Traveling north- or eastbound, drive to Titusville first and take State Road 406 east from Titusville (Center). Follow the signs to Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge.

After passing the park entrance, take a sharp left turn (406) to get to Black Point Wildlife Drive, which is a combination of blacktop and gravel road. The entrance is on the left side of 406.

Traveling southbound along the coast, e.g. from Daytona Beach, follow State Road 3 south and turn right onto 406. At the sign for the wildlife drive turn right.

A free leaflet with helpful information can be picked up at the beginning of the drive and later returned at the exit (drop-box on the left side).

The car pullouts at the points of interests do not offer room for more than 2 or 3 cars at a time. If possible, weekends or public holidays should be avoided - on these days there will be much more traffic. One Sunday I spent on this location, I encountered way too many mountain-bikers.

What to see:

The (visible) local wildlife consists of some alligators, but mainly of waterfowl such as Wood Stork, Dove, Hawk, Turkey Vulture, White and Black Ibis, Heron, Bald Eagle, Osprey, Ducks, Warbler, Roseate Spoonbill, Cormorant, Ahinga, Florida Gallinule etc. just to name a few.

The general landscape can be described as a wetland with several larger ponds. Some parts seem even prairie like and are carved by narrow channels, built by NASA for mosquito control.

The local flora includes mangroves, palm trees, and hardwood hammocks. The entire area is relatively flat. In general it reminded me a lot of the Everglades National Park.

A larger parking lot with pit-toilets and an observation tower is located at Stop # 8. Here is also the trailhead of the 5 miles long Cruickshank Trail. Along this trial (south end) there is an old viewing/photo blind, but it is closed due to damage. It is very dangerous to walk on the rotten planks - after all, this is an alligator country!

The best time of the day is early or late in the "golden hours" when especially the birds will be much more active. But even during the day there will be good opportunities for some pictures.

There is no place to buy food or drinks unless you go back to Titusville. It is best to bring a cooler with food and drinks for a day-trip.

I used the car as a "movable blind". This would have worked even better had I owned a camera window-mount with ballhead. The birds are not shy of cars but will fly away as soon as one tries to leave the car.

I had only one camera body available, so I attached my longest lens to it in order not to miss any good wildlife opportunity. For bird pictures, lenses in the 300-600 mm range are preferable. At times I found my 400mm zoom setting not sufficient, so I had to make use of a 2x extender with questionable results.

A wide-angle lens, graduated ND as well as polarizer filters for landscape work should be brought along. Under some conditions a warming filter will also be very useful. It is worth taking a macro lens or a close-up diopter to capture the beauty of the smaller local plants or insects, such as the colorful dragonflies.

A good tripod is essential, especially in the pond areas! I had my tripod already extended and folded on the rear bench of my car for fast access and set-up.

A folding chair to "settle down" at one of the ponds makes it easier to wait for a "once of a lifetime picture"…

Binoculars for spotting or checking the area are additional helpful tools.

Appropriate clothing is light colored, long sleeved, and long legged. Bring bug spray will be your "life saver" while walking the hiking trials into the backcountry!

Haulover Canal (on 3): There is a small dirt road leading to a Manatee viewing platform at the north side of the drawbridge (no sign). We did not see any Manatees that day, but local bystanders insured us they can be seen there, mainly in the early morning before the boat traffic increases.

The surrounding wet- and grasslands, or larger wooded areas (hammocks) nearby are interesting subjects, too.

The "Oak and Palm Hammock Trials" along 402, which are known for their plants and some owls that live there, are worth visiting. The Park's visitor center with small exhibitions etc. is close by.

The Cape Canaveral National Seashore with its long stretched natural beaches is wonderful to watch shorebirds or to collect shells. Depending on the season, the protected sea turtles will lay their eggs in this area.

Most of the several parking lots have restrooms. A $ 5 entrance fee is required.

The beautiful, natural looking Playa Linda Beach is a nice opportunity for a break before returning to the birds of the Black Point Trail in the late afternoon. It is also a most valuable "drop-off point" for the rest of the family if the photographer prefers to work alone.

The northernmost area is supposed to house an "illegal" nude beach.

• Wildlife viewing at Black Point Wildlife Drive.
• The Atlantic Ocean and the beaches of the Cape Canaveral National Seashore.
• The NASA Spaceport and the Kennedy Space Center are a "must" visit.

Fall, winter and spring. In the summertime there might be only little wildlife during the days because it is too hot and humid with many mosquitoes present.

Refuge Manager, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, P.O. Box 6504, Titusville, FL 32782.

Phone (407) 861-0667.

The visitor center is four miles east of Titusville on State Road 402. Opening hours are 8 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. (ET) Tuesday to Friday, and 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. on weekends. Closed on Mondays.

May THE LIGHT be with you…

Besucherzahl seit September 1999. Vistors since September 1999.