Fox Lake is a little-known, but beautiful kayak spot accessible from the boat ramp at Fox Lake Park in Titusville, Florida. Except for the park, the lake’s shoreline is undeveloped and bordered on the western edge by Fox Lake Sanctuary, a recent purchase of 2,500 acres by Brevard County’s Environmentally Hazardous Land Program.
From the boat ramp, paddling north along the western edge brings you to a small stream that runs a few hundred meters into the wetlands and opens up into a small pond. Expect to see a variety of wading birds such as egrets and herons, as well as some ducks, cormorants, and other species. If you paddle from the boat ramp north to the opposite shoreline, then follow that shoreline east and you’ll find yourself rounding a point and heading north once more. Scan the trees for kingfishers, anihingas spreading their wings to dry, raptors high in the trees, and much more. Alligator and otter sightings are always a possibility. You will soon come to a channel through the emergent aquatic vegetation and then to a channel about a mile long that leads to South Lake.
South Lake is a slightly larger lake and can get choppy in windy conditions, so be careful and choose your day wisely, but paddling along the western shoreline will bring you to the mouth of another creek. Enter this creek and follow it west southwest. You might see two other channels leading to the right if they’re not too clogged with brush, but keep left following this stream and you’ll come to another small lake. The southern end of this lake is dominated by a mound. Called a midden, this mound is actually made up of mussel shells and other debris discarded by the area’s previous inhabitants, the Ais Indians, who became extinct shortly after initial contact with European culture.
You are now also inside the Fox Lake Sanctuary and have just paddled down the sanctuary’s designated paddling trail. Land access from Fox Lake Park is currently under development and when it opens in April 2013, Fox Lake Sanctuary will have 7 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails with signage directing the way. The Sanctuary is contiguous with other conservation lands and is home to white-tailed deer, boar, wild turkeys, Florida jays, storks, sandhill cranes, and many other species. The Florida black bear has been photographed by remote motion-sensitive cameras.
The only launch site is Fox Lake Park and all boats must be launched from the boat ramp. To get there from Interstate 95, take exit 215 and head east on State Highway 50 for about 0.3 miles. Turn left at the light onto SR-405 (South Street). Drive north for approximately 2.2 miles until you reach the intersection of Fox Lake Road. Turn left (west) and follow Fox Lake Road until it ends at the park.
