The Melbourne Beach Pier is steeped in history. Located in Ryckman Park, the pier was built between…read more1888 and 1889 by the Indian River and Atlantic Railway Company. It was constructed from wood planks and pilings as was common in the late 1800's. The pier is the oldest known example of such piers on the Indian River. After the pier was built it served as a crucial transportation link moving tourists, residents, freight, and mail between the mainland and the barrier island. A railroad was laid from the ferry landing on the dock and across the barrier island 7/10 of a mile to the ocean beach. This provided access to the Atlantic Ocean by a pushcart and later by a motorized car. A ferry service was operated by the Beaujean family between 1889 and 1923. The railroad provided access to the island and excursion boats from the mainland communities brought winter tourists to dock at the pier. The community's first post office was located at the east end of the pier and provided the daily mail service in 1894. The building of the toll bridge between Melbourne and Indialantic in 1921 ended the pier's importance for island access. On April 12, 1984, the pier was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. In 1985 a restoration project supported by local citizens and state programs helped to preserve this iconic Melbourne Beach structure. Today the pier offers a panoramic view of the Indian River and is ideal for fishing, relaxation, and sunset strolls. I enjoyed my walk back in time down this historic pier, and best of all unlike many piers there is no charge to enjoy it.

Located in a really beautiful community, really clean, sunrise and sunset are beautiful and Ocean…read moreAvenue is right at opposite end of the street to surf or just go to the beach. Parking is free all around until 8:00 AM, but plenty of spaces and pay stations where you can pay with card. If you're taking a kid or anyone fishing for the first time and you want to GUARANTEE a bite, go to Black Dog Bait and Tackle like 5 minutes away, get one or two dozen live shrimp with a bubbler bucket and cast off any corner of this pier. I will say that the only thing that bit was catfish NONSTOP. They put up a fun fight and they come in all sizes and they rarely swallow the hook, but once you catch a couple, I suggest going to the beach or finishing up your bait at Geiger Point at Kiwani's Park. You'll have a better shot of catching some little snappers and drums (which you can't keep any size in this area). Super beautiful spot though for a kid's first time out.

Ryckman Park is located on Ocean Avenue in Melbourne Beach. It is on the Indian River in the…read morehistoric section of town. The park contains important town buildings including the Town Hall and the Melbourne Beach Community Center which was formerly the Women's Club. It also has a playground, several gazebos, public art, restrooms, and splash pad. Displayed throughout the park are Hometown Hero banners that recognize Melbourne Beach residents and family members, past and present, who have served in the Armed Forces. The Parks Board sponsored this project. My favorite part of Ryckman Park is all of the historical buildings and structures. The Ryckham House, one of the oldest homes in Melbourne Beach is front and center in the park. The park also has a replica of the Beaujean home and first post office and the Melbourne Beach Pier which was built in 1889. I very much enjoyed all of the history and beauty of the this scenic waterfront park. It was especially nice to relax on a bench swing in the breeze as I took in the view. If there is a drawback to this park it would be that you have to pay to park. The kiosk was broken and you had to either scan the QR code or text to pay. It took a few extra minutes to figure it all out but the enjoyment I got from this park was well worth the $3.25 I paid. While I was sorting out the parking I noticed Djon's Steak and Lobster House across from the park. It is a longtime community favorite known for their excellent happy hour menu. I will definitely put it at the top pf the list next tine I am in the area.

Lovely and scenic park! The park is within walking distance of the beach. Nice stop in Melbourne.read more

Melbourne Riverview Park Is located on 15.4 acres of the Indian River Lagoon. The city of Melbourne…read moreassumed ownership of Riverview Park from Brevard County in June 2012. Locals and visitors will find amenities for both active recreation as well as relaxation. There are picnic pavilions with tables, grills, restrooms, Scurrah's Landing canoe and kayak launch, and a playground. For 18 years Melbourne Riverview Park has been the site of the Melbourne Farmers Market. It is open 10-2 Every Saturday October - May and the 1st & 3rd Saturday June - Sept. You can fid fresh foods, plants, artisans and more. Whether you are coming for an event or recreation, this park provides a peaceful respite from the busy downtown area. I enjoyed stretching my legs and bird watching over the river. If you have children, the recently renovated playground looks particularly inviting.

This place is meant for the fishing enthusiasts. There's not much of a park other than a swing, a…read morefew benches and and plenty of parking spots. It was a nice little outing for a stroll and that was about it for my family.

