Canaveral National Seashore
Discover a dynamic barrier island shaped by dunes, coastal hammocks, and Mosquito Lagoon. Walk among ancient Timucua shell mounds and connect with thousands of years of human history. Immerse yourself in a protected sanctuary where diverse plants and wildlife thrive—making Canaveral National Seashore a place where nature, history, and discovery come together.
About 1 hours from Orlando by car.
Alerts
- CautionBeat the Heat
Make sure to take hot weather into consideration. Carry water and use sunscreen to reduce the risk of heat injuries during your visit.
- CautionNPS ↗Rip Currents and Rough Surf
Remember that rough surf is dangerous & rip currents can be deadly. Please use caution when swimming at Canaveral National Seashore.
- InformationOperating Hours
The seashore is currently operating on the hours of 6:00 AM - 6:00 PM. Last entry into the seashore is at 5:00 pm.
- InformationFor entrance fees, we accept digital passes and credit/debit cards
Digital passes or credit/debit cards are the ONLY method of payment at all fee collection areas. Pre-paid digital passes are available online and may be purchased in advance.
Fees & passes
| Type | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Private VehicleAdmits the passholder and passengers of a single vehicle. Good for 7 consecutive days at all park entrances. | $25 | |
| MotorcycleValid for 7 days. Admits up to 2 private, non-commercial motorcycles with up to 4 total passengers. | $20 | |
| Per PersonGood for 7 consecutive days at all park entrances. Admits one individual hiker, bicyclist, or pedestrian. | $15 | |
| Passes | ||
| Annual Entrance - ParkThis is the annual pass for Canaveral National Seashore only. It allows access for one vehicle per visit for 12 months from the month of purchase. The Apollo & Playalinda Beach Entrance Stations only accept credit or debit for payment. Touchless payment such as Apple pay, and Google pay are now accepted as well. | $45 | |
All visitors to Canaveral National Seashore are required to pay an entrance fee. Digital passes may be purchased online. Please be prepared to show your hard copy pass or digital pass on your mobile device with a valid Photo ID (Example: Driver License). Passes are non-transferable, non-refundable, not replaceable if lost or stolen, and are void if altered or reproduced.
Hours
| Apollo District- New Smyrna Beach Entrance | Daily · 6:00AM - 6:00PM |
| Playalinda District- Titusville Entrance | Daily · 6:00AM - 6:00PM |
| Seminole Rest Historic Site- Oak Hill | Daily · Sunrise to Sunset |
When to go
March draws the most visits here and November the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Campgrounds
| Canaveral National Seashore Backcountry Island Camping | 14 sites | |
| $25 a night · Park operating hours: Summer hours - 6:00 AM - 8:00 PM Winter hours - 6:00 AM - 6:00 PM Campers who are checking in at the visitor center to rent a canoe must… · 14 reservable | ||
Every campground here has its own page on Campsite Atlas, with site counts, hookups, rig limits and booking windows. All of them on one page → How park camping works
Visitor centers
- Apollo Beach Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
Canaveral National Seashore's visitor center is located at 7611 S. Atlantic Ave, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32169. Pick up a brochure or a Junior Ranger book. Get information about where to visit in the park. For more information call 386-428-3384.
Explore
Things to do
- Hike Castle Windy Trail
Castle Windy Trail is located in Canaveral National Seashore's Apollo Beach. Park at beach parking area number three to access the trail. The trail is on the west side of the road and leads a half mile to Mosquito Lagoon.
Opens on the Park Service site - Seminole Rest
Seminole Rest tells a story of Timucua indians, a pioneer settlement, and preservation of cultures. Preserving this site is essential in order to keep these stories alive.
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Events
- PLANT WALKS (Apollo District)10/1410:00 AM · runs through Oct 28 · freePlease read the program description on the location of the program for that day.
- TURTLE MOUND WALK (Apollo District)10/1510:00 AM · freeMeet at the Turtle Mound parking lot at 10:00AM
- ELDORA TALK (Apollo District)10/1610:00 AM · freeMeet at the Dock at the Eldora House.
