Backcountry
Camping
Watercraft Access
Space Coast North |
|
Note; The sites listed below feature
opportunities for primitve backcountry
camping in a remote, wilderness setting.
Facilities and or Utilities at these
campsites will either be very limited or non
existent and you are responsible for your
own well being. All food, water, and other
neccesities must be self provided and all
trash packed out. |
|
|
Jump Menu
Mainland
|||
Canaveral National Seashore |||
Indian River lagoon Spoil
Island Project
|
|
Econlockhatchee
River
Econlockhatchee River is one of the last
unspoiled rivers in Central Florida, and can
be paddled in three sections.
The first section (9 miles), which starts at
State Road 50 west of Titusville can be
difficult, but is probably the most
beautiful section to paddle under a
junglelike canopy of cyprus. Water levels
are highly variable on the Econ, as it is
called by locals. Expect lots of portages at
low water. At high water, the current is
strong and the actual course of the river is
hard to determine. There are lots of sharp
bends and getting lost afloat among half
submerged trees is a distinct possibilty and
river reading skills are an absolute
necessity. Strainers should be expected and
of course, avoided. At middle water levels
this can be an absolutly beautiful paddle.
Call Hidden River Park at (407) 568-5346 and
ask for Don for river conditions. The park
also provides rentals and a shuttle service
for at least sections one and two.
The second (and the most
popular) section begins at County Road 419
near Oviedo where the river opens up to
reveal 15 foot high sandy banks lined with
oaks and cabbage palms. There is a parking
area just off the north side of CR-419 on
Willingham Road. Check the river for
wildflowers in this area. There may be weed
jams in this area, portages are difficult in
some sections due to the high banks. there
are places along this stretch to pull out
and picnic and plenty of wildlife to be
seen. This is considered a classic Central
Florida paddle. Take out for this section
will be at Snow Hill Road, and shuttle
services can be arranged through Hidden
River Park. This section is within the
Little Big Econ State Forest and Primitive
camping for canoeists is available with a
special-use permit which can be obtained
from the State Forest office.
Below the Snow Hill Road
bridge, the banks are lower, while cypress
trees and clusters of cabbage palms line the
banks. About 6 miles later the river as the
tree-lined banks give way to pasture land
and the marshes of the St. John's River.
Stay in the boat here as much of the land is
in private hands. About 3 miles later, the
Econ enters the St. Johns. Turn left once
entering the St John's and paddle 1.5 miles
to the S.R. 46 bridge, which is clearly
visible from the mouth of the Econ. The
takeout is at the northwest corner of the
bridge. This last section from Snow Hill
Road to the takeout at State Road 46 totals
about 11 miles. Care should be taken on the
St John's due to the possibilty of heavy
powerboat and airboat traffic.
Space Coast Birding Site
Out in the Boonies Site
Out in the Boonies Map
SJRWMD Website
Florida Dept of Forestry Website
Florida Dept of Forestry Trails Map PDF
GPS SR 50, Hidden River Park N 28
34.029 W 81 09.393
Google Satellite Image SR 50, Hidden River
Park
GPS CR419 N 28 39.318 W 81 10.099
Google Satellite Image CR 419
GPS Snow Hill Road N 28 40.636 W 81
06.831
Google Satellite Image Snow Hill Road
GPS SR 46 takeout N 28 42.897 W 81
02.140
Google Satellite Image SR 46 Takeout
|
|
Canaveral
National Seashore
|
Jump Menu
Mainland
|||
Canaveral National Seashore |||
Indian River lagoon Spoil
Island Project
|
|
Canaveral National Seashore; (North
District)
There are two distinct districts with
two separate entrances and you cannot drive
between the two. The North or Apollo
District is accessed from New Symrna Beach
in Volusia County while the South or
Playalinda District is accessed from
Titusville.
Owned by NASA, this property is managed
by the National Park Service and protects
roughly 26 miles of Atlantic Ocean Shoreline
and provides nesting grounds for up to 7
species of sea turtles while protecting
natural dunes, coastal strand scrub, salt
marsh and other wetlands, and virtually the
entire body of the Mosquito Lagoon. Over 300
species of birds have been seen at the
seashore from gulls, pelicans, ducks,
herons, egrets, terns, gannets, assorted
shorebirds, and raptors, to painted
buntings, migratory songbirds in the hammock
areas and scrubjays just inside the north
district entrance. The showcase paddling
experience here is the.............
