Accessibility

Welcome

Welcome to the Canaveral National Seashore accessibility page. Here is where you will find accessibility information about the various sites to visit.

 

• Fees & Passes

The Access Pass

Did you know you may qualify for the person's with disabilities FREE lifetime Access Pass? This pass provides access to hundreds of federal recreational areas across the country. It provides access for the cardholder and any others in their vehicle into Canaveral National Seashore.

 

Accessibility Page Options

You may choose any of the following links if there is something specific you are looking for.  Otherwise, continue scrolling down the page to see all of the content in long form that is located on the links.

 

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  Accessibility/Mobility

  This page explains the variety of accessibility throughout the seashore.

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  Service Animals

  Information on this page will help answer questions pertaining to service animals in Canaveral National Seashore.

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  Blind/Partially Sighted

  This page has a few audio tours about different sites in the park.

 

NPS/Photo

Apollo Beach

Parking Areas one through five provide wheelchair accessible entry onto the beach and accessible parking spaces are located at the front of each ramp. The ramps are flush with the parking lot and range from flat to having slight incline leading to the beach. Once at the top of the ramp there will be a platform to stop and enjoy the sea breeze where an informational interpretive sign may be present. There may be a slight decline leading to the sand, but some ramps traverse if the dunes are tall.

The Canaveral National Seashore brochure is now available in audio-described format. UniDescription - Project Export

 

 

The front of the Apollo Visitor Center.

Nps/Photo

The Apollo Beach Visitor Center

The Apollo Visitor Center is located at Apollo Beach. Upon entering there are interpretive displays, a gift shop, and a large auditorium for enjoying the park video that is closed captioned. The entire building is accessible by wheelchair as well as the pavilion and the dock behind the visitor center.

 

 

NPS/Photo Makayla Barlow

Apollo Beach Wheelchair

At the Apollo Beach Visitor Center, a beach wheelchair is available to be checked out at the visitor center. It may be checked out for a period of two hours use at the beach access ramp located across the street from the visitor center.

Apollo Visitor Center contact information: 7611 S. Atlantic Ave, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32796. Call to check its availability, [phone] extention zero.

Playalinda Beach does not currently have a beach wheelchair.

 

Turtle Mound

Turtle Mound is one of the most significant archeological sites on the east coast of Florida. The mound is a treasure trove of artifacts, history and culture. It is composed primarily of oyster shells. Upon entering Apollo Beach the Turtle Mound parking area is approximately one half of a miles drive into the park on the right hand side of the road.

The boardwalk leads from the parking area to the top of the mound. Stay on the path if you intend to reach the top of the mound. Once at the top three stopping points provide access to the north, south and west sides of the mound.

 

 

Castle Windy Trail

Castle Windy Trail is a walking trail located at Apollo Beach parking area three. Park at beach parking area three and the trail is directly across the street. It leads across the barrier island ending at the Castle Windy archeological site located at the edge of the Mosquito lagoon.

The path is nature ground path with some rooty spots. It can be navigated with a cane but a wheelchair would need all-terrain wheels. The ground is packed with a slight incline with the peaks at the middle of the trail. Take this path in the winter time to reduce the chance for mosquitoes.

 

Seminole Rest

There is a loop trail leading around the Seminole Rest Historic Site which is wheelchair accessible. It is approximately half a mile in length. A large portion of the path is a cement sidewalk, while the remainder is a wooden walkway that traverses across the top of the mound. This wooden portion has small inclines and declines while traversing fourteen feet of Timucua shell mound. The paved portion is relatively flat with one small incline as it encircles the base of the mound. There is one railing next to the first interpretive sign along the path. The rest of the path does not have railings. There are five benches to rest on placed strategically around the path near each of the informational interpretive signs.

There is a dock located about halfway though the trail. The first half is a fixed piling dock with wooden railings. The second half includes a ramp that leads down to a floating dock that does not have railings.

Located at the top of the mound are two historic homes. When the Seminole Rest main home is open it is accessible to enter the first floor. Please call the Apollo Visitor Center to check if the house is open before your visit at this phone number [phone] extension zero.

 

 

Atlas V rocket launch from Playalinda Beach boardwalk number one.

NPS/Photo Anthony Peritore

Playalinda Beach

Playalinda Beach is located at the southern end of Canaveral National Seashore just a stones throw away from the northern most rocket launch pads of Kennedy Space Center. There are vistas, which are vehicle pull offs to view the freshwater ponds and the rocket launch pads 39A and 39B.

