Apollo Beach Reviews

Beautiful beach where your birthday suit can also be your bathing suit. Parking is limited, so get there early. Because of limited parking, the beach is not crowded. Great place to get a great tan.

Apollo Beach has miles of undeveloped beach. It is a beautiful place, and from the beach it looks pretty much the same as when Europeans first saw it, If you want to step back in time this is a great place to do it. There are some negatives though. The bathrooms are disgusting, and prepare for bugs. I spent about four and a half hours on the beach, and was continually swarmed and bitten by horse flies and mosquitoes. I must have looked like a crazy person, constantly getting up to swat at flies, and mosquitoes. There were people a couple hundred yards to either side that didn't seem to have a problem, so it may have just been my spot. The visitor center has a good film about the park, and the Endora Loop trail and Turtle Mound showcase the history of the area. Overall it is a beautiful park, but for the $10 entry fee you would be better off going to St. Augustine Beach. If you go to the left after getting on the beach near the pier, it enters a state park that has the same unspoiled beauty as Apollo, without the bugs.

Love going to Apollo Beach/Canaveral Sea Shore. Not very crowed even on weekends. Not many facilities except rest rooms. Parking area 1 has showers but the other parking areas don't.

Hurricane Matthew has rewritten this beach in as much as it is now flatter and wider where the nearest dunes used to be. It has also unfortunately piled up plastic bottles, driftwood and other debris from the incoming tides and left it high and dry - at least if was like that when I visited. If I stayed in the area I would have been happy to volunteer to help gather together the rubbish - a lot of it recyclable after all !

So much also remains the same as the walk is beautiful still but in a different way. The pelicans and Snowy egrets and the little waders - Sanderlings, turnstones and willets that seem to run off their feet still patrol the shoreline and are comical when they are running in front of you.

Hopefully I will get back here in February 2017 to walk between the car parks 4 and 5 which is about 5 miles return back and forth.

Had a GREAT day at Apollo Beach. CLOTHING OPTIONAL - totally legal. Clear, clean ocean water. Very quiet and peaceful. The middle of nowhere. Only CONS - very little parking and no "running water" in the bathrooms. I will return.

9/18/21; The beach is beautiful and easy to get a parking spot in #5, and probably due to Covid and kids going back to school. The weekends are still busy due to locals. The snowbirds will not be back until next month and stay until March and April. There is no construction on any of the boardwalks. But if we get a major hurricane that could change, I will post again if that happens. The rangers are not patrolling as much but I did see a female ranger in an unmarked SUV down at lot #5 telling a guy he was in the cul-de-sac going the wrong way and to get on the correct side of the road. I am there three to four days a week, walking the beach with my tilly (Indiana Jones) hat.

Besides the getting bite up getting out of car it was a great 1st experience to a nude beach . Already planning trip back .

This beach area will take you back to earlier Florida days with ideal quietness and serenity. You will find fisherman and nudists at certain parking locations, but not concession stands or other commercial enterprise.

It is a great place to get away from a hectic life and get a total tan.

Reviewing some of the previous reviews, everyone is talking about parking lot #5 which is clothing optional . There are 4 other parking areas each about a mile apart with limited parking. So if you like beaches that are not crowded this is the place. I spent 3 days their and loved every minute of it. Seas were relatively calm, but during earlier visits the seas were rough to the point that if there were life guards they would be flying red flags. We always go early as parking can be a challenge where people wait in line for a space. Flying bugs can be a problem so bring bug spray. Bottle nose dolphins kept entertained. We happened to show up at the right time as one of the many turtle nests was hatching its eggs. Great three days I will return at first chance.

Apollo Beach is located in the Cape Canaveral Seashore National Park. All National Park rules and laws apply here...but nude sunbathing and surfing is "tolerated", primarily at Parking area #5. Don't forget your sunscreen!! Check out the Facebook page at:

https://www.facebook.com/CAPECANAVERALSUNBATHING

Beautiful long beaches, a little littered with debris washed up on shore, but still a beautiful place to enjoy the sun and sand. Close to Daytona Beach.

This is the most beautiful untouched almost by man beach you will ever see. Protected by the Fed Goverment, it will stay that way and there is no Fed law against nude sunbathing. It is at the far south parking and very limited parking. If you like otherwise thats still great at every other parking area along the drive where the huge scallop shells wash up at certain times, and starfish. You will never again see a beach like this.