- LAND OF SPACE AND WATER (Seminole Rest District)10/1601:00 PM · freeMeet inside the Main House at 1:00 PM. Address to Seminole Rest: 207 River Rd. Oak Hill Florida, 32759
- SEASHORE GLIMPSE (Seminole Rest District)10/1611:00 AM · freeMeet inside the main house at 11:00 AM. Address to Seminole Rest: 207 River Rd. Oak Hill Florida, 32759
- SEMINOILE REST GUIDED WALK (Seminole Rest District)10/1609:00 AM · freeand water. Be prepared to walk up to a half mile on a paved/wood surface.at 9:00 AM. Address to Seminole Rest: 207 River Rd.
Show all 10Hide
- DISCOVER YOUR SEASHORE (Playalinda District)10/1710:00 AM · freeVisitors are welcome to stop by anytime during the listed hours. Meet at Parking Lot #1 in the Playalinda District.
- SEASHORE CLEANUP (Apollo District)10/1709:00 AM · freeMeet at the Apollo Beach Visitor Center
- YOUNG SOUND SEEKERS DOCUMENTARY (Apollo District)10/1702:00 PM · freeMeet at the Apollo Beach Visitor Center.
- GIVE BACK AND SHARE THE SEASHORE (Playalinda District)10/1810:00 AM · freeFind out how you can get involved. Meet at parking lot #3 at 10:00 AM.
News
- Canaveral National Seashore Invites Public Feedback on Plans to Strengthen Storm Resilience in Playalinda District ↗2026-09-04
TITUSVILLE, Fla. — In the wake of recent hurricane and king tide event damage, Canaveral National Seashore invites public comment on the National Park Service’s plan to strengthen storm resilience and support visitor…
- Canaveral National Seashore Repairs Historic Properties Through Disaster Supplemental Grant Program ↗2026-08-14
TITUSVILLE, Fla. — Thanks to funding from the fiscal year 2025 Disaster Supplemental Grant Program, Canaveral National Seashore recently completed a major historic preservation project to repair damage caused by…
- Canaveral National Seashore Opens Reservations for 2026 Turtle Watch Programs Sponsored by Friends of Canaveral ↗2026-05-12
Canaveral National Seashore will open reservations on May 15 at 9 a.m. for Turtle Watch Programs.
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
Historic landmarks nearby
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Guidebooks for the South
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Seen this monthBelted Kingfisher 8× · Osprey 7× · Brown Pelican 3× · West Indian Manatee 3× · Greater Yellowlegs 1× · American White Pelican 1× · Bald Eagle 1× · Barred Owl 1×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist
Full checklist: 272 birds, 25 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAMERICAN KESTREL · American Swallow-tailed Kite · BARN OWL · BLACK VULTURE · BROAD-WINGED HAWK · Bald Eagle · Barred Owl · COOPER'S HAWK · Eastern Screech Owl · Great Horned Owl · MERLIN · Northern Harrier · OSPREY · Peregrine Falcon · RED-TAILED HAWK · Red-shouldered Hawk · SHORT-EARED OWL · Sharp-shinned Hawk · Swainson's Hawk · TURKEY VULTURE
Waterfowl & wadersAMERICAN BITTERN · AMERICAN COOT · AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN · AMERICAN WIGEON · American Black Duck · BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON · BLUE-WINGED TEAL · BUFFLEHEAD · Black Rail · Brown Pelican · COMMON GOLDENEYE · COMMON LOON · Canada Goose · Cattle Egret · Clapper Rail · Double-crested Cormorant · EURASIAN WIGEON · Fulvous Whistling-Duck · GLOSSY IBIS · GREAT BLUE HERON · GREAT EGRET · GREEN HERON · Greater Scaup · Green-winged Teal · Hooded Merganser · Horned Grebe · KING RAIL · LEAST BITTERN · LESSER SCAUP · Little Blue Heron · Mottled Duck · Northern Pintail · Pied-billed Grebe · RED-BREASTED MERGANSER · RING-NECKED DUCK · RUDDY DUCK · Red-throated Loon · Reddish Egret · SNOW GOOSE · Snowy Egret · Tricolored Heron · Virginia Rail · WOOD DUCK · WOOD STORK · White Ibis · YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON
