The reverberation rattles your teeth as a Roman candle on steroids emerges from a halo of fire and billowing clouds of spent fuel. Campers lucky enough to be anywhere near Port Canaveral in the days of the Space Shuttle launches got a ring-side seat as the elegantly winged vehicles surged toward the heavens. Today’s campers may see the occasional rocket launch but in-between the attention turns towards sun and sand with perhaps a bit of fishing thrown in. Mobile home parks catering to permanent residents dot the landscape, but properties that allow recreational camping are not as common.
Jetty Park Campground
- Jetty Park Campground is the only property of its kind in Port Canaveral. It sits on the ocean side of Merritt Island at the eastern end of George King Blvd. Campsites are available for RVs and tents. Onsite cabins are also for rent. The 35-acre campground has its own stretch of sandy beach, a fishing pier, bait shop, a playground, concession stands and pavilions for rent. Soak up some sun as you watch cruise ships heading into and out of port. Pets are allowed in the campground area only. Take a walk along the jetty past water so clear you often see marine mammals and fish swimming beneath the surface.
(ref 1, also see location, photo gallery, jetty park campground home page)
Port Canaveral Recreation Areas
- Two other day use recreation areas are available in the Port Canaveral area. One is Freddie Patrick Park on the south side, 10 acres of parkland with picnic tables, restrooms and a boat launch ramp. Another is Rodney S. Ketcham Park on the western end of the island with another boat ramp, an observation tower facing the harbor and picnic areas. Ketcham Park is a stopping point on the 2,000-mile Great Florida Birding Trail. No fees are charged for the use of either park. An additional park is in the planning stages. Eventually Avocet Lagoon will offer 4 acres of picnic-friendly space close to the Canaveral Lock.
(ref 2, trail measurement first par)
(ref 3)
Campgrounds on Merritt Island
- Head south on Merritt Island and you’ll find more camping opportunities. In Satellite Beach, about 17 miles south of Port Canaveral, is the Ocean View RV and Mobile Home Court. Sitting across from the beach it offers RV camping for nightly, weekly and monthly stays. Satellite Beach is a known nesting area for sea turtles. Roughly 5 miles farther south is the Lucky Clover RV and Mobile Home Park, also an RV only park. Unlike Ocean View RV, this property welcomes pets but does have some size and/or breed restrictions. Located in Melbourne, the RV park is about a half-mile from the beach but it does have a swimming pool.
(ref 4 and 5)
Sebastian Inlet State Park
- Head even farther down the island to Sebastian Inlet State Park, about 40 miles from Port Canaveral, and enjoy a more back-to-nature camping experience. Choose from a beach-side RV and tent campground or a more primitive walk-in camping area. The RV campground can accommodate rigs up to 40 feet. This park give you access to the swells of the Atlantic Ocean, perfect for surfing, as well as to the quieter waters of the Indian River Lagoon on the western end of the island. The Sebastian Inlet connects the two bodies of water and State Route A1A connects both ends of the park. The Fishing Museum near the mid-park camper registration station and the McLarty Treasure Museum on the park’s southern end, are also available.
(ref 6, also see home, map on home page right which enlarges when you click on it)
