Coconut Point Sanctuary
Melbourne Beach, FL
Coconut Point Sanctuary is a 62 acre strip of coastal scrub and mangrove in Melbourne Beach, with a one mile loop trail connecting the Atlantic side to the Indian River Lagoon. A wooden deck and dune crossover drop onto a plain, unguarded stretch of beach that mostly serves the trail's hikers rather than beachgoers on their own.
The lagoon-to-ocean loop trail is a genuinely nice short hike, but the beach itself is plain and unguarded, more a bonus to the trail than a destination on its own.
How we score beachesCome for the loop trail's lagoon overlook as much as the beach itself, the platform view over the Indian River Lagoon is the real payoff here. There's no lifeguard, so this isn't the beach for anyone who wants supervised swimming.
Parking is free at the lot on A1A, no entrance fee or permit needed. The lot is small, matching the sanctuary's modest size.
One of the two dune crossovers to the beach is wheelchair accessible, the other is a natural sand path. The mile loop trail itself is packed dirt and boardwalk, easy walking.
Dogs aren't allowed anywhere in the sanctuary, on the trail or the beach, despite signage some visitors ignore.
The park's hours shift seasonally, open later into the evening May through September than the rest of the year. Hurricane season, June through November, and summer humidity make the shadeless dune crossing tougher in peak summer.
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