Shorebirds & seabirdsAMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER · AMERICAN WOODCOCK · AUDUBON'S SHEARWATER · American Avocet · BLACK SKIMMER · BONAPARTE'S GULL · Black Tern · Black-bellied Plover · Bridled Tern · CASPIAN TERN · COMMON SNIPE · Common Tern · Dunlin · FORSTER'S TERN · GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL · GREATER SHEARWATER · Greater Yellowlegs · Gull-billed Tern · HERRING GULL · KILLDEER · Laughing Gull · Least Sandpiper · Least Tern · Lesser Yellowlegs · Long-billed Curlew · Magnificent Frigatebird · Marbled Godwit · PARASITIC JAEGER · PECTORAL SANDPIPER · Piping Plover · Pomarine Jaeger · RING-BILLED GULL · ROSEATE TERN · ROYAL TERN · Red-necked Phalarope · Ruddy Turnstone · SOLITARY SANDPIPER · STILT SANDPIPER · Sanderling · Sandwich Tern · Semipalmated Plover · Semipalmated Sandpiper · Short-billed Dowitcher · Sooty Tern · Spotted Sandpiper · UPLAND SANDPIPER · WESTERN SANDPIPER · WILSON'S PHALAROPE · White-rumped Sandpiper · Willet · Wilson's Plover · Wilson's Storm-Petrel
Gamebirds & dovesCommon Ground-Dove · MOURNING DOVE · NORTHERN BOBWHITE · ROCK DOVE · Wild Turkey
WoodpeckersDOWNY WOODPECKER · HAIRY WOODPECKER · Northern Flicker · PILEATED WOODPECKER · RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER · Red-headed Woodpecker · YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER
Hummingbirds & swiftsChimney Swift · Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Also on the checklistAMERICAN GOLDFINCH · AMERICAN PIPIT · AMERICAN REDSTART · AMERICAN ROBIN · ANHINGA · Acadian Flycatcher · Alder Flycatcher · American Crow · BALTIMORE ORIOLE · BANK SWALLOW · BARN SWALLOW · BAY-BREASTED WARBLER · BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER · BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER · BLACK-WHISKERED VIREO · BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER · BLUE-HEADED VIREO · BLUE-WINGED WARBLER · BOBOLINK · BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD · Bachman's Sparrow · Belted Kingfisher · Black Scoter · Black-and-white Warbler · Black-billed Cuckoo · Black-legged Kittiwake · Black-necked Stilt · Blackburnian Warbler · Blue Grosbeak · Blue Jay · Boat-tailed Grackle · Brant · Brown Thrasher · CAPE MAY WARBLER · CAROLINA WREN · CHIPPING SPARROW · CLIFF SWALLOW · COMMON MOORHEN · CONNECTICUT WARBLER · Canvasback · Cedar Waxwing · Chestnut-sided Warbler · Chuck-will's-widow · Common Grackle · Common Nighthawk · Common Yellowthroat · DICKCISSEL · EASTERN TOWHEE · Eastern Kingbird · Eastern Meadowlark · Eastern Phoebe · European Starling · FIELD SPARROW · FLORIDA SCRUB-JAY · Fish Crow · Fox Sparrow · GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER · GRASSHOPPER SPARROW · GRAY CATBIRD · GRAY KINGBIRD · GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH · GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER · Gadwall · Greater Flamingo · HENSLOW'S SPARROW · HERMIT THRUSH · HOUSE SPARROW · HOUSE WREN · Hooded Warbler · Indigo Bunting · Kentucky Warbler · LARK SPARROW · LEAST FLYCATCHER · Limpkin · Lincoln's Sparrow · Loggerhead Shrike · Louisiana Waterthrush · MAGNOLIA WARBLER · Mallard · Marsh Wren · NORTHERN CARDINAL · NORTHERN PARULA · NORTHERN SHOVELER · Nashville Warbler · Northern Gannet · Northern Mockingbird · Northern Rough-winged Swallow · Northern Waterthrush · OLDSQUAW · ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER · Orchard Oriole · Ovenbird · PAINTED BUNTING · PALM WARBLER · PINE SISKIN · PINE WARBLER · PRAIRIE WARBLER · PROTHONOTARY WARBLER · PURPLE MARTIN · RED-EYED VIREO · RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD · REDHEAD · RUSTY BLACKBIRD · Red Knot · Rose-breasted Grosbeak · Roseate Spoonbill · Ruby-crowned Kinglet · SALTMARSH SHARP-TAILED SPARROW · SAVANNAH