Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Note that the park closes for three days preceding launches. For information on launch
closures call 321-867-4077.
Getting There & Around
To get to the North District take I-95 to SR 44 (exit 249), head east to New Smyrna Beach,
and then south on A1A 7 miles to the entrance gate. Access to the South District is 12
miles east of Titusville, through Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (I-95 exit 220 to
SR 406). There is no public transportation to or within the park and no road access to
Klondike Beach.
Cocoa Beach & Cape Canaveral
In 1919 the first of three bridges to span the Intracoastal waterway was built connecting
Cocoa Village to its namesake beach on the barrier island. Then, as now, day-trippers
streamed across the bridge on their way to the oceanside boardwalk. As America raced to
the moon in the wake of WWII, Cocoa Beach raced to keep up with growth, building
dozens of motels and gaining a reputation as a party town. Cape Canaveral to the north
evolved into a quieter residential community for space workers and their families.
In 1951 the US Army Corps of Engineers carved out an inlet at the cape to facilitate the
shipping of goods to the Space Center. In the process it created the Thousand Islands from
the dredged mud and laid the foundations for Port Canaveral, now the second busiest
cruise port in the United States.
Sights
