Did you even realize that the first wildlife refuge in the entire county was here in Florida? Not only that – it’s just a short two hour drive from Orlando??
I stumbled upon the Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge while on a great bike ride down the Jungle Trail. I had no idea it was here, so it was quite a great find! On my ride, I stopped quickly to check it out, and later in the day came back with my family. It’s such a great hidden spot!
The southern end of Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge at the Jungle Trail.
A little bit of history:
Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge was established as the first Refuge of the National Wildlife Refuge System on March 14, 1903 by President Theodore Roosevelt. According to the park brochure, The Refuge was established out of necessity to save the last brown pelican rookery on the east coast of Florida and provide a safe haven for other water birds that were being killed for their feathers and eggs. Now Pelican Island provides habitat for over 30 different species of birds.
The Refuge itself has no Visitor Center, it doesn’t cost a single cent to enter. The only real tour is self-guided, although some commercial tour-operators may offer tours.
Here’s a map of the area:
Map of the Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge in Indian River County.
You can enter the park from the north off A1A or from the south coming up the Jungle Trail. As you can see, there is a parking area near the first big path, Bird’s Impoundment Trail. That’s a 3-mile hiking trail. No cars or bikes allowed.
Or you can park down at the Pelican Island Viewing Area. From here you can take the 3-mile Joe Michael Memorial Trail or take a short trip to the observation tower.
The start of the 3-mile Joe Michael Memorial Trail at the Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge.
You can see the grass trail to the right of the sign. It looks like it could be a great place to hike! We didn’t have a lot of time, so we just hit the smaller Centennial Trail. It’s a .75-mile (roundtrip) walk down a path and to a boardwalk that leads up to a very cool observation tower.
But first, you’ll see a beautiful butterfly garden:
Pelican Island Viewing Area, Butterfly Garden.
Along the trail are signs about different animals you may see. We were hoping to spot a beach mouse, but didn’t. We were also talking about what would happen if we saw a bobcat, like the sign suggested. I think we were all in agreement that we would freak out.
Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge Historic Marker.
I just love finding history like this! Along the path are many cool historical pieces, like the marker above. Do you remember the pelican stamp? I do (as a former stamp collecting nerd!) I had no idea that stamp and this place were connected:
The U.S.P.S. issued this stamp in 2003 to honor the Centennial Celebration of the National Wildlife Refuge System.
The boardwalk of the Centennial Trail. Each of the nation’s wildlife refuges are listed by date they were established.
Once we got to the top, telescopes allowed you to really get a good look at Pelican Island and see all sorts of birds. The kids loved it so much they wanted to stay all day. Brendan also wanted to take one of the telescopes home so that he could either spy on us…or look at the birds out his window.
The boys looking over the Pelican Wildlife Refuge.
Here’s a view of the crazy bird watchers:
The boys are searching for birds on Pelican Island.
It was great that even these were free! It’s not often that you go somewhere and don’t have to pay for anything!
Patrick looks out towards Pelican Island.
The weather was warm and humid. We arrived at the park just after a rain storm, so things were a bit damp. There were lots of birds to see. There was even a guy fishing out in the water that the kids enjoyed spying on.
Overall, a great visit. We definitely want to go back and spend more time hiking around the bigger trails. I also want to go back with a real camera to take some good bird/nature photos. There’s also a spot to fish, so the boys want to check that out as well.
Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge holds a unique place in American history, because on March 14, 1903, tiny Pelican Island became the first national wildlife refuge in the United States. From this small beginning has grown a National Wildlife Refuge System of over 500 refuges, encompassing over 92 million acres, which is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
This year’s event also includes the special “Pelican Ride 2013” bicycle ride from Washington, D.C. to the Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge over a two-week period. This is an “awareness” ride celebrating the 110th anniversary of, and bringing awareness to, the National Wildlife Refuge System. Mike Beck, husband of PIPS President Kristen Beck, will be riding his bike and stopping at wildlife refuges along the way to celebrate this special anniversary, ending with a short ride the day of the festival, from the Pelican Island NWR to Riverview Park in Sebastian. There are opportunities for sponsoring Mike and the ride, and even joining him for all, or segments along the way. For more information about the itinerary and how to get involved, please visit the special Pelican Ride 2013 website at http://www.pelicanride.com .