Apollo Beach Preserve

Located in the southern end of Volusia County, Apollo Beach is a large five-mile-long east-facing beach with white sand and a lot of nearby beach grass.  This beach is a part of a national park named Canaveral National Seashore.  

Although Apollo Beach does not have lifeguards, the beach has many other amenities including a boardwalk, restrooms, showers, and picnic areas. Dogs on leashes are allowed at Apollo Beach. 

Apollo Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, wildlife watching, fishing, picnicking, swimming, surfing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, skimboarding, bodyboarding, kayaking, canoeing, jet-skiing, surf-skiing, water-skiing, boating, wakeboarding, and parasailing.  If you are planning to swim in the water near Apollo Beach, we recommend being careful as the water here is known to have unpredictable rip currents.  Depending on the time of the year, you can view many kinds of animals in the water near Apollo Beach including manatees and dolphins - you can also view sea turtles in the water near Apollo Beach.  These turtles also use the beach as a seasonal nesting spot - these turtles are protected under a federal law named the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and harming them can result in a fine of up to $25,000 and possible imprisonment.  If you like birdwatching, you can view many kinds of resident and migratory birds around Apollo Beach including black terns (during August and September), black scoters, and surf scoters (between November and March).  If you are planning to fish in the water near Apollo Beach, please ensure compliance with the local fishing regulations. 

A part of Apollo Beach is popular among clothing-optional visitors - this clothing-optional portion is situated to the south of parking lot 4 and parking lot 5.  However, if you are planning a clothing-optional visit to Apollo Beach, please note that public indecency is prohibited under local laws.  Apollo Beach is a great place for watching rocket launches - these spectacular rocket launches are often conducted by NASA and a private company named SpaceX (which was founded by renowned entrepreneur Elon Musk who is also the CEO of Tesla and is worth nearly $230 billion and is one of the richest people in the world.  If you want to know more interesting details about this part of the Floridian shoreline, the nearby Apollo Beach Visitor Center offers interesting exhibits about the local cultural and natural history.

Canaveral National Seashore has a vibrant landscape, which comprises many habitats including scrub oaks, hardwood hammocks, and mangroves - you can explore the national park’s vibrant habitat and biodiversity through its hiking trails - one of the most famous hiking trails in this national park is the Klondike Beach Trail, which offers a fun oceanfront hiking experience.  The park also has multiple historic structures dating back to the Pre-Columbian era - one of the most prominent structures is the Turtle Mound, which is made by Native American Timucua people using discarded animal shells.  The park also has the remains of a former agricultural community named Eldora - one of the community’s buildings now houses a museum that offers an interesting insight into the local history.  The national park also has a lagoon named the Mosquito Lagoon - this lagoon has islands that are designated as tent camping sites and these sites offer a fun camping experience.  If you are planning to camp here, you can visit the National Park Service’s website for more information regarding the camping fees and regulations.

Apollo Beach offers accessibility to people with disabilities - access ramps for people with disabilities are present near two of the parking lots near Apollo Beach (labeled parking areas 1 and 5).  In addition, a beach wheelchair for people with disabilities is also available.  If you want a beach wheelchair, you can contact the Apollo Beach Visitor Center at (386) 428-3384. 

Getting to Apollo Beach is easy - the northern entrance station for Canaveral National Seashore is located along Florida State Road A1A.  After paying an entrance fee at this entrance station, you can drive further south along Florida State Road A1A to the parking lots for Apollo Beach which are located directly next to the beach.  The beach is open between 6 am and 6 pm in the winter and 6 am and 8 pm in the summer.

There are many attractions near Apollo Beach within a 30-minute drive.  Indian River Lagoon Park offers a chance to explore the beautiful natural landscape along the banks of the Indian River via a walking trail.  This park offers many other amenities including a pavilion with restrooms and picnic tables, two docks, and a kayak and canoe launching spot.  Riverside Park is an eight-acre park with many amenities including a fishing pier, walking paths, a streamside boardwalk, a playground, a gazebo, picnic area, restrooms, and walking and biking trails.  This popular recreational park offers many amenities including art festivals and summer concert series. If you are looking for another attraction near Apollo Beach, Old Fort Park is a park that has the ruins of an unidentified historic structure composed of coquina limestone - many believe that this structure was constructed during Andrew Turnbull’s attempts to colonize Florida in the late 18th century.  The park also has benches and it also hosts many fun events including many summer concerts and the annual Art Fiesta.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Apollo Beach within a 35-minute drive.  The Garlic is an upscale Italian restaurant that offers a beautifully landscaped garden and it has a collection of artworks made from recycled objects.  The restaurant also serves delicious pastas, seafood, salads, steaks, and burgers and it also hosts live music performances.  The Breakers Restaurant is a waterfront restaurant that is set in a brightly painted building and it is famous for serving excellent burgers.  The restaurant also serves delicious dishes for lunch and dinner including seafood, poultry dishes, salads, and chicken wings and it has also been praised by the Orlando Weekly newspaper.  If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Apollo Beach, Joy Luck Chinese Restaurant serves amazing Asian dishes including lo mein, chow mein, egg foo young, and mei fun.

If you are looking for a hotel near Apollo Beach, there are many great nearby options within a 40-minute drive. The 4-Star Black Dolphin Inn offers many amenities including a porch, a pier, boat docking facilities, and complimentary breakfast (with a Southern United States-style option on weekends).  A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Best Western New Smyrna Beach Hotel & Suites which offers many amenities including coin-operated laundry facilities, a fitness center, a restaurant, and a pool.  If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Apollo Beach, the 2.5-Star La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Port Orange / Daytona offers many amenities including a fitness room, a pool, and complimentary breakfast.