We almost missed Manatee Hammock. Not “missed” as in drove by but “missed” as in our miserable head colds pretty much prevented us from doing anything other than staying in and bitchin’.

Pool and Rec Hall area!

Manatee Hammock is a Brevard County day-use park and CG just south of Titusville, Fla. It’s big, 152 FHU sites, 36 w/e sites, showerhouses, laundry, pool yada yada and FAST WIFI! It spreads from US 1 to the fishing pier on the Indian River. That big white building you see on the other side of the river, about 10 miles away, is the Vehicle Assembly Building at KSC. This is the perfect spot to watch rocket launches if you can’t get on KSC property.

Indian River

The county bus line stops at the park; you can catch a bus to the Winn Dixie a couple of miles away, to the movieplex in Titusville, and actually across the 70-mile length of Brevard County and from West Melbourne to KSC.

On the side of the CG by the highway you’ll hear whatever comes by, which sounds like mostly bikers. And the trains. Fortunately we like trains; the horns and thunder don’t bother us a whole lot. But FEC runs alongside US 1. So the closer to the river you can get the quieter.

Picnic Shelter

Now, for the other noise. There’s a helicopter training school over at TiCo airport, formerly Shiloh AAF, and those little mosquitos fly over a lot. Fortunately they shut down at dark.

This isn’t advertised as a big-rig park but it is. You big guys will have to unhook your toads up at the entrance, but throughout the park you shouldn’t have any problem getting settled in a site. I didn’t see any roof-scrapers. Water, electric and sewer work. Unfortunately your satellite TV might not work; try to get just north of a building or along the south side of the park.

Pier at Indian River!

Of particular note is that this is a PP CG; half-price from April 15 to December 15. What a screaming deal!

We also especially noted that the CG has a large percentage of younger campers. We’ve been down in south Florida and we’ve been seeing lots of tag-axle Newells and Newmars and codgers while here at Manatee Hammock the predominant camper is a fiver and a lot of people are 35-45, not 65-75.

Anyway, we could easily return and spend weeks or months here.

Manatee Hammock Campground
7275 South U.S. Highway 1
Titusville, FL 32780

Phone: 321-264-5083
Fax: 321-264-6468

http://www.brevardcounty.us/ParksRecreation/Campgrounds/ManateeHammock/Rates

St. Lucie South at St. Lucie Lock is a tiny Corps of Engineers campground close but not too close to the Florida Turnpike and I-95 southwest of Stuart, Fla. It’s right on the St. Lucie Canal part of the Okeechobee Waterway.

The campground features nine paved W/E campsites complete with covered picnic tables and fire rings, eight boat dockage W/E sites and a few tent campsites. Everything’s in great condition and the bathhouse is immaculate.

Come in by land or water.

Here’s the bathhouse.

There’s not a whole lot to do within the campground other than walk and fish and watch the water slosh. For more intrepid walkers and bicyclists there’s the surrounding community to explore.

The Lock

Directions to St. Lucie Lock Recreation Area

Campground Office is at N27º 06′ 37.21″ W80º 17′ 06.16″. The physical address is 2170 SW Canal Street/Campground, Stuart, FL 34997

Phone: 772-287-1382

From I-95, take Exit 101 (Stuart/Indiantown), following SR 76 W for 0.5 miles to Locks Road. Turn N on Locks Road to Canal Street intersection and make a left into the campground.

http://www.saj.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/Recreation/Camping/StLucieSouth.aspx