General Information
Klondike beach trail is part of the Canaveral National Seashore and is really a hidden gem. It is a true wilderness beach on Florida’s east coast. The National Park Service doesn’t even distribute a map and barely mentions Klondike beach on its Canaveral Seashore site.
If you are visiting the space coast including Kennedy Space Center or making a trip to Walt Disney World and want to get away from the crowds, Klondike beach is a great way to find some peace and quiet.
It accessible from Apollo Beach from the north end or Playalinda Beach to the south, both of which allow nudity, which comes up in a lot when people recount their visit. There is no way to get to the Klondike Beach without passing a nude beach.
In between are 10 miles of pristine beaches where you will see few people, hardly even park rangers, and tons of wildlife including birds, turtles, deer, feral hogs, crabs, and more.
You will need to prepare for your visit well as there are virtually no amenities. Depending if you are through-hiking or just going part way you will need to plan to bring water, food, sunscreen and appropriate shoes and attire for both beach hiking and trail hiking.
You will also need to purchase a day use backcountry permit for $5 for your hike in addition to the $25 park entry fee per vehicle. You will need to plan ahead as they only sell 25 of these permits per day on a first come first basis so be sure to get there early. The $25 entrance fee is covered by annual pass to the national parks if you have one.
You also must plan to be out of the park by closing time. (8PM in the summer and 6PM in the winter)
Even with the difficulty of accessing it, visitors to Klondike beach trail find a once in a lifetime opportunity to visit a completely pristine beach and see Florida the way the Native Americans or early settlers would have seen it.
Other Nearby Experiences
If you want additional experienes, Apollo Beach park also features backcountry camping on the Mosquito Lagoon. It’s boat in and boat out to these rustic campsites with no amenities. If you are interested they can be reserved 6 months advance. More details about backcountry camping opportunities are available here or at the Apollo Beach visitor center.
Also, located on the northern end the Mosquito Lagoon is Turtle Mound which the the largest shell midden in the United States.
General Information
Address: 3208028.70242071638462, -80.66710301019327 – there isn’t a good address but this gets you to the Playalinda beach parking lot by the trailhead. This is the south entrance and most people find this easier to find the trailhead. There is also a north entrance from Apollo beach.
Hours: 6am-8pm
Distance from Orlando: 54 miles
Crowd Level: Low
Handicap Accessibility:none
Official URL: https://www.nps.gov/cana/index.htm
Activities
- Bird Watching
- Fishing
- Hiking
- Shelling
- Swimming
- Wildlife
Amenities
- A back-country trail
- Parking areas at Playalinda or Apollo Beach ($25 entrance fee)
What’s Allowed
- Pets: Yes, on the leashes on the lagoon side, not on the beach
- Nudity: Yes
- Cars on Beach: No