archie carr national wildlife refuge

Great place to visit. Good hiking with pleasant observation deck overlooking the Indian River Lagoon. Good biking along adjacent Jungle Trail as well. Easy kayak launch site and easy, protected kayaking around mangroves and inlets. Great for birders and manatee watchers.

We were on overload when we left the visitor center at the refuge. I mean this in a good way. There is so much to see and so much to learn. I believe all ages will enjoy. First go see the 3 movies. I know it may seem tedious to think about watching 3 movies but you Must! They are all well done. The movie about what is happening to our coastal shorelines is quite sobering. The displays are well done. The nature trails both beautiful and informative. The refuge spans over 20 linear miles akong Florida's central east coast. Pick up a brochure at the visitor center and pick areas to explore. What a wonderful enlightening place to visit!

This is an extremely important refuge for endangered sea turtle nesting. They have at least four types of sea turtles that use the area as their nesting locations and during the summer season there are a number of "turtle walk" opportunities offered.

We were staying at the Costa d'Este Beach Resort in Vero Beach.They hooked us up with a turtle walk with the Archie Carr Refuge.What an amazing experience! We showed up at sunset, to be greeted by an extremely knowledgeable ranger, who gave us a presentation on Sea Turtles full of great Q and A. While we were in the presentation, there were volunteers out on the beach watching for turtles to come up and lay their eggs. The volunteers radioed the ranger to alert her that a turtle had been spotted. The ranger took us to the location on the beach in time for us to see the turtle lay her eggs! It was amazing! Thanks to the Costa d'Este Beach Resort for setting this up!

A great beach park. Very natural surroundings and there are bathroom facilities. Lots of nature and a natural setting. Clised in A1A.

Do not use 20th street address shown here. It takes you to park service office blog (we know because that's where we ended up). Go to website for Carr Reserve. It is on A1A near beaches, not in downtown area where 20th street is.

Enjoyed that this area is so well taken care of and preserved for the wildlife, especially the sea turtles. A must visit if you're in the area.

This is a nice small educational exhibit about the nature and wildlife of Vero beach. Many helpful volunteers and some interesting exhibits. Admission is free. The walking trail wasnice but one area had lots of flying insects. They had a movie with information about the local sea turtles and conservation. They have a small gift shop. They also run night time turtle walks here. Be sure to reserve in advance if interested.

Very interesting place to learn a lot about sea turtles and other marine life. The volunteer staff is friendly and helpful and the facilities are clean. There is a small auditorium showing a continuous film. Outside is a beach area to roam and there is a boardwalk area through part of the dunes. It's interesting for both kids and adults.

This is a nice visitor center with boardwalks for short hikes. The focus is on sea turtles and the exhibits were very well done and informative. It was good to learn how much is being done to safeguard these neat animals!

This refuge stretches for about 20 miles along A1A. I am so thankful the State has deemed this area worthy of protection-it is priceless natural beauty. The beaches are clean, the waters a gorgeous turquoise and aqua color, and there are numerous bike and walking trails. There are many areas to have a serene picnic lunch as well. The visitor center is a must as are the trails around the center. We plan to go back during the turtle nesting season and really looking forward to witnessing that spectacle. This area epitomizes the Florida that I love.

This wildlife educational facility and hiking area was fantastic. Inside you can learn about the various turtles and birds of the area. I liked most the video of the turtle laying eggs on the beach. Hope this building withstands the next hurricane. I saw a wild bobcat on the hiking trail.

My husband & stopped by on a whim. We were able to participate in a nature walk before walking in the center. The walk was easy and there was young children & seniors with us.

We went on a night trip to Archie Carr to try and see loggerhead turtles laying their eggs. Unfortunately we had to give up at midnight as they failed to turn up for us but the Information Centre there is really interesting and we learned a lot about the marine life of the area from the staff.

The Barrier Island Sanctuary Management and Education Center on A1A is a lovely spot for a break. The small education center houses exhibits and some interactive information stations fun for young and old. There is a small gift shop with proceeds going to the refuge. Nice indoor restrooms.Outside the building is a short boardwalk trail where visitors can see native plants and the ocean. Great spot for vacation photos with beach in the background! There is also an unpaved one mile trail across the street where you can spot crabs, tortoises and plenty of birds. and take advantage of picnic benches, kayak launch sites and beach. Parking and admission is free but please leave a donation!