This huge preserve is 35 square miles. Admission is free. The preserve was created when the state…read moreof Florida bought up large tracts of land in 1995 to preserve the watershed to the St. Sebastian River and the Indian River Lagoon. In addition to protecting the water the land also protects rare and endangered species of plants and animals. The preserve is made up of grassy forests and the long leaf pine that was common before the development of Florida. Here you will find the biological communities of cypress dome, scrubby flat woods, sand hills, and strand swamp. The preserve contains one of Florida's largest populations of scrub jays, a species listed as vulnerable. Many native plants and animals make their home here including over 50 protected species. Animals that can be found here include the red-cockaded woodpecker, Bachman's sparrow, Eastern indigo snakes, bald eagles, wild turkeys, river otters, bobcats, and tortoises. This preserve is part of the Great Florida Birding Trail. Travel in the preserve is along unpaved roads. There is a buffer road that runs along the C-54 canal. In November through March you can find manatees in the canal. There is a platform to view them at the end of the buffer road. The preserve is divided into quadrants by the Fellsmere Canal and by I-95. Each quadrant has long hiking trails. There are over 60 miles of hiking trails through 22,000 acres of wilderness. There is a visitor's center at the entrance that is staffed Friday through Sunday. You can hike, bike, or horseback ride the preserve. From this preserve you can canoe, boat, and fish the St. John's River. There are six primitive camp sites which can only be reached by hiking. Hiking trails include red, yellow, and blue and can be rough because they are also used by horses. Along some of the trails you can see the remains of homesteads from when the land was used for growing citrus, ranching, turpentining, and logging. The preserve contains a portion of the rails to trails path, a hiking and biking trail along the abandoned Trans Florida Central Rail incorporated in 1924. The surface of the trail hasn't been decided on yet and there are few signs marking it. As a sign in the park says this is the real Florida. Photographers, nature lovers, hikers, and equestrians will love exploring this vast open wilderness. Come see Florida the way Mother Nature intended.

This place was very interesting and the preserve itself is massife! With more than four nearly ten…read moremile trails available this park has enough hiking experiences for almost anybody. I love the scrub forest and natural beauty of this place. The river in warmer times is a prime place to see manatees on their journeys around the area. Unfortunately for me my visit was not one of those days. This park is free to visit and they've got a visitor center that's open on Friday Saturday and Sunday. I believe they also have a number of different hikes and activities during the year as well. There are a number of different birds and other animals making their homes here and the whole place provides a wonderful natural escape. Highly recommended!

I had an enjoyable visit to Riverwalk Park and Nature Center in Rockledge. This 6.37 acre community…read morepark is now a family friendly, nature centered destination that will inspire a love of the outdoors among its youngest visitors. It wasn't always that way. In 1999 the park was named Hoo-Hoo Park from a fraternal order of lumbermen called Hoo Hoo International that contributed to the building of the park's boardwalk. A Sheriff's Office sting operation arrested 32 men on sex charges. Over 300 people were charged with improper sexual activities during the 10 years the park was open. Brevard County closed the park and worked on rebranding it for the community with a new name, Riverwalk Family Park. They added a nature center and invested $275,000 in park improvements. Today this a destination anyone who loves nature would be happy to visit. I started out in the charming nature center where I met Tommy, Pringles, and Chips, the resident turtles who swam right up to the glass to say hi. The nature center has displays about the animals and plants that live near the Indian River, maps and information on other local nature parks, and it also offers nature programs. On the day I visited they had binoculars for use in the park and free water color painting set up. Behind the nature center is a 915 foot boardwalk that takes you to the Indian River Lagoon. Although it is shorter compared to other nature boardwalks in Brevard County, it is the perfect length for the same children who would enjoy the nature center. In 2016 Riverwalk Park received a $20,000 grant from the National Recreation and Park Association. They used the money to build a Nature Explore Classroom set between the trees of the nature preserve. The interactive play zones radiate around a central grassy area with an old tree stump as the focal point. Some of the areas are a water play area, plants and play, a deck for tree forts, and musical instruments. The park also has a picnic pavilion, restrooms, and a butterfly garden.

Excellent little boardwalk path. Fun to enjoy when no one else is there…read more I love the unique rock formations by the water, though I was surprised how short the walk is. Wish the boarded path would lead over the ravine and into a nice picnic/play area. I like how some of the plants along the walk are marked. Did not appreciate the cigarette butts by the water. This isn't the park's fault, but all it takes is one negligent person to destroy everything.

Quiet and peaceful beach, really nice to relax and listen to the sound of the massive waves…read morecrashing. Also a good spot to watch the surfers. There is a decent amount of parking with overflow across the street. The facilities are kept pretty clean and there are public restrooms.

A convenient place to take a beach day! Or, simply stop by the top of the steps to check the waves…read more It's a spacious beach for a good time with your friends and family to enjoy. I've gone so many times and it's so pretty!! Always a beach girl...forever a beach girl. Five Stars! It's even worth the sort of difficult time parking , to get on that beach for a few. Cheers.

