Destination Dixie Crossroads! A little background for your visit: Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and Canaveral National Seashore

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Mention the Kennedy Space Center and many people imagine space exploration - the excitement of a countdown and the thrill of the liftoff. However, there is another kind of "space" here, one that is almost a secret to outsiders.

Merritt Island has the distinction of being the home of NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (MINWR) and the Canaveral National Seashore. The land that encompasses the MINWR was preserved when the "Space Race" launched Cape Canaveral - later called the John F. Kennedy Space Centerinto world prominence. In order to have a secure area for rocket launches, NASA completed a series of land acquisitions in 1963. With the purchase of these lands, the preservation of this unique barrier island was ensured from rapidly encroaching development and commercial interests.

In cooperation with NASA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has managed MINWR since the lands were purchased. This very special area, where species such as bald eagles, manatees, alligators, bromeliad plants and mangroves are nourished by warm waters and a semi-tropical climate, is home to more species of endangered plants and animals than any other national wildlife refuge in the continental U.S.

The Canaveral National Seashore, nationally recognized as one of America's most beautiful beaches, has been operated by the National Park Service since 1975. Directly adjacent to the MINWR, the Seashore consists of 24 miles of undeveloped beach and wetland environs that stretch from Playalinda Beach in Brevard County northward to Apollo Beach in Volusia County. Here you see the coast of Florida as it must have looked to Ponce de Leon in 1513 - no buildings or seawalls, just sand and dunes. As you turn inland, view the contrast between the natural areas and mankind's most advanced technology-the facilities that launched man to the moon.

There is more to Canaveral National Seashore than just its beaches. The barrier island and its waterways are home to an astounding number of plants and animals. The western side of the barrier island borders Mosquito Lagoon, where small fish, shrimp, clams and oysters provide food for larger gamefish and waterfowl. Surrounding the lagoon are hammocks of lush oaks draped in Spanish moss. More than 100 Native American Indian shell middens are located within the park. The two largest mounds have trails and interpretive signage depicting the lifestyle of the Timucuan Indians who disappeared more than 300 years ago, wiped out by European diseases carried here by early explorers.

Merritt Island and its surrounding waterways offer sanctuary for a rich abundance of plants and animals from both the tropical and temperate climate zones. It is a true paradise for "quiet water paddling" and a fisherman's dream come true. The MINWR and Canaveral National Seashore combine to form a sheltered space, where the countdown is not for spaceships, but for many endangered plants and animals that need space to ensure their continued existence for future Floridians and visitors. Together with the Kennedy Space Center, these areas are true gateways to Florida's past and future.