SPARROW · SMOOTH-BILLED ANI · SONG SPARROW · SUMMER TANAGER · SWAMP SPARROW · Scarlet Tanager · Seaside Sparrow · Sedge Wren · Sora · Surf Scoter · Swainson's Thrush · Swainson's Warbler · TENNESSEE WARBLER · Tree Swallow · Tufted Titmouse · VEERY · VESPER SPARROW · WESTERN KINGBIRD · WHITE-EYED VIREO · WHITE-WINGED SCOTER · WILSON'S WARBLER · WOOD THRUSH · Whimbrel · Whip-poor-will · White-throated Sparrow · Worm-eating Warbler · YELLOW WARBLER · YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER · YELLOW-THROATED VIREO · Yellow-billed Cuckoo · Yellow-breasted Chat · Yellow-throated Warbler
Small mammalsBLACK RAT · COTTON MOUSE · EASTERN GRAY SQUIRREL · EASTERN MOLE · Eastern Woodrat · FLORIDA MOUSE · HISPID COTTON RAT · LEAST SHREW · MARSH RABBIT · MARSH RICE RAT · ROUND-TAILED MUSKRAT · SOUTHEAST BEACH MOUSE · Southeastern Shrew · Southern Short-tailed Shrew · mole shrew
Marine mammalsMANATEE; MANATI · black right whale
PredatorsBOBCAT · COMMON RACCOON · Common Otter · EASTERN SPOTTED SKUNK
BatsEASTERN PIPISTRELLE
Also on the checklistFERAL CAT · NINE-BANDED ARMADILLO · VIRGINIA OPOSSUM
Activities
Activity guides for this park Birdwatching in the national parks · Camping in the national parks · Canoeing and kayaking in the national parks · Fishing in the national parks · Hiking in the national parks · Horseback riding in the national parks · Wildlife watching in the national parks
Weather & climate
Summer: Hot & humid (Temperatures average in the 90's) Winter months: Temperatures in the 40–70-degree range, with a "cold spell" where temperatures lower to the mid-30's). Hurricane Season: June 1st through November 30th (most activity normally occurs in August through October)
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to enter Canaveral?
Entrance is $25 per private vehicle, $20 per motorcycle, and $15 per person on foot or bike. Admits the passholder and passengers of a single vehicle.
Source: National Park Service
Which passes work at Canaveral?
The $80 America the Beautiful pass covers the entrance fee here, and a Canaveral-only annual pass is $45.
Source: Is the pass worth it
Can I pay the entrance fee in cash?
No. Canaveral takes cards only at the entrance.
Source: National Park Service
When is entrance to Canaveral free?
Next on October 27, Theodore Roosevelt's birthday. 2 fee-free days are left this year, for US residents only.
Source: Free entrance days
Do I need a reservation to enter Canaveral?
No. There is no timed-entry or entrance reservation at Canaveral. Camping and some tours have their own reservations.
Source: National Park Service
What are the hours at Canaveral?
Standard hours are 6:00AM - 6:00PM, every day.
Source: National Park Service
Can I camp in Canaveral?
Yes. The Park Service lists 1 campground in Canaveral: Canaveral National Seashore Backcountry Island Camping. 1 takes reservations through Recreation.gov.
Do any Canaveral campgrounds have hookups or showers?
No. None of the 1 listed campgrounds report showers, electric hookups, or a dump station.
Source: Campgrounds
Do camping fees at Canaveral include the entrance fee?
No. Camping is charged per night on top of the entrance fee or a pass; Canaveral National Seashore Backcountry Island Camping is $25 a night.
Source: Campgrounds
Is anything closed at Canaveral right now?
4 active alerts as of October 14, 2026: Operating Hours; Beat the Heat; and more.
Source: Alerts
How busy is Canaveral?
2,496,947 recreation visits in 2025, number 37 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at Canaveral?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show Verizon 4G LTE, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 4G LTE. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
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