USFWS · National wildlife refuge · Florida

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is a 140,000-acre (57,000 ha) U.S. National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) on the Atlantic coast of Florida's largest barrier island. NASA's Kennedy Space Center and visitor complex are also situated on the island and NASA can restrict access to the refuge based on its operational needs.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Wildlife Refuge129,991 acresUSFWSFL2 campgrounds within 10 mi
Official page at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Wildlife Refuge
Managed byU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
StateFlorida
Size129,991 acres (computed from the boundary polygon)
FWS regionRegion 4
Center point28.6327, -80.7028
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 23)

Boundary map

2 outlines

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 2 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

NPS · 2.3 mi
Middle Dredge Campsite
First-comeFL
NPS · 6 mi
Canaveral National Seashore Permits
Reservable14 sites

Most refuges do not allow overnight camping. The campgrounds listed are outside the refuge.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Park System units within 30 miles · Park Atlas
National Seashore · Adjacent
Canaveral National Seashore
National Register listings within 15 miles · 32 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge?

129,991 acres, measured from the published boundary polygon. The agency’s own figure can differ where the boundary includes water or inholdings.

Source: How acreage is computed

Who manages Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

What state is Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in?

Florida.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge?

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Middle Dredge Campsite, 2.3 miles out. 2 in all are within ten miles. Most refuges do not allow camping inside the refuge, so the campgrounds listed are outside it.

Source: Where to camp

How do I get to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge?

A point inside the boundary is at 28.633, -80.703. Canaveral National Seashore is adjacent. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

How dark is the night sky at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 23 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, very dark ground, a faint glow at most.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Which national parks are near Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge?

Canaveral National Seashore (adjacent). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge?

32 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Florida Power and Light Company Ice Plant and Press Site--Clock and Flag Pole.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge boundary layer.
  • States: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons; a state is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area.
  • Acreage: geodesic area of the published polygon. The agency’s official acreage can differ where the boundary includes water, easements or inholdings.
  • Description: Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. The article was accepted because its title contains this unit’s name.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
  • Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.