KayakGuide.com - Shipyard Island - Meditation On the Water

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Al V

Canaveral National Seashore Shipyard Island,
New Smyrna Beach, Florida USA

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Our Route Summary

Submitted by: Al Vazquez
Date Submitted: 4/99
Location: Canaveral National Seashore Park, New Smyrna Beach FL
Class: Typically flat water canals and channels through hammocks
Distance Paddled: about 3 miles round trip
Water: brackish, tidal (at low tide, you may scrape the bottom on mussels in some areas)
Wildlife: Small fiddler crabs, many types of birds (Egrets, Herons, Ospreys, Eagles, Ibis, Pelicans, etc.), dolphins, beautiful blooming cacti, mangroves

Entry and Exit

Directions: Entry/Exit at the boat ramp at the Canaveral National Seashore Park's northern boundary in New Smyrna Beach. From I-95, take State Route 44 east to A1A. Take A1A south to the park entrance (about 7 miles).
GPS: N 28 deg 56.049' W 080 deg 49.782'
Fee: $5 per vehicle
Description: Paved boat ramps with adjacent sand launch areas
Parking: Non-trailer parking across the street, paved
Facilities: Visitors Center with restrooms and wildlife displays, trails, Indian mound with observation tower, picnic areas, camping with permits, old Eldora state house

Click to See Canoe Trail Map

What We Saw

As the map at the link at left shows, we headed west from the boat launch across the open channel to the opening on the opposite shore that starts the marked canoe trail. The trail is marked with small numbered signs, but you'll want to keep the map handy to stay on track. There are many canals in the Shipyard Island area that were dug long ago for mosquito control.

The route starts to the south and winds through a variety of types of vegetation and uplands like the ones shown at left.

You may have to get out and pull your boat over some shallow areas, especially at low tide. But these areas are short.

We were taken by beautiful cactus blooms throughout the trip. Taking in the beautiful sites and sounds while kayaking is quite relaxing and can even bring on a feeling of meditation as you melt into the world around you.

And we also saw numerous, tiny fiddler crabs pictured above. Fiddler crabs have that name because one claw is much larger than the other, resembling a fiddle and a bow.

At the north end of the trail, we continued beyond the marked trail to have lunch at the Shipyard Campsite where there are a couple of picnic tables.

Be sure to allow enough time to see the visitors center, the site of the long gone city of Eldora and the state house (where their are huge oak tress draped with moss) and the Indian Mound.