Sebastian Inlet is a man-made cut between the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian River Lagoon, in Brevard County, FL. It was cut across a barrier island in the late 1800’s. The state park is located on either side of the inlet on the barrier island. It has three miles of beaches, a swimming area on the inlet, a small campground, two gift shops and couple of museums. The inlet, the lagoon and the piers are very popular fishing spots, as well as photo opportunities for birders. Over 190 bird species have been identified there.
Pelican Island National Wildlife refuge is about 4 miles south of the park. It was the first National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in the country. We hiked the trails and boardwalk. There were far more birds at Sebation Inlet, but it was definitely worth visiting the historic location.
We enjoyed time on the beautiful beach, walking and running near the park, and seeing all of the birds and dolphins. The familiar sound of boats in the area made us feel at home, as it was like the sounds near our home in Michigan, during the summer. I also realized I like being around people who are fishing. They tend to be quiet and relaxed and generally in a good mood. It was sunny, hot and humid, with the exception of a major storm, with 40 mph wind gusts. After leaving, I really regretted not taking my paddleboard out in the lagoon, on the calm days.
The weather was nice. The restrooms and showers were in good shape and very clean. The campsites were pretty well-maintained. The employees and camp hosts were very friendly and seemed happy to be there. The only problem was the no-see-ums. They were as bad as black flies at their peak in Michigan. Every bite was extremely painful for me, so I was covered from head to toe, while in camp, sweating in the 85-degree humid weather. Dave did not feel the bites, so suffered from the itchy aftermath, looking like he had the measles. We purchased the recommended repellent, but it didn’t help much. We were forced to keep all of the windows closed and leave our noisy air conditioning running because the bugs can fly through window screens. We had reserved two full weeks there, but were happy we could leave early, for an ocean-front site at Gamble Rogers State Park. Though it’s a great park, we will not likely return because of the bugs.
Sebastian Inlet State Park, Vero Beach FL
