Cherie Down Park

Located in Cape Canaveral, Cherie Down Park is a recreational seven-acre grassy park in Florida that has an unnamed white sand beach. This beach is also known as Cherie Down Park Beach and Cherie Down Beach. This popular and clean beach has dense oceanfront vegetation near it. Cherie Down Park is named after Cherie Down, a biologist who worked tirelessly to resolve local environmental issues. A memorial to Cherie is also present within a large coquina limestone plaque within the park. Cherie Down Park has lifeguards on a seasonal basis. 

In addition, it has many other amenities including showers, restrooms, barbecue areas, benches, drinking fountains, picnic tables, pavilions, and a boardwalk. Cherie Down Park also offers accessibility to people with disabilities. Dogs are not allowed in Cherie Down Park. 

Cherie Down Park offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, wildlife watching, picnicking, fishing, swimming, surfing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, bodyboarding, skim boarding, paddle boarding, parasailing, kayaking, canoeing, jet-skiing, surf-skiing, and boating. The water near Cherie Down Park is popular among surfers, kite surfers and windsurfers as it offers fun waves. However, if you are planning to go into the water near Cherie Down Park, we recommend being careful as the water here has unpredictable rip currents. In addition, drowning-related incidents have also been reported here. Depending on the time of the year, you can view many kinds of animals in the water near this beach including dolphins and sea turtles. The beach in Cherie Down Park is also a great spot for watching the splendid rocket launches from the nearby Kennedy Space Center.  If you are planning to fish in the water near Cherie Down Park, we recommend ensuring compliance with the local fishing regulations.

Getting to Cherie Down Park is easy - the park is present near 8330 Ridgewood Avenue, where a free parking lot is also available. We recommend visiting this park early during weekends in winters as the beach in Cherie Down Park gets crowded quickly during this time. The park is open from 7 am to 7 pm.

There are many attractions near Cherie Down Park. Exploration Tower is a seven-story tower which has many informative and interactive exhibits about Cape Canaveral. In addition, the tower also has a gift shop, a cafe, and an auditorium. The tower also has an observation area from where you can watch satellite launches from the nearby Kennedy Space Center. In addition, the tower is also a great place to view fireworks. Manatee Sanctuary Park is a 10-acre riverfront recreational park which has many amenities including a fitness trail, public workout stations, a boardwalk, picnic tables, barbecue areas, a pavilion, a small outdoor library, and a playground. In addition, the water near this park is part of a protected manatee habitat, and you can see manatees grazing in the water here. If you are looking for another attraction near Cherie Down Park, Westgate Cocoa Beach Pier is an 800 feet-long pier that has interesting shops, restaurants, and bars. In addition, the pier offers excellent views of the Atlantic Ocean and occasionally offers live music performances. The pier is also a great fishing spot and you can catch many kinds of fish here.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Cherie Down Park.  Sage Bistro is an upscale restaurant which serves excellent steaks, seafood, and a variety of excellent gourmet dishes with vibrant culinary influences.  Kelsey’s Restaurant & Pizzeria serves excellent Italian and Greek dishes in generous portions. In addition, this restaurant is known for serving delicious pizzas. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Cherie Down Park, Southern Charm Cafe serves excellent American and Southern-style dishes for breakfast and lunch including eggs, pancakes, biscuits and gravy, sandwiches, salads, and burgers.

If you are looking for a hotel near Cherie Down Park, there are many great nearby options. The 4-Star Hilton Cocoa Beach Oceanfront offers many amenities including a seafood restaurant, a lounge, a 24/7 fitness center, a deck with a pool, a tiki bar, a fire pit, surfing lessons, and bike and boogie board rentals. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Radisson Resort at the Port which offers many amenities including a restaurant, a garden with a waterfall, a cocktail lounge, a bar, a lagoon-style outdoor pool with palm trees, a hot tub, and a gym. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Cherie Down Park, the 2-Star La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Cocoa Beach Oceanfront offers many amenities including an exercise room, a pool, and complimentary breakfast.