Canaveral National Seashore - Camping

Most of Canaveral's back country camping sites are located among the many islands in the northern part of Mosquito Lagoon. These can be reached only by boat or canoe.

The entire length of the beach is closed to back country camping from May 1 to October 31, to protect the sea turtle during its nesting period.

A back country permit is required to stay overnight at a campsite. There is no fee for obtaining this permit.

Camping is permitted on designated islands and beach sites only; due to NASA security requirements, no camping is allowed south of the Volusia county line on the beach. Beach camping is prohibited the night prior to a shuttle launch.

To obtain a permit:

1. Stop by the Information Center, located 1/4 mile south of Turtle Mound on A1A, to obtain a permit. Hours of operation are 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

2. Permits will only be issued on the day camping begins for beach camping and up to 7 days in advance for lagoon island camping.

3. Call the Information Center at 904-428-3384 for information on campsite availability.

The camping areas are very primitive lacking fresh water and sanitation facilities. All necessities need to be packed in and all trash packed out.