For beach access there are thirteen beach parking areas where all have accessibility parking spots located at the entrance of the beach access ramps. The first five beach ramps traverse a tall dune. Once you travel as far as parking area number eight, the beach dune is flat allowing for much easier beach access.

 

This ramp is located in Playalinda Beach traversing a tall portion of the dune at one of the first five parking areas.

NPS/Photo

 

Service Animals

Service animals are allowed in all facilities and on all trails unless an area has been closed by the superintendent to protect park resources.

Definition of Service Animal

NPS policy regarding service animals mirrors guidelines established by the Department of Justice. A service animal is defined as any animal that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability.

Animals that are not trained to perform tasks that mitigate the effects of a disability, including animals that are used purely to provide comfort or emotional support ("therapy animals"), are considered pets. Pets are subject to the park's pet regulations and are not allowed on trails or boardwalks.

Things to Know

Where domestic animals and wildlife overlap there is a possibility of exchanging diseases between the two groups. Domestic dogs can introduce disease into wildlife habitats and the park's canids (coyotes and foxes) are vulnerable to domestic diseases such as canine distemper, parvo virus, rabies, mange,etc. Likewise it is possible for domestic dogs to acquire these diseases from wild animals.

To further prevent the spread of disease:

• Service animals must always be leashed or harnessed on a 6 foot lead, under control, and attended at all times.
• Food and food containers must never be left unattended and must be kept out of reach of wildlife.
• Service animal fecal matter must be picked up and disposed of properly. Fecal matter should be disposed of in a trash receptacle, toilet, pit toilet.

 

Fact

“Accessibility allows us to tap into everyone’s potential.” ― Debra Ruh

 

Blind & Partially Sighted

Apollo Beach Audio Tour

Apollo Beach has many exciting places to emplore. Listen to the following audio excerpts about the natural and hisitorical places to visit at Canaveral National Seashore. Enjoy your listening experience.

 

• Apollo Beach Access

  
  

  Explore Apollo Beach. After exploring Turtle Mound, the visitor center and Eldora make this your last stop on your tour.
  Audio Transcript

  As you begin your trek over the boardwalk, be on the lookout for tracks, trails, and burrows of the animals that call the dunes home; the burrow of a gopher tortoise perhaps, or the track of a bobcat. As you walk towards the ocean you will see the vegetation change from palm and bay to palmetto scrub, then wildflowers and sea oats. If you are visiting in the winter months you may be lucky enough to spot an endangered Right Whale just offshore. Above you a Brown Pelican may be flying or diving for fish. As you look south you will see 24 miles of undeveloped beach, the longest stretch of natural coastline on the east coast of Florida. The dune system that is the backbone of the barrier island remains intact here in the seashore and changes with the winds and tides. Dunes are dynamic in that sand is brought in with the the wind and sometimes taken out with the tide. The dunes here at Canaveral change season to season and year after year. Remember it as you see it now--the next time you come back it may look completely different. In the summer months you will see yellow stakes near the dunes. These indicate the location of sea turtle nests that have been protected with screens to prevent raccoons from eating the eggs. We have over 5,000 nests along our shore each summer. You may find a treasured seashell to take home as a reminder of your trip here today. But only take those that have no one living inside.

 

• Turtle Mound Audio

  
  

  Walk the path up Turtle Mound and learn about the Timucua who built this mound.
  Audio Transcript

  A walk up Turtle Mound is a walk back in time; know that you tread upon layers of life history belonging to the Timucua Indians. They built this mound over hundreds of years from the shells of oysters and clams that they harvested from the bounty of Mosquito Lagoon. As you ascend the mound you might wonder what it was used for. Was it a lookout to watch for approaching enemies? Or, was it a landmark to help them find their way back each year to their winter home. Or, was it a place for tribal ceremonies? No one really knows. We do know that the first Floridians built mounds of this type wherever they lived and that the mounds contain the remains of their lives and have many stories to tell. But as Turtle Mound is one of the last remaining intact mounds of its kind, the clues contained within help us to better understand the Timucuan's connection to the resource as we struggle to find our own. The last Timucuans passed away around 1750 or were taken to Cuba with the Spanish, taking the answers with them. But one thing we know for sure: what you will see from the top of the mound is a spectacular view of Canaveral National Seashore. Just remember, in summer, be sure you bring your insect repellant.

 

The requested video is no longer available.

 

Duration:

5 minutes, 45 seconds

Explore Seminole Rest Historic Site's history and why it is preserved today. We hope that you enjoy your tour.