James A Nance is a 5.45 acre park that is part of a string of ocean front parks in Indialantic and…read moreMelbourne Beach. Thus park was named in honor of James A. Nance who was a Melbourne based attorney. He played an integral role in a landmark tobacco lawsuit filed by the state of Florida against major tobacco companies. Between 1997 and 2012 he donated more than $1 million to local charities and organizations including local law enforcement agencies, hospitals, and youth sports leagues. One of his favorite charities was The Haven for Children, which helps neglected, abused and abandoned children. In 1923, the Indialantic Casino was built on the site of what is now the southeast corner of James A. Nance Park. For years it was the epicenter of events in Indialantic. Today James A Nance Park has a lot of great amenities for a family day at the beach. These include beach access, restrooms, exterior showers, pavilions, two sand volleyball courts, and boardwalk There is also an adaptive playground built by community volunteers in honor of Mikey Goodwin who passed away at only 19 from a tumor on his brain stem. His family does a lot of charitable work in his memory. The beach is a great place to catch a rocket launch or sea turtles nesting from March through October. The Sea Turtle Preservation Society is located just a short walk away, so this area is heavily monitored for sea turtle nests. If you are local, annual parking passes for the beach can be purchased at town hall for $50.This pass allows you to park at Wave Crest Avenue, Watson Drive, Tampa Avenue, Sixth Avenue and here at Nance Park. If you are coming for the day you have to pay hourly. If I remember correctly I believe it was $3.50 an hour. Just make sure you pay because the lot was being patrolled to make sure people paid.

Shout out to indiAtlantic for allowing a permit to still have bonfires on the beach. Thanks Long…read moreDoggers for picking up everyone's Christmas trees and for picking up the permit.

This park on the Indian River in Melbourne was named in honor of Claude Edge, a prominent merchant…read morein early years of the city. In the 1920's and 30's he owned a general merchandise store and later a two-story building on Front Street with an upstairs boarding house that overlooks the park. Claude Edge Park has many amenities popular with locals and visitors. There is a public boat ramp. fishing pier with fish cleaning station, gazebo, pavilions, picnic areas, picnic tables, restroom, and access to the Melbourne Causeway Walking and Biking Path. Another interesting find in the park was the first post office site. Melbourne was originally called Crane Creek but it was renamed in honor of its first postmaster, Cornthwaite John Hector who arrived in the area vin 1878. He was from England and had lived in Melbourne, Australia where he left behind his common law wife and five children. He is also credited with organizing the first community band. The name Melbourne was suggested by Mrs. R.W. Goode, a local pioneer, eight years before the town was officially established. If you are lucky, you may spot a bottle nose dolphin or manatee in the Indian River off the shore of Claude Edge Park. The paved walkways in the park are ideal for exercise or walking dogs while the benches and shady spots entice picnics, reading, and people watching The proximity of this park to downtown Melbourne makes it easy to visit nearby cafes, shops, and restaurants. When you are looking to take a break from the hustle and bustle, this park provides a quiet retreat.

Came to go fishing on the small pier but homeless people were sleeping in benches. It's sad looks…read morelike it could be a great spot to relax and fish unfortunately too many homeless people laying around the whole area and on the benches.

This is a very nice neighborhood park in Indialantic, a mile long town that got its name from its…read moreplacement between the Indian River and the Atlantic Ocean. Orlando park is 2.62 acres and full of recreational amenities enjoyed by the community. These include a hiking path, picnic pavilion, gazebo, drinking fountain, benches, picnic tables, full basketball court, half basketball court, see saw, fire truck, climbing walls, fun tunnel, track slide, tot swing set, swing set, chin up bars, and horizontal ladder. The open lawn and tables are great for unstructured play, picnicking, and family gatherings .The lush landscaped grounds make it inviting for play, exercise, and relaxation. The most interesting discovery was made in a corner of the park where I found a cannon from the El San Francisco de Asis sunk in 1731. According to the sign underneath, it was recovered by Jack Deppner who donated it to the town of Indialantic. Deppner was a history teacher at the middle school, the President of the Brevard Historical Society, and a salvage diver. He made national news when his students tried to find a time capsule that he buried in the 1970's at the school but forgot where.

Coconut Point Sanctuary is a 62 acre preserve protecting natural coastal strand, oak scrub, coastal…read moreoak forest, and and mangrove forest habitats on Melbourne Beach. The sanctuary is located across from Juan Ponce de Leon Park which is where you need to park before crossing the street to enter the preserve. The one mile loop trail through this preserve takes you from the Indian River Lagoon to the Atlantic Ocean. Along the way you will traverse through saw palmetto and wildflowers. Located in the preserve is the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute which operates a marine mammal ecology and animal health lab. This sanctuary is a stop on the Great Florida Birding Trail. An observation platform over the Indian River Lagoon is the ideal spot to view shorebirds, juvenile sea turtles, osprey, manatees, and pods of dolphins. Note that there is no shade on the trail and in this brutal heat I didn't make it that far. I recommend visiting during the cooler winter months. This area contains ancient sand dunes that were once the home of the prehistoric Ais who were hunters and gatherers. Prior to contact with European colonizers, the Ais population had grown to several hundred thousand and may have flourished for over 10,000 years. This area is also believe by some to be the landing point of Juan Ponce de Leon in 1513.

