Turkey Creek Sanctuary — Attraction in Palm Bay

I come here alot. I like it. It can be busy on weekends especially after 5pm. My biggest complaint is there's a lot of people who do not follow the rules of the area. Like not feeding the animals. You're not supposed to bring pets but people bring dogs that are clearly not service animals. Today I saw three kids that jump off of the boardwalk and we're in the woods section where they definitely weren't allowed to be because there was like a 20 foot drop into the creek there. There are a lot of places to go out of the boardwalk area there should be no reason that they were there. Last week someone broke part of the Pavilions that they have over there so I'm expecting it was probably the same group of teenagers that were there last week that we're supposed to be on the trail. The indoor area is really cool when it's open but right now it's closed and the bathrooms are Porta-Potty rental which are okay clean but they do not have a way to wash your hands so keep that in mind. There's the boardwalk that has two sections it's about 2 mi from the parking lot up into the boardwalk area on both sides. There's also walking trails jogging Trail and there's a little area it looks like they used to do presentation. There's also two Pavilions one in the front for you get to the boardwalk and one on the boardwalk. The one that was on the boardwalk is the one that that got broken. I do not recommend taking an electric Mart cart or wheelchair up on the boardwalk though because there are some areas that are older and it's not level and some of them are farther apart so that's something to...

The bad. The creek bed is very shallow. Tons of trees have fallen into the creek and we got stuck on several of them. It is not a kayaking adventure for people that don't want to scratch up their kayak. The launch is crazy long away from the parking. The good. The nature and shade see thru waters turtles.and gators. It is very beautiful. A ridiculous amount of turtles! Very weird thou once your out there if youve never been because the creek has cut off points and some don't look like you can pass thru them. There is no actual map or signage other than beware of gators and snakes. Huge fish are there. You follow along the walking trail a points on the creek. I don't think we would go again just because of how awful it is to get to the launch and the huge trees that are fallen all over the place that scratch huge gouges into your kayak. The gator we saw was gigantic! 🐊 Turtles are amazing. Swimming ones. Sunbathing ones. They swim right up to you so it looks like someone might be feeding them as they looked like they wanted something Make sure you steer clear of the big trees they also have big branches that cut thru too.. we got stuck a few times. No place to stop not really sure how far you can go. But it's not that long thru the sanctuary part via kayak we were only there about an hour and a half thruout the sanctuary part. On the GPS it looks like you can keep going afterwards to the left it right of that into...

This is perfection within the Florida hiking/nature trail universe.

For those who love strolling on dirt trails through the woods, this is the perfect match! For those who prefer a less rugged hike, the boardwalk trail is extensive, and filled with beautiful sites. These trails go through multiple ecosystems, highlighting natural Florida at its best. More than likely, you’ll see several gopher tortoises in their natural habitats, and on a lucky day, at the creek overlook, the occasional manatee and very large softshell turtle. If you’re really, really lucky, you may see an owl or bobcat (see my photos and videos - I was that fortunate on one of my many trips here)! Sometimes you’ll see massive Florida gar at the overlook as well. There’s also plenty of signage along the trails, identifying native vegetation, creating an educational experience for the whole family.

Don’t forget to stop by the information exhibit center. There you’ll learn about some of the local wildlife and Native American life of the past.

• IMPORTANT: Make sure you bring insect repellent – preferably deep woods off. DO NOT come here wearing cologne, perfume or scented hairspray. Mosquitoes are ferocious, but even worse are the horseflies. They will devour you if you go in without any type of protection. I strongly suggest wearing sneakers. This is not the place to look cute and wear your...