South,Past parking area 5 is clothing-optional. I know, I'm a Nudist. Also, Playalinda parking area 13 is clothing-optional. I've heard there had been signs some time ago, but were removed. So, if you're not a naturist/nudist. Their will be nude bodies on the beach. My wife and I stopped a family on the cross over to lit them know that South of the cross over is clothing-optional. They were shocked. Thinking they would snatch the kids up and run as far away as possible. To our surprise, they stayed. We need more families like them. They don't mind The Naturist/Nudist Lifestyle.

Awesome drive and views. Would have loved to participate in national park boat tours but were all full. Book in advance! Very popular!

We are African Americans and was somewhat suspicious before arriving. It was our first experience and delighted with the overall experience. Everyone was very friendly, young people, old people all races.

Have been to Apollo Beach several times now. Get to the far end of A1A thru the State Park. Very limited parking. And yes, if you park illegally you will get towed!! As you walk to the beach, turn right and walk about 1000 feet. You'll know when you;'re there because you will be the over dressed person. It's a relaxing atmosphere. Didn't encounter many gawkers but it is very secluded and not crowded. All shapes and sizes so you won't find super-models...just average people enjoying the beach. See you in April!!!!!

Part of the National Park System. Long undeveloped slip of land and waterways that are part of the park system. We went in January and there were no crowds. Just lots of quiet beach with some historical tours. Loved it. Great for the over 50 group

Stunning, exotic, away from it all, inspiring, happy place. If you like to walk you can go for miles and see surf fishermen , incredible possible wildlife sightings , the big sky , roaring surf , odd shells , a misty launch pad from NASA is sometimes visible to the South , and yes , way South a nude beach where all are welcome and I can tell you from experience it's no big deal just all sorts , ages , and sizes avoiding those pesky tan lines : )

This the name of the beach located within the US Park Service's Canaveral National Seashore. This a 23 mile long undeveloped section of the coast. The north entrance is at New Smyrna Beach, Florida. There is a $5 admission charge, however the gate is open before dawn and the station is not manned until 8:00ish. Also annual passes are available fora very reasonable fee.

As you would expect, the facility is mixed use, fishermen, boating, sunbathing, swimming, etc. Pretty much what you would expect at any beach around the country. However, what makes this unique is parking lot #5. As one drives along the main road in the park you pass parking lots 1 through 4 and notice only a couple cars in each lot. However, when you reach lot #5 you generally see a full lot with few, if any, parking spots available.

Why is that you ask? This is a good question with a great answer. This is a clothing optional beach. Please note that nudity is not permitted at any other part of the park.

As with each of the parking lots there are restrooms and this is the only facility so plan ahead. Take the ramp onto the sand and walk to the right (south) and soon you will know you have arrived. For the next mile, you will find a few people partially clothed but the vast majority are nude.

It is very much a mixed crowd, age wide and sex. Some single men and a few children but mainly couples. For those who may be self conscious about there body type, rest assured there are people there just like you. People do the same things here that they do on any beach: walk, fish, throw a football, swim, play volleyball, sunbathe and visit with each other.

Occassionaly you will see a park service ranger ride by on a four wheeler. They are looking for specifics mainly inappropriate behavior (petting or more), disturbing turtle nests, glass containers and treading on the dunes. I am not certain what the rules are regarding alcohol but everyone has a cooler of beer.

Remember this is a public beach and do have an occasional gawker. Simply make eye contact with them and they will generally get self conscious and go away.

The beach is wide and clean and top notch. The only draw back is the limited number of parking spot at lot #5. Without this drawback the review would be a 5.

It is a good idea to call the Ranger's office and thank them for the C/O section. This will encourage them to keep and hopefully maintain.

This type activity is not for everyone but you should try it once. Happiness is no tan lines and "brown fat is more attractive than white fat"

I would have given it 5 stars, but parking is tough. My wife and I spent the day there in June 2019 and really enjoyed it. No one bothered us and those we spoke with were friendly. There were about 30 people, several were fishing. Age range early twenties to 80. We would go again in a heart beat.

We drove to Apollo Beach to watch a Rocket Launch.. It was beautiful day, a little windy and then ocean fog came over, blocked our view of the rocket, but we did see the contrail and heard the loud boom... Excellent beach.. There are 5 parking lots and space is limited. The area closes at 6pm. If there wasn't fog, it would of been perfect to see the rocket launch, it's 20 miles from launch site.
Lots of people fishing from the beach.. Nice, clean, enjoyed.
$5 for parking closes at 6pm.