Shipyard Island Canoe Trail; Mosquito
Lagoon;
The northern end of Mosquito Lagoon at
Canaveral National Seashore is a virtual
maze of islands and channels and is a great
paddling destination. In fact, Outside
Magazine rates the Mosquito Lagoon as one of
the top ten paddling destinations in the
United States. A primary feature for
paddling the north district is the Shipyard
Island Canoe Trail. Accessible due west from
the boat ramp located just inside the North
District Gate on the right hand side of the
road, the marked canoe trail travels through
the numerous waterways that honeycomb this
large island, leftovers from mosquito
control efforts in the 1940s and '50s.
Higher than surrounding mangrove islands,
Shipyard Island is shaded with oak trees,
red cedars and cabbage palms. Oysterbeds,
mangrove shorelines, and seagrass beds
abound while designated backcountry
campsites provide overnight, leave no trace,
primitive camping opportunities in a unique
Florida Wilderness, while white sandy
beaches not accessible by motorboats due to
the shallows invite day picnics. A list of
Camping Island for Canaveral National
Seashore is just below.
Camping Brochure Note; shows
campsites in addition to the Shipyard Island
Canoe Trail
Mosquito Lagoon Brochure Shipyard
Island Canoe Trail map on page two.
Map of Merritt Island National Wildlife
Refuge and Canaveral National Seashore
North Brevard Business Directory Website
GPS of Shipyard Island Trail Boatramp /
Launch Site;
N 28 56.063 W 80
49.761
Google Satellite Image
|
List of all Camping Islands of
Canaveral National Seashore
|
Note;
On Google Satellite Maps, the reference
point is the green arrow, not the red
marker.
|
Campsite
|
Satellite
|
GPS
|
Orange Island
|
|
N 28
54.777
W 80 49.760
|
Homestead
|
|
N 28
54.982
W 80 50.285
|
Shipyard Island
|
|
N 28
56.461
W 80 50.692
|
Headwinds
|
|
|
Government Cut
|
|
|
Jones Canal
|
|
|
Brickhouse Cove
|
|
N 28 54.926
W 80 51.427
|
Bissette
|
|
N 28 53.663
W 80 50.827
|
Middle Dredge
|
|
N 28 51.973
W 80 49.598
|
South Middle Dredge
|
|
N 28 51.852
W 80 49.485
|
Scout Island
|
|
N 28 51.502
W 80 49.595
|
South Dredge Island
|
|
N 28
50.897
W 80 49.240
|
Eastwinds
|
|
N 28 50.689
W 80 49.091
|
County Line Campsite
|
|
N 28 50.475
W 80 48.952
|
|
|
|
|
Additional Canaveral Seashore
Island Camping Access Points
|
|
River Breeze Park
Volusia County's Riverbreeze Park is the
closest launch for access to dozens of
islands that fill the waterway from Oak Hill
northward to the New Smyrna Beach Causeway
and beyond. From the boat ramp, paddle south
to get around a large spoil island and into
mangrove-lined backcountry waters. Low tide
exposes mud flats and oyster bars that in
fall, winter and spring attract a wide
variety of wading birds and shorebirds;
American oystercatchers are fairly easy to
find. Dolphins and manatees are commonly
seen in the deeper waters of the
intra-coastal waterway. A compass is helpful
as it is easy to become disoriented in the
puzzling maze of waterways found here. This
beautifully shaded park has bathrooms,
picnic pavilions and several boat ramps.
Camping is permitted as the park is close to
several of the island campsites within the
National Seashore. A backcountry permit is
still required from the National Seashore
even though you are not using the seashore
entrance. Just accross the Intracoastal and
just south of the park is a channel leading
between two islands. The Island on the south
side has a campsite called Bissette Bay
campsite.
Directions: To reach
Riverbreeze Park, go north on US 1 two miles
from the yellow caution light in Oak Hill.
