Playalinda Beach, Florida
GPS Coordinates: 28.65478, -80.632033 Headquarters phone: 321-267-1110 Cost: $5 per car entrance fee. Directions: Take S.R. 528 across the state toward Cocoa Beach. Take I-95 north toward Titusville. Take the S.R. 406 (Garden Street) exit into Titusville. Continue through downtown Titusville and onto the Titusville Causeway, over the bridge to Merritt Island. Follow the signs through Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge to Playalinda Beach. There is a per car fee of $5 to enter the national seashore area. A ranger is stationed at the entrance to collect fees and provide information. Hours: 6 am to 8 pm in summer; 6 am to 6 pm in winter. In other words, the seashore is open from 6 am to dusk. Once you’ve reached the Atlantic Ocean (you won’t actually see the water yet, the dunes are too tall), there are 13 paved parking areas spread out over the next five or six miles as you drive north, with spaces for over 1,000 vehicles. Some lots have room for RV’s. Restroom facilities are provided, but they are chemical / composting type toilets. There is no water, so bring hand sanitizer or your own soap and water for hand washing. Each access has a wooden dune walkover with stairs to climb and cross the dunes.
ADA accessible beach ramps are located at dune crossover/boardwalk #8, #10, #11 and #12. A beach wheelchair may be available. Check at the Entrance Station. You should call in advance to verify availability. The wheelchairs require assistance to use since they are not self-propelled. As you may have heard, Playalinda Beach has a reputation for attracting nude sunbathers. However, nudity is prohibited (you’ll see the signs). Generally, you will not see any nudity unless you drive all the way north to access #13 at the very end of the public access portion of Playalinda. It seems to be general policy that as long as the naturists (nudists) stay at the most remote access, they will not be bothered by the authorities. If you don’t drive all the way up to access #13, you should not encounter any nudity. Playalinda is a popular beach enjoyed by many families, surfers, fishermen, beachcombers, birders, photographers, etc. It is truly a beautiful beach. Despite being remote, it does attract a good weekend crowd. Although an unpaved road continues north beyond access #13, it is not open to the public. That means no bikes or hikers either, unfortunately. You can walk as far as you like on the beach, though you will need a backcountry permit to venture well past access #13 to Klondike Beach. Playalinda has no lifeguards, no rinse-off showers, no food or drink concessions or any other amenities other than limited restroom facilities at each of the 13 beach accesses. Pets and glass are prohibited on the beach. There are no picnic tables or shelters. Metal detecting is NOT allowed on National Seashore beaches, pursuant to the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR 36). Comparing Apollo Beach to Playalinda Beach:
Above: The sand on Playalinda Beach is light brown. The color comes from the tiny shell fragments and minerals mixed with quartz sand crystals.
Above: I'm standing at the top of the dune crossover, looking back toward my car in the parking lot.
A reminder that nudity is officially prohibited on Playalinda Beach.
| ||
Buy and download this e-book now for only
$9.97
Note: I use PayPal to handle the transaction. You can pay with your PayPal account if you have one, or you can pay with a debit or credit card. You do not need to have a PayPal account to buy the book. Since all the processing is done on a secure PayPal web site, I never have access to your debit or credit card number or even your address.
|
