Canaveral National Seashore

I’ve been through Canaveral National Seashore a couple times from the Cocoa Beach side. The first time was a quick stop at the first parking lot to quickly get to the water. At the time I didn’t have goggles and as my eyes are sensitive to light, I wore my sunglasses in the ocean. I was fine for most of the day until one of the final waves knocked them off my face and washed them away. Sadface.

The second time I went there, I headed all the way to the end, to Lot 13, which is well known for being the nudist portion of the beach. It was an interesting experience, which I did not partake in on that particular day. I actually headed all the way down the beach until just before the sign stating to not pass it unless in possession of a back-country permit. I of course crossed the invisible line before coming back, although once out in the ocean, the current constantly carried me North past the sign.

I also went to the New Smyrna Beach side of Canaveral once, heading down A1A to reach the park and then all the way to the last parking lot. There were a lot of people fishing in the area, but I found a relatively quiet spot. One thing I wasn’t expecting at this location was nudists, but there they were.

Both times at the Cocoa side of the National Park, I had a great time. The water was warm in the summer months and the beach was not that crowded, probably due to it being a National Park. At both locations the water was murky, so there wasn’t much to see underwater. I saw a jellyfish on one visit, but there were no sights of sharks, though one friend did see a shark at New Smyrna in early October. It’s a really nice beach to visit, but you won’t be able to during the government shutdown.