Visitor Information

One of the Spoil Island Projects main goals is enhancement of recreation islands for the enjoyment of the public. Through partnerships with academic institutions, private groups, and government agencies, the Indian River Lagoon Aquatic Preserves Field Office has cleared exotics to create picnic sites, planted native vegetation, and added picnic tables and fire rings to select recreation islands. Check back on this page regularly to view our ever-growing list of islands with completed enhancement projects.

FAQ’s about visiting spoil islands:

• Camping is allowed on recreation and education spoil islands only; view our interactive maps by county on the left column to determine island designations.
  • Conservation islands contain sensitive ecological resources including: nesting bird populations, rare or endangered plant species, or heavy mangrove fringe with no deepwater access. 
    

• Pack out everything you pack in!
• Be sure to bring trash bags to store trash from picnicking.
• Consider bringing “luggable loo’s” for human waste on long stays.
• Do not discard monofilament fishing line on spoil islands as it can become entangled or ingested by lagoon life.

• There are no reservations for campsites or picnic tables, all amenities are available on a first come, first served basis.
   
• Please keep campfires contained to a fire ring or pit. Campfires are prohibited during county or state-wide issued burn bans.
• Visit the Florida Forest Service website for more information on burn bans.
  

• Local boat ramps have varied rules on overnight parking. Be sure to contact the park or ramp before leaving your vehicle there overnight.
   
• Many islands are surrounded by shallow sand bars or seagrass beds. When approaching an island you are unfamiliar with, use caution. Seagrass beds are an important habitat and nursery area for many young recreational fish species!
  • If you do run aground, do not attempt to motor through. Instead: Stop, raise your motor, and pole to deeper water.
     
• Do not cut or damage mangrove trees. Mangroves serve to stabilize shorelines and prevent the spoil islands from eroding as well as provide habitat for various wildlife.
  • Mangroves are recognized statewide for their benefits and as such, are protected under the 1996 Mangrove Trimming and Preservation Act.
     
• Geocaching is allowed on passive and active recreation islands. Caches may not be placed in areas that would cause seekers to impact mangroves, oysters, or seagrass beds. Before placing a cache on a spoil island, please contact the spoil island coordinator with the following information.
  • Your contact information.
  • Latitude/longitude of proposed site.
  • Description of location.
  • Name/size/type of cache.
  • Once approval is received, send a picture of the cache location to the spoil island coordinator.
  • In the cache description, please reference www.spoilislandproject.org to refer visitors for more information.

 If you still have questions about Indian River Lagoon spoil islands, visit the contact page.

Recreation Islands with Amenities

Also viewable on Google Maps: Brevard County, Indian River County, Saint Lucie County

Brevard County

Spoil Island	Amenities	Additional Info
BC46	Two picnic tables, one fire ring	Two tables/fire ring in center of island. One table on northern bank.
BC47	Two picnic tables, two fire rings	One table/pit upland. One set near western spit.
BC48	Picnic pavilion and grilling platform	Pavilion/grill on northeast side of island.

Indian River County

St. Lucie County