Coconut Point Sanctuary boasts a one mile hike through natural Florida protected land. It is called…read morethe ocean to lagoon hike because it connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian River Lagoon. The hike is considered easy to moderate. My three year old grandson maneuvered through it with easy and had a blast. The path has lots of beautiful flowers and is loaded with natural beauty.

Behind the Sebastian Government Complex in Friendship Park is the entrance to the North Sebastian…read moreConservation Area. This natural area was purchased between 1996 and 1999 for the purpose of preserving and restoring scrub and wetland habitats for the benefit of rare and endangered species. This land is managed by Indian River County and it protects over 400 acres of land, including endangered scrub ecosystems. There is another entrance to the preserve off Main St. just west of Gibson St. for equestrian riders. The North Sebastian Conservation Area has 10 miles of trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding through a diverse range of habitats that include sand pine and oak scrub, scrubby and wet flatwoods, freshwater marsh, wet prairie, upland hardwoods, ponds and lakes. At the equestrian entrance you can hike the Jays Walk, which takes you down abandoned subdivision roads, home of the endangered Florida Scrub-Jays and Gopher Tortoises. At the Friendship Park entrance there are boardwalks and lake crossings on the trail. The Little Loop trail has a fresh water depression frequented by Tricolored Herons and other wading birds. On the Powerline Road Trail ducks, Wood Storks, Sandhill Cranes and Roseate Spoonbills, Bald Eagles, and Ospreys have been spotted. This preserve is part of the Great Florida Birding Trail and while providing a haven to wildlife it also protects species of scrub-adapted plants. The longer perimeter trails are more suited to cyclists. I was able to walk from both entrances but it is still very hot out as we enter into mid September. I recommend visiting on a cooler day and bringing water and sunscreen. The scrub areas are in full sun. Restrooms are available in Friendship Park.

Bonsteel Park is a tranquil 2.34-acre beach park located two miles north of the Sebastian Inlet…read more The park is operated by Brevard County which purchased the land to preserve it in a natural state. The park was named in honor of Louis Bronsteel, a prominent figure in Melbourne Beach, Florida, with a long history of involvement in local government and community organizations. Bonsteel Park amenities include free parking, restroom facility, ADA accessible wooden beach crossover, and a boardwalk that goes from the park to the Barrier Island Ecosystem Sanctuary next door. On A1A at the entrance to the park there are hiking trails. Dolphins and sea turtles have been spotted here. This park is popular destination for swimming, surfing, and surf fishing. The Brevard Zoo Sea Turtle Healing Center uses the beach in Bonsteel Park to release rehabilitated sea turtles. Interestingly Spanish coins have been found from Spanish ship wrecks from 1715 and 1733. Treasure hunters with metal detectors can be spotted combing the beach. While I didn't find any treasure I did have a nice visit on the boardwalk and while exploring a few of the hiking trails.

We live in south FL, so we've never been to this beach before. But we decided to make the 2 1/2…read morehour drive to visit with some friends. The husband LOVES to fish, and he had 3 rods set up on the beach. There were tons of fishermen, definitely a popular place to fish. But also a great place for shelling. My husband caught a Pompano, and I roasted it for dinner. So delicious!! Really nice beach, free parking.

I've been coming to this park for a few months throughout the week and often times on weekends just…read moreto enjoy a stroll or an occasional easy run. It's centrally located easily accessible, and beautiful to boot. It's the kind of park where you can greet people with a hello or a good morning and see they're beautiful dogs on a Sunday morning stroll. There is also multiple little play areas in case you have kids and it's the kind of park. Do you want to spend time in because it always seems to be peaceful no matter what time in the morning midday or afternoon you stop by. There's plenty of places to sit and relax and I love so many things about this park. I hope you enjoy it too.

This is a nice overall park. I found the vibe to be relaxing and enjoyable and the atmosphere…read moredefinitely has a calming effect on the soul. There is definitely adequate parking and again, it definitely is a cool enough park. We as a community need parks. Places like this where we as a community can gather in respite. If you find yourself in the area, I would definitely recommend this particular park. Go check it out, I do not think that you will be disappointed.

Fisherman's Landing Park is a 7.48 acre park on the Indian River. While it is the perfect spot for…read morefishing or a picnic, this is also a great spot to delve into local history. Fisherman's Landing Park is home to the Bensen Historical House, a cracker style house which was the first house built in the area in 1916. The house is now owned by the Grant Historical Society and you can tour for free when it is opened by the volunteers. The park also has a historic railroad station, known as Grant Station, which was built in Grant, Florida following the arrival of the first train in November 1893. Both Grant and Valkaria were designated stops along the Florida East Coast Railway, circa 1912. This Florida East Coast Railway station at Grant (building no. 378) was preserved by the Grant Historical Society. Although it is not restored it was still a great find. Fisherman's Landing Park also has a fishing pier, picnic tables, barbecue grills, paved walkways, and restrooms. I had a wonderful visit watching the birds fly over the Indian River Lagoon and learning more about the early pioneers who influenced Grant-Valkaria.