Look for a brown sign identifying the park.
Go east to the park entrance on the left.
Visit volusia.org/parks/riverbreeze.htm or
call 386-345-5525 for information.
Satellite Photo of River Breeze Park and
Bissette Bay Campsite
GPS N 28 53.719 W 80 51.239
Google Satellite Image
|
|
Lefil's Oak Hill
Fish Camp
480 East Halifax Avenue
Oak Hill , Florida 32759
Phone: 904 345-3127
Putting in here allows access to several
more islands designated for Camping in the
Mosquito Lagoon within the Canaveral
National Seashore. The first is Middle
Dredge Island Campsite on the island just
south of the fish camp, followed by 5 more
campsites to the south.
Satellite Photo of Intracoastal Waterway
Campsite Locations within Canaveral National
Seashore
GPS N 28 53.722 W 80 51.239
Google Satellite Image |
|
Indian
River Lagoon Spoil Island Project
Camping
|
Jump Menu
Mainland
|||
Canaveral National Seashore |||
Indian River lagoon Spoil
Island Project
|
|
Between 1953 and
1962, the Intracoastal Waterway was dredged
through the Indian River Lagoon in order to
provide an inshore shipping lane up the east
coast of the United States with a depth of
12 feet. The sand and other bottom sediment
was simply dumped to one side of the channel
as the dredging progressed. Over time these
"Spoil Islands", as they are called
developed a cover of native and exotic
vegetation and became miniature ecosystems
unto themselves. As more of the natural
shoreline of the Indian River Lagoon was
developed, many of this birds began moving
to these spoil islands to hatch and raise
their young and some of these islands have
become important rookery islands. Of the 137
islands within the four county area of the
Indian River Lagoon, 125 of them are now
owned by the State of Florida and are
managed by the Florida Inland Navigation
District (FIND). The various islands have
been given divided into four classifications
based on the native habitat found and their
ability to support various recreational
pursuits.
The classifications are as follows.....
Conservation; These islands have the
highest levels of native habitat in and
around the islands, and many have become
established bird rookeries. These island
have a "Do Not Land" policy. Do not approach
by boat or kayak closer than 100 yards from
Febuary through August.
Education; An island with this
classification has a high ecological
diversity and is somewhat sensitive to human
intrusion. However they do make a great
educational resource.
There are two subgroups of Recreation
Islands, Passive and Active. On these
islands the ecological value is minimal,
they have little or no seagrass beds around
them, harbor no endangered or threatend
species, and typically have at least one
side with water deep enough to make an
approach by boat.
Passive Recreation islands are
suitable for day use such as exploring and
picnicing. They are typically not large
enough or too densely vegetated to support
the development of structures for camping,
so there will be no facilities whatsoever on
the island, However, primative camping is
allowed.
Acitve Recreation Islands are large
enough and have enough open areas support
the building of structures such as sanitary
facilities, campsites, fire pits, docks,
etc, to support overnight camping.
|
|
Recreation
Islands
|
|
Island
|
Use Designation
|
Satellite Imagery
|
GPS
|
BC -1
|
Conservation
|
|
N 28 43.590
W 80 46.181
|
BC-2
|
Passive
|
|
|
BC-4
|
Passive
|
|
|
BC-5
|
Conservation
|
|
N 28 42.194
W 80 47.844
|
BC-6
|
Conservation
|
|
N 28 41.851
W 80 48.256
|
|
|
Island
|
Use Designation
|
Satellite Imagery
|
GPS
|
BC-8
|
Passive
|
|
N 28 40.907
W 80 48.540
|
BC-9
|
Passive
|
|
N 28 40.475
W 80 48.522
|
BC-10
|
Passive
|
|
N 28 40.012
W 80 48.310
|
BC-11
|
Passive
|
|
|
BC-14
|
Passive
|
|
|
BC-15
|
Passive
|
|
|
|
|
Island
|
Use Designation
|
Satellite Imagery
|
GPS
|
BC-28
|
Education
|
|
N 28 24.486
W 80 43.800
|
BC-30
|
Passive
|
|
N 28 24.467
W 80 43.549
|
|
|
|