the main visitor center for the park. There is a park film, exhibits, a bookstore, and canoe rentals.
Klondike
Klondike Beach is in the middle portion of Canaveral and is only accessible by foot. You can get to it from either Apollo or Playalinda, but you must walk through either one of the nude beaches to access it. Also, you must have a backcountry permit to enter the area.
Playalinda
Playalinda Beach is at the southern end of Canaveral. Just like Apollo Beach, it is accessible by road and is gated. It also has a nude beach accessible at the last parking area. There is a Visitor Center on this end; however, it is for Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The Wildlife Refuge is not run by the park service, but all of the same information that is at the Apollo Visitor Center is available here.
Things to do at Canaveral National Seashore
- Ride your bike on the paved roads that go through Apollo and Playalinda Beaches
- Take your boat, kayak, or canoe to one of the 7 boat launches in Canaveral NS
- Camp in Mosquito Lagoon (accessible only by boat)
- Fish or hunt at the Wildlife Refuge (make sure to have all the proper permits)
- Walk one of the many trails in either Canaveral NS or the Wildlife Refuge
- Visit historical sites: Seminole Rest or Eldora State House
Other Local Attractions
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
The Wildlife Refuge is on the south end of Canaveral NS. The Kennedy Space Center and accompanying visitor center are also on the island. Beware that NASA can restrict access to the island whenever they need to, so be flexible with your plans of visiting either the refuge or the space center.
It costs $10 per vehicle to enter. The refuge offers fishing and hunting (deer and hogs only), ranger programs, and has many walking trails.
The Kennedy Space Center
The Kennedy Space Center is on Merritt Island. There are a variety of ticket options to see the space station. You can add on different attractions within the center, or even other nearby tourist attractions; but the cheapest ticket is approximately $60 for one person for the day.
Personal Review
I spent the day at Playalinda Beach and had a great time. It was a Monday in early July and was not busy at all. I’m not 100% sure but I don’t think these beaches fill up as quickly as others because not much is around, unlike neighboring beaches Cocoa and New Smyrna. There are pit toilets but no running water on site.
I didn’t make it to either visitor center (the Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center is closed on Mondays), nor did I get to see the Kennedy Space Center. The next time I make it back to Florida I’d love to return to Canaveral so I can see those places, as well as Seminole Rest and the Eldora State House.
Last updated: May 14, 2022
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