One of the best parks in Brevard County. Has beautiful…read moreviews, shade from various trees, ample benches to lounge on, and not to forget that there are several different kinds of courts to play on in this wonderful park.

This park is very popular!…read more I feel like different events are going on here each week. There is a cute little park for the kids to play, there is a lot of different horseshoe areas, volleyball nets, ponds, and covered shelter areas. I've seen a lot of people go there for parties. They even had a bounce house delivered there.

Truly beautiful local trail, we did about 2.5 miles and there is more to walk through! It's clean…read moreand kept up, there are many places to have some food take breaks or just enjoy nature. We saw lots of tortoises and some turtles too! No alligators today but there were signs for caution. Overall, will come again!

This natural area was a delightful discovery next to the Palm Bay Library. The sanctuary sits on a…read moresmall section of what was once an ancient Atlantic Ocean dune which was part of a series of dunes formed by wind and wave action when the ocean extended across Florida. Through many years the sand was enriched so that a forest grew where only sea oats previously survived. The land that makes up Turkey Creek Sanctuary was donated to the Florida Audubon Society and the City of Palm Bay in 1978. Fundraising to conserve the area began in 1981 by a citizen support group which is still in existence today as the Turkey Creek Sanctuary Society, Inc., a registered non profit. The purpose of the Turkey Creek Sanctuary Society is to raise funds to support the improvement and upkeep of Turkey Creek Sanctuary and to educate the community on the vital importance and the many benefits of Florida wildlife and its natural environment. By 1994, 113 acres were protected by the voluntary management committee. Today Turkey Creek Sanctuary is part of the Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands (EEL) program which added acres to the sanctuary in 2004. It is also a stop on the Great Florida Birding Trail. Some of the birds you might see here include ospreys and owls in the old pine canopy and woodpeckers and the rare purple martin. There are also alligators, manatees, gar fish, and turtles in Turkey Creek which can be accessed by canoe or kayak. Turkey Creek Sanctuary has more than three miles of marked trails through 130 acres of sand pines, saw palmettos, and live oaks. There is a 1.85 mile boardwalk that passes through a hydric hammock, mesic hammock, and sand pine scrub community. Also in the sanctuary there are 1.5 miles of jogging trails through native forest and a 1 mile mountain bike trail that connects to an additional 8 miles. The Margaret Hames Nature Center was opened in 1992 and offers interpretive exhibits, a restroom, and environmental education programs that include nature day camps, tours, nature library, and a gift store. I loved my hike at Turkey Creek Sanctuary. I started off by visiting the Margaret Hames Nature Center where you can see exhibits, use the restroom. and purchase a drink. Near the entrance to the boardwalk I spotted a gopher tortoise wandering around. The boardwalk area was mainly shaded with lots of interpretive signs. My favorite spots were the tree house and the Oli Johnson Canoe Deck where you can look for alligators and turtles. This is such a beautiful spot. If I lived closer I would be a regular visitor.

Beach is clean and large enough for the people there. Bathrooms and showers are undergoing…read morerenovations and are not available. If they were a solid 4 stars.

Best to visit during the week as there is often no parking on the weekends. There are volleyball…read morecourts, clean bathrooms, pavillons you can rent and a really nice playground.

Castaway Point Park is a small park sitting on a peninsula between the Indian River Lagoon and the…read moremouth of Turkey Creek. While it may not be as big as some of the other area parks it has been recently renovated and the location makes this a standout spot for water based recreational activities. This park was also a favorite spot of the Native Americans and early settlers who once lived here. Recent improvements to the park include hardening of the shoreline with rocks, new north observation pier, a new boardwalk connecting the north and south pier, and new decking for the south observation pier. Other park amenities include a concrete walkway, fishing piers with fish cleaning stations, benches, pavilions which can be rented, picnic tables, grills, kayak/canoe launch, and restrooms. This park has one of the only natural beaches on the Indian River Lagoon. Many people visit this park to fish from the piers and beach. I loved it for the stunning river view and the diverse bird life it attracts. I saw anhinga, great blue herons, and egrets. If you are lucky you may even spot a manatee or dolphin. I recommend coming here for an amazing sunset view.

Castaway Point Park is a small park located at the end of a quiet street just off of a main street…read morein Palm Bay, Florida. It really is a cool park and provided a great spot to take a conference call and enjoy a peaceful water view. There were people wading in the water and others, like myself, were chilling and just enjoying the view. Again, it is not a large park, but Castaway Point Park seems to be a hidden gem in Palm Bay. This in itself is a good thing as it is always amazing to find these little known places in the course of my travels. They had a building housing rest rooms and the park itself was well maintained. I truly enjoyed my time here at Castaway Point Park and I will definitely return to this cool park when I am in the area. I would definitely recommend Castaway Point Park and I give it five stars.