Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, 5 mi. e. on SR 402 across the Titusville Cswy., is a habitat for wintering migratory waterfowl. A visitor center offers educational displays, wildlife exhibits and a 20-minute video about the refuge. Behind the center, a boardwalk crosses over a pond and through an oak hammock to a freshwater marsh.

Visitors can explore several trails. Black Point Wildlife Drive off SR 406 is a 7-mile self-guiding driving tour of major refuge habitats; you may see birds, alligators, snakes, bobcats, river otters and other wildlife. Oak Hammock Foot Trail off SR 402 identifies the plants of a hammock community; Scrub Ridge Trail off SR 3 provides access to scrub and marsh habitat; and the Manatee Observatory Deck off SR 3 provides views of manatees.

Special interpretive programs are offered. Licensed hunting for waterfowl is permitted in season; licensed fishing is permitted all year. A refuge permit is required.