Orlando Wetlands

With the new boardwalk addition, it is such a great place to view wildlife. It is still a bit of a hike from the parking lot. We saw many birds including a bald eagle, gators, turtles and fish. There may even be a gator right next to the trail you are walking on so be aware of your surroundings. The water is so clear along the boardwalk. It is a large area, but the tram tour makes it easy to cover a lot of it. I highly recommend the tram tour as a good overview of this beautiful habitat.

🌴 super spot to get away to and away from noises other than an occasional airboat off in the distance; lots of waterfowl and alligators 🦆🐊🦤 and my favorite, cypress trees. there's an excellent forest trail that is somewhat sunken so expect a lost sneaker 👟 the boardwalk is awesome to see a lot up & close. other trails on the pond berms take you by herons green & great. the center, welcoming pavilion, and meeting château incorporate an inspired vision & ethic for nature education & preservation 🍁🍂🌾🍀🐦🦋🪱

• We visited early on Saturday morning in late-December. There were already a handful of cars in parking lot when we arrived. • Education center probably won’t ever be completed based on what we saw. A sign said opening “2021” which had a sticker over it that was obviously removed by someone. Looking at the state of the construction it looks like a result of the COVID pandemic. It looked new but old at the same time. As if it’s been neglected but also never been “used” either. This is just our speculation of course. • Boardwalk however is amazing! Most variety of birds we‘ve ever seen in 1 place other than zoo. Bring binoculars! • Hike isn’t too bad from parking lot. A little up hill but paved with gravel/dirt part of the way. • Bathrooms are located near parking lot behind “visitor center” which is more like a covered outside pavilion. • We weren’t planning to visit as we were passing through the area but another wildlife enthusiast over at Meritt Island NWR highly suggested it to us and we are glad we took the advice. • We only did the board walk as it was all we really had time for. • Highlight was seeing an osprey up close like less than 40 feet up in a tree eating a carp. • We would 10% visit again if we were in the area. If you’re driving from Orlando area out to Port Canaveral, this is worth a stop.