Florida's Audubon-Approved Barrier Island Birdwatching Haven Is Just An Hour From Orlando

Even in the most remote stretches of Florida, you'll notice that the state is busy with activity — but it's overhead or in the water, rather than on the highways. You might find yourself pulling over to look closer at what's perched at the edge of a marsh: It could be an elegant heron, or the rare, brilliant blue Florida scrub-jay. Those are just a couple of the birds listed by the National Audubon Society, a birding non-profit, as being locals to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). Audubon names the refuge among the best of Florida's birding hotspots, as it's home to over 350 different species.

Though Merritt Island NWR's hometown of Titusville is a more relaxed, nature-heavy destination, it's just an hour from the busy hub of Orlando by car. Another interesting aspect of the refuge's location is that it shares its domain on Merritt Island with the John F. Kennedy Space Center. With NASA's sign-off, the lands around the Space Center were agreed to be protected as a wildlife refuge, largely because of the habitat's importance for migratory birds. Merritt Island is a barrier island sitting along the major migratory corridor known as the Atlantic Flyway, so during spring and fall migration, passerine birds come to rest here. It also has a unique mix of coastal habitats, with an estuary, dunes, pine flatwoods, and marshes that attract different types of birds.

Beyond its Audubon recognition, Merritt Island NWR is a stop along the Great Florida Birding & Wildlife Trail. The distinction directs travelers to some of the best places to spot birds in their natural habitats across Florida, from the Keys all the way up to the coastal panhandle Point Washington State Forest. You're bound to see some birds any time you visit Merritt Island NWR, though the exact birds you encounter will vary depending on the time of year. Come during spring and fall, and you're likely to see migratory birds, particularly warblers and sparrows. Winter is dominated by waterfowl — with loons, ducks, and mergansers at the fore — while common year-round birds include great blue herons, snowy egrets, and red-tailed hawks.

The NWR is criss-crossed by several trails you can hike along with your binoculars to look out for birds. The trails are, to some extent, organized around specific habitats. There's the roughly half-mile Oak Hammock Trail, for example, which meanders under a canopy of live oaks. Or, you could hike through the low-lying scrub habitat of the 0.89-mile Scrub Ridge Trail, where you might see the Florida scrub-jay, whose population is at risk of becoming endangered.

A popular and well-reviewed option for birdwatching at Merritt Island is the Black Point Wildlife Drive, a 7-mile tour you can do through the refuge by car. It loops near the western side of the island, with a few stops and observation platforms you can get out at along the way. "Stop at sunset and witness a vision both sublime and epic in scale," wrote one Google reviewer. "Stand quietly, watching thousands of wading birds come to roost."

If you don't know where to start at Merritt Island, its visitor's center is a good resource with staff that reviewers have described as kind and helpful. The visitor center is open Tuesday through Saturday and has restrooms and ample parking spaces. It's located (along with the rest of the refuge) in Titusville, a one-of-a-kind coastal city near Orlando. If you fly into the Orlando International Airport, it's just about an hour drive east. There is a fee required for anyone who enters the refuge, which you can pay at the visitor center or online.

Once you've bought a day pass, you'll get to explore not only the refuge's birding habitats, but also take advantage of some other outdoor activities available. It has several lagoon waters open for fishing and non-motorized boating. The park is home to manatees, and there's a Manatee Observation Deck in the northern stretch of the site, which is wheelchair-accessible. Given Merritt Island NWR's location along the unique, themed Space Coast, famed for rocket launches, you could pair your birdwatching outing with a side quest to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, about 30 minutes by car from the refuge.