We are customers of the park only and we are not involved in park management. However, I will communicate with you about the park if you desire.

Over the years I have received many e-mails asking questions about the park, so I have expanded this section of the web site to provide more of the information that potential visitors to our paradise need.

This page was created using Microsoft Front Page. Some features, titles for instance, are not compatible with some web browsers. Firefox is one example of lack of compatibility.

...A Web Cam mounted in Jetty Park. It can be remotely controlled through your computer. Covers the beach area of the park. No good at night. Link check -- not working.

This is a photograph of Jetty Park looking from the East (Ocean -- bottom of the picture) towards the West (the Barrier Island -- center of the image). The water in the background at top of the picture is the Banana River. The land in the bottom of the image, center, is the beach that is a part of the park.The pier sticking out into the ocean at the bottom of the image is the fishing pier. The figure 8 (kind of) pattern of roads just above the beach is the camping area of the park.

This is an older picture and there has been much construction in-side the green area to the left of the park. Disney (using the name Ron-Jon) has built a large condominium complex in that area.

To the lower right of the picture is the first turning basin. It is the US Navy's Trident Turning Basin, and above that is the second turning basin and it is used by most of the shipping in the harbor. Above that is the third basin that is used by both the US Coast Guard and the Cruise Ships for turning and mooring. The Trident Turning Basin has a docking facility that is used to accommodate both submarines and surface ships that are visiting this area. The ships can be here for missile testing operations or for repair. They also visit for R & R periods. The visiting ships are from several different countries. This activity is clearly visible from the North area of Jetty Park.

For more about the Cruise Ships select the "Parade" link at the bottom of this page. For more information about missile launches select "Home Page" at the bottom of this page

There is a WKMG TV6 camera mounted on a tower in the port area and you can view the port day and night. Day pictures are good, but night not so good as the camera's auto focus does not work well. They have recently improved the camera and much better pictures are available now.

CAMPING IN JETTY PARK
PORT CANAVERAL, FLORIDA, USA

History

We first camped in the park in mid 1960s' while on various temporary assignments in this area. During the 1970s' we moved to this area and we increased the frequency of our park visits. During that time period the park was very much un-improved and we owned small simple camping trailers. There were no hook-ups for RVs' or paved roads or shops.  The park was reached by driving on a dirt road past the old Coast Guard Station, now moved to the other side of the port, and into the park. There were no gates, guards or troublemakers and the fishing was great. We moved to Virginia in the mid 1970s there by temporally ending our use of the park. We moved back to this area in the 1990s' and in 1997 we purchased a Class "C" RV. In October 1997 we again camped in the park. We were about 7 miles from our home. Well! The park scenery is quite different from that available while parked in our driveway or backyard at home on Merritt Island. We camp in the park several times a year now. Today the park has a modern campground with many features available.

In Park Activities

Unlike many parks, Jetty has a lot of varied activities to amuse the folks lucky enough to be camping there. There is fishing, swimming in the ocean, and bicycling. There are restaurants near enough to the park that they can be visited on a bicycle. When we stay there we often find ourselves eating in the local restaurants rather than cooking in the park. While there are pavilions available there are no community rooms for guests as there are in many campgrounds. With the activities available in and near the park I see no need for these amenities.

Boat Ramps

There are no boat launching ramps or docks in the park, but there are two free public ramps close by in the port area. Both are free ramps and are large and easy to use operations. Both have free wash-down areas for your boat. Parking for your trailers is provided in both parks. The East ramp is the starting point for many fishing contests.

Missile Launches

Jetty Park is a good place to watch Space Shuttle launches. A shuttle can be seen from a few seconds after lift-off to many minutes into the flight. If the shuttle is traveling on its South Profile it passes close to the park. It is an extraordinary sight. The North profile causes the shuttle to fly away from the park, but is still a fantastic sight as the shuttle burns its way into space. Shuttle landings are not a good viewing event as the shuttle is too high and too far away to be seen as it makes its approach to landing at Merritt Island Landing Area (MILA). However, two sonic booms generated by the shuttle can not be ignored as the shuttle approaches MILA for landing. When the shuttle lands some where else it is returned to its home on Merritt Island by riding a top a special Boeing 747. They always make a low pass over the park and the view from the park is fantastic.

Delta commercial and military launches are from a launch area just across the water, maybe 4 miles from the park. The Atlas launch site is farther to the North, but is close enough to the park to be an impressive sight. As in the paragraph above the flight profile effects the view-ability of the launch.

There are many other viewing locations in the local area and each provides its own advantages and disadvantages.

