Fox Lake is a little known but beautiful kayaking spot accessible from the boat ramp at Fox Lake Park in Titusville, Florida. Except for the park by the lake is undeveloped and confined along the western edge of Fox Lake Sanctuary, a recent purchase of 2,500 acres in the Brevard County Environmentally land program endangered.
From the boat ramp, paddle north along the western edge of a small creek leads extends a few hundred yards back into wetlands, and opens on a small pond. Expect to see a variety of shorebirds like egrets and herons and ducks, cormorants and other species. If rowing north ramp to the opposite coast, then follow the coast east and rounding a point north again you found. Tree analysis for the kingfisher, anihingas spreading its wings to dry, Raptors in the treetops, and more. Observations of alligators and otters are always a possibility. Soon you come to a channel through the emergent aquatic vegetation and a canal about a mile long leading to South Lake.
South Lake is a lake of something big and can get rough in windy conditions, so be careful and take your day wisely, but paddleling along the west coast, you come to the mouth of another flow. Enter the flow and go southwest to the west. You can see two other channels that lead to the right if they are not too weedchoked, but keep left following this flow and make another small lake. The south end of the lake is dominated by a mound. Called a dump, that hill is actually mussel shells and other debris discarded by the ancient inhabitants of the region, the Ais Indians, who died shortly after a first contact with European culture.
It is also present in Fox Lake Sanctuary and just paddled paddling trail designated by the sanctuary. Access to Fox Lake Park land is currently in development and after opening in April 2013, Fox Lake Sanctuary has seven miles of hiking and mountain biking with signaling to the head. The Sanctuary is contiguous with other conservation land and is home to deer, wild boar, wild turkey, Florida jays, storks, sandhill cranes and many other species. Florida black bear was photographed by sensitive cameras remotely movement.
The only place the press of Fox Lake Park and all ships should be launched from the boat ramp. To get there from Highway 95, take exit 215 east on State Road 50 for about 0.3 miles. Turn left at the traffic light onto SR-405 (South Street). Drive north for about 2.2 miles to the intersection of Fox Lake Road. Turn left (west) and follow Fox Lake Road until it ends at the park.
Dean R. Pettit is the author of the coast of outer space, an online resource for outdoor adventures self-guided along the Space Coast of Florida, and includes sites and other information fishing, bird watching, kayaking, hiking, biking, camping, surfing, windsurfing, diving, golf, and more. Outdoor Space Coast also has directories of guides, outfitters, attractions, bars, restaurants, hotels, and more.
