Recommended Beaches on Cocoa Beach

Alan Shephard Park is my top pick for Cocoa Beach. It has everything you need: Plenty of parking, two on-premises restaurants, restrooms, lifeguards, beach equipment vendors on the beach, picnic shelters with tables, a great beach, and nearby shopping, including the famous Ron Jon surf shop within walking distance. There is a fee for parking--$7 to $10, generally.

Lori Wilson Park is great for families. This is the best free beach access Lori Wilson Park is very popular for weddings. It also has a fenced dog park (no beach access for dogs). It is generally less crowded than Alan Shephard Park.

Port Canaveral Jetty Park for families and for fishing or bird watching.

Cocoa Beach Pier for families with older teens, or for anyone who wants to hang out on a pier, go fishing, do some people watching, see the surfers, and maybe imbibe some alcoholic beverages or have a bite to eat.

Lori Wilson Park and Cherie Down Park are the only beach parks with amenities that provide free parking.

Beach Info Report: To get a current beach report for Brevard County, call 321-637-5777 for a recorded message that will tell you what current beach conditions are and which beaches have staffed lifeguard towers. Generally, Cocoa Beach Pier, Shepard Park and Lori Wilson Park have lifeguards year-round. Jetty Park is privately owned and generally provides lifeguard protection.

Brevard County does have lifeguards and beach patrol. However, not all beaches have year-round coverage. Some beaches only have lifeguards on staff during part of the year, sometimes only on weekends.  Limited information on lifeguarded beaches may be found on this web site: http://www.brevardparks.com/visittheparks/swim/beach.php

Other Public Beach Accesses on Cocoa Beach with Restrooms

Cherie Down Park

Sydney Fischer Park