Jetty Cats

We now visit the park several times a week because Betty is a Care-giver to a small colony of feral cats that live among the rocks on the North side of the park. She is known to many park visitors as the "Cat Lady." Betty's two favorite cats are "Tagie-girl" and "Boots" both are tabbies and are in the Neuter And Return Program. Clipped ear tips show that the cat you are looking at are in the "NeuterNReturn" program. In addition to neutering the cats also receive a basic inoculation series. The clipped ears you see are not the result of the cats fighting among themselves as many people think, but is a mark to identify the cat as a participant in the official State of Florida NeuterNReturn program. When we visit the park these days we could be in any of the vehicles we own, but normally we are in our white 1985 Oldsmobile "Beach Car" that is rusting because of contact with the salt air of the ocean. We describe it as our Beach Car.

If you see Betty feeding the cats by the rocks stop by and say hello to her, she likes to talk to people.

Park Reservations

For hookups it is wise to make reservations early (90 days is good).

Hurricane Damage (Charley [145MPH], Frances [145MPH] And Jeanne [120MPH])

The park is open both as a park and a campground. The park buildings and sheds are being worked on and most are usable. The fishing pier is closed for inspection and repair. The park trees are a mess.

All the leaves were striped from the trees by the hurricane winds, and now the trees look like spring time because they are sprouting new leaves to replace the lost ones. Some trees were blown over and many lost limbs. There is a clean up and repair effort going on and soon all will be back to normal, but with much less vegetation in the campground section of the park.

Update November 11, 2004

The fishing pier is still closed and will be for a while. Its primary structure is not damaged, but fixtures, railings and such, are severely damaged and must be repaired before the public can be allowed to use the pier.

The Bate Shop, Snack Shop and Restrooms located near the beach are closed because they are undergoing major refurbishment and new roofs are being installed. The Restrooms on the north shore were not damaged and are in service. The two Restroom, Laundry Room buildings in the camping area did not sustain major damage and are also in full use.

Trimming and removal of damaged trees is continuing, and several truck loads of waste have been removed. There is still much to be done, but the grounds are presentable now. The trees surrounding our favorite camping space sustained so much damage that we no longer care to use that space. But, all-in-all, the campground is ready for your arrival. A few snowbirds have already arrived to begin their winter in paradise.

Update December 6, 2004

The fishing pier is now open during daylight hours only. The pier's electrical system has not been repaired, so there are no lights on the pier. Park management requires that the pier lights be operating when people are fishing on the pier at night.

Update March 14, 2005

Most of Jetty Park is back to normal operation, except the pier and the northern water front area. Electricity has not been restored to those areas. The rewiring project is being worked on now. All electrified camping spots are functioning as they should. The park is closed to day visitors after 6:30PM because there are no lights available.

Update May 08, 2005

All Jetty Park operations are back to normal, except the Bate Shop and the Snack Shop are still in the Camping Store. The park now closes at 9:00PM (dusk). The Fishing Pier is open 24/7. Temporary Rest Rooms are still being used in the old Bate Shop area while major improvements to the old building take place.

A note for the "old timers" at the park. The much talked about "Green Parrot Tree" is gone, a victim of the hurricanes.

 --Frank--

Note From A Jetty Park Camper

A fisherman waiting for that moment when the biggest fish in the world takes his bate. Fishing is never bad, but some times it is better than other times. Several fish runs occur each year.

Port Canaveral is a major cruise ship port. This ship is the S/S Dolphin IV. The vessel will steam pass the jetty on its way to its dock. Tens of thousands of tour ship guests pass through the port every year. Most do not visit this area so they miss a lot.

The Dolphin IV docking. The ship entered the port, pass the pier, then continued up the canal to the third turning basin, where she turned around and came back down the canal to her dock. She is equipped with thrusters so tug boats are not needed for docking.

This ship is the HMS Scott. Many UK and Canadian ships visit here for R & R and minor repairs. During a normal day on Cocoa Beach many languages are heard spoken.

The pier is used all day and most of the night. It extends into the Atlantic Ocean and permits ocean fishing without a boat. The concrete pier is less than two years old.

Brown pelicans are indigenous to this area. There are a few hundred living in the port area.

A small ever present Sand Piper cleaning the pier. These little birds scurry about from dawn to dusk eating all the teeny morsels of food they can locate.

A small flock of Pelicans passing in front of the sun rise. They normally fly in groups of 2 to 35. They form their flocks in the morning and go out to sea to fish most of the day. When they return in the evening they fly from south to north up the beach at low altitude. Some stay in the port area and display their diving talents for the people. They do enjoy showing-off.

For a MapQuest map showing the park's location. After viewing the map Right click on map page and left click on Back Command to return here.