I had a very nice, peaceful, tranquil day at the beach. People were friendly. The beach was very clean! A momma bird was teaching her baby to hunt for food and eat.

we had a great time here great beach nice and clean well kept the only bad thing is no showers around after the beach , but there is bathrooms where you can change clothes , $10.00 fee for getting in the beach ,again no running water around (fresh water)

I've got nothing against nudist beaches - hey the more the merrier. Would have been nice though if there were a sign or some notification that it was there. When we drove in and paid $5, we got no info about the park, no brochure, from the guy. No sign at all at the beach stops about clothing optional. Other than that the park has turtle mound, a 1000 year old pile of oyster shells. Sweet. Feel free to use my $5 to buy a clothing optional sign. Maybe I'll come back when I'm as old and fat as most of the folks on the beach, sitting my naked butt on top of a pile of oyster shells.

We loved each stop along the national seashore- the beaches were gorgeous and the visitor center was interesting.

Parking is very limited. Wide open space. Very HOT Day so did not stay long. Will return next time in the area.

Clean, wide open space, and has sea grass to protect & provide privacy for the beach from the road. The bathrooms and parking lots are clean, and safe. We saw gopher turtles, a pair of Sandhill Cranes, and a red tailed hawk all in their natural settings. Also, saw a dolphin and it's baby when we were leaving.

Lot #5 is up and running.. And packed! You can only park in designated spaces and once they are full, you're just out of luck. My point is to come early if you want the "clothing optional" option. Nothing beats commando body surfing! The beach is beautiful and pristine. The turquoise water is the perfect temperature, just cool enough to refresh. Bonus.. Alcohol is permitted, just no glass. Nude and tipsy is a spectacular way to enjoy a day at the beach. Don't knock it til you try it. Highly recommended!

This beach lived up to the hype! Clean sand, clear blue water, massive amount of wild life! This place is excellent. We saw turtles, a fox, even deer! Not on the beach but getting there. It was a great drive.

My wife and I just got back from Apollo, we had never tried a nude beach before. We found Apollo very relaxing. We had one "gawker" that planted himself between my wife and another attractive female last Saturday (19th). He eventually moved on but left his sandals to come back for another "look". But, my wife was comfortable and didn't mind the feeling of being nude at all.

May 2018; The park is still making improvements such as repairing hurricane damage and using composite lumber now. I recently found an interesting fact about this beach; the native Indians were hear over 1000 years ago and actually lived at Apollo's very spot (see Turtle mound reviews) hunting/fishing the waters of the lagoon and ocean. I was also informed that civilized man has been using this beach as nude for over 75 years, yes since 1940-1945.
With the recent tropical storm 'Memorial Day weekend' the beach now has a 5" diameter tow rope off a barge buried in the sand and an old car frame has been exposed again which is rare. The turtles are nesting now until later this summer.

Not many tourists travel on A1A South of New Smyrna Beach, and that's what makes this park attractive, because you discover nature, history and culture everywhere in that area.

Yes, just found out today that Parking lot #5 (last parking lot) is closed with a barricade. I arrived at that barricade at 11:15 AM and on the way down noticed that all the parking spots were filled in lots 2,3,4 with people waiting. I finally found the information on a site that states this:

"Construction is also set to continue on the boardwalk of parking area #5 in the Apollo district of the seashore. This last phase of replacement is expected to last 10 to 12 weeks. Parking area #5 of the Apollo district will be closed beginning April 20, 2015 and remain closed until construction is complete.

This is a project is funded using your recreational fee dollars. "

So what I am saying is this; if all the parking spots were filled in 2,3,4 on a Friday when most people are working then the weekends will be worse. I did stop and speak with a ranger about not telling people that the spots were filled and he said he had no idea of knowing that. I stated that there was a Ranger's truck parked in lot #4 and he should have radio'ed him. HOWEVER, he stated that lot #1 has spots as it was very long. I did notice on the way out that the south parking was full in #1 but when I left I examined the north part of Lot #1 and it has some spots left. Contact me for updates.

Unspoiled Canaveral National Seashore is the perfect place to spend some time without dealing cars & hundreds of people on the beach.

Absolutely incredible experience! First time at Apollo and it was even better than I expected. As soon as I got undressed I fit in perfectly with everyone else. Take it from a first time visitor, don't think about it just go and do it. I promise your experience will be amazing. All ages, sizes, and shapes are welcome at this wonderful beach. Hopefully I can bring someone along next time or meet up with someone since I was very nervous going solo but honestly it was still a great time. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me!

