Erna Nixon Park — Attraction in West Melbourne

We last visited Erna Nixon Park on the morning of June 15th 2021. Not for the first time, nor will it be the last. It's one of our favorite parks in Melbourne, FL. Tucked away in West Melbourne, it is a gorgeous little park. Unique to this park in the local area, is the nice little library next to the front office, where you can select from a multitude of books on nature, wildlife, plants, and other subjects, to read in the little shaded and covered picnic area. Also exclusive to Erna Nixon Park is the little reptile room (which is awesome), containing several living snakes and turtles, as well as being decorated with stuffed animals like a fox, several birds, a bobcat, and several others. There is a case containing several skulls and skeletons, an anthill on display, and so many other neat little asides, that it really does deserve visiting and spending some time looking around before even entering the park.

After the amazing experience outside the office, there is a large butterfly garden before entering the park. It has butterfly sculptures and is the largest butterfly garden of any local park in Brevard County.

Then there's the park itself! Quiet, peaceful, relaxing, beautiful. A wooden boardwalk runs through the entirety of the park, with multiple benches throughout for resting, relaxing, or just hanging out enjoying the quiet nature or watching for wildlife. It's not a large park, when compared to many others like Wickham Park, Turkey Creek, the Enchanted Forest, etc., however it is gorgeous and worth the walk (which can be done as quickly as 10 minutes, if you're in a hurry or you can spend hours leisurely taking in everything around you).

In summation, Erna Nixon Park is a hidden gem and well worth visiting. We love this park and will continue to visit several times a year, every year. Go forth, and...

Needs more upkeep. I've been going there as long as I can remember and would love to continue. Just a whole lot of work to be done, along with much more publicity! Almost forgot, but the first time I went to the "Moonlight Stroll" was one of the best and most unique experiences I've had. Exquisitely beautiful and peaceful (with just the right amount of spookiness, lol) but that too has unfortunately gone very downhill as well 😟 I am a 32 year old woman who still remembers my 3rd and 5th grade Field Trips to your gorgeous Nature Park and Trail. It definitely brings back good memories, which is one of the reasons that my fiancé and I still try to make the time to walk through whenever we find the time. As I mentioned earlier though, it is definitely in need of some TLC! If it's a county or state ran facility, then why not get some volunteers together or maybe even hire a crew!! 😱🔨To get the grooming back on track and to keep it special, and NOT let it continue to turn into a dilapidated boardwalk in the middle of a whole lot of trees and bushes, which by the way ARE NOT ALL CLEARLY MARKED. I believe that with some time and effort Erna Nixon could attract a lot more people, and not only tourists but also just people looking to get out in this Florida sun and take a nice walk through...

Located right off of NASA Blvd before you reach the Melbourne Mall. Parking is extremely limited and may be overcrowded on busy days. The paths are immaculate and We really enjoyed the “boardwalk”. There is also a great pavilion with picnic benches which would be an ideal place for lunch. No bikes or pets are allowed. Restrooms were clean and they had a water fountain for hydration. Kids enjoyed reading the short educational plaques throughout the trail. There are also several areas to just stop and rest along the trail. However, the trail is just around a half mile and doesn’t offer enough wildlife or plant diversity to justify more than a 20-30 minute walk at most. We strolled through the Butterfly Garden but didn’t see any butterflies. Overall it’s a very good location if you want a quick stroll through nature, a nice place for an outdoor picnic, or even an excellent place to take photographs. If you’re looking for longer trails check out the Enchanted Forest Sanctuary...