For my BFF's first visit to the Ocean, this park was the perfect place for her to experience coastal Flordia without condos, motels, and party bars. The park Naturalists were very friendly and helpful as were the local kayakers we encountered. There were multiple piers and trails from which to look for sea life (We spotted a couple of manatees and some dolphins). The naturalist explained that during the spring and summer the water is muddy, but in the winter months, the visibility is much better. This park is a gem and and we plan to visit the rest of Canaveral National Seashore on our next visit. We visited the Northernmost part of the park near New Smyrna Beach. On the approach driving South on A1A, there is a county Beach, Bethune Beach Park, for the Atlantic Beach experience with parking, restrooms, showers, seasonal lifeguards, and no cars on the beach. Make sure to take insect repellent and/or dress to avoid the stinging, biting, flying and crawling wildlife on the abundant trails.

Has anyone taken a Taxicab to the lots? If they are croudedas everyone says the a taxi maybe the way to go.

Good beach for adults because it is mostly clothing optional the further down you go. It is pretty crowded at times but if you go during weekday not too bad. It's been awhile since I was there last but it seemed the creepy old pervert men like to go there to looky loo but there are some more seclude areas you can go to to not be directly by anyone. There are usually some nice shells since there are no cars there and sometimes you can find other treasures washed up on beach. Sometimes parking is a challenge and they run out of spots. All in all I'd recommend it.

Great beach. Parking is very limited, but that makes for a very remote feeling. Long stretches of beach available.

The protocol at Apollo Beach Parking Lot 5 in the Canaveral National Seashore has changed considerably since I was last there a few years ago.
( my more recent visits to the nude beach has been to Blind Creek Beach at Fort Pierce)
Anyway when you got to the limited parking of lot 5 and were early enough or fortunate enough to find an empty parking space, there are not many, you would gather the things you wanted on the beach walk across the boardwalk turn right down the ramp headed south and walk 100 or so yards before you encountered the nude area. In that direction for the first few feet and right around the boardwalk people were always clothed. The same for the beach to the north of the boardwalk.
On my recent trip I noted there is now a sign along the roadway shortly before you reach Lot 4 stating “You May Encounter Nude Sunbathing Within Boardwalk 5.” The reality is you might encounter nudity right in the lot 5 parking lot. Then after you cross the boardwalk the nude sunbathing is not just to the South of the boardwalk but in both directions, south AND north, and within just feet of the boardwalk. During the 2 recent days I visited there was actually somebody sun bathing nude ON the boardwalk.
I love this evolution as I've never been a fan of long walks carrying gear in the soft coquina sand. I enjoy that kind of walk even less as I've grown older.

Beautiful well preserved stretch of beach. Parking areas are small so beat to get there very early or after 4pm. Last parking area is a nude beach, just a heads up to anyone not into that. The bathrooms are not too great and only parking area one has showers to rinse off. I visit every time I come to Florida. 20$ for a one week pass.

No frills, no mess, no development, no noise. Lot 5 & beyond semi-officially clothing optional (but I was told by a ranger a couple of years ago that actually it was OK to go nude anywhere in the park).

Went to ramp 2 and watched the sunrise
We were the ones there and it was great
After sunrise we drove down past ramp 5 and it looked liked the fishermen were filling up the lot
Definitely going back

Apollo Beach sand is quite coarse and difficult to walk any significant distance. I prefer Playlinda Beach as the sand compacts well near the serf and at higher places on the beach. The compacted sand makes walking a lot easier.

This park is located at the south end of A1A on New Smyrna Beach. I have always known the park as Canaveral Nation Seashore...but I guess the ranger manned entry is named Apollo Beach Ranger Station. If you decide to go, go early as parking is limited at all 5 stops.

In the past, the best surf fishing was on the beach located below parking lot #5. It probably still is however, be aware that the nudists who had about 50% of the beach (southern end) are now found on 100% of #5's beach.

On the way down the road, the house at Eldora is kind of interesting to tour, and the dock in fron of the house is a popular fishing spot, which is often patrolled by park rangers.

A couple of other places to fish is to enter the water at the boat ramp and wade the shoreline. Keep an eye out for shell life, there's often conch's (maybe whorls) in the water.

On the way to the National Seashore, if you would like to see manatees, make a stop at Mary Mcleod Bethune Park West Side. You can often see them in the small bay area...even in the summer.

9/30/2018; Well I am shocked and happy the park service put up a new sign on the road just before parking lot #4 to inform people "WARNING You may encounter nude sunbathing within boardwalk 5".The beach is still wonderful and the last hurricane appears to have added sand to the beach. The backpacking permit sign is back after two years of it being beaten up by that hurricane and that is about 1 mile south of boardwalk #5. Still plenty of beach for everyone to enjoy. Also Motorcycle parking was added at parking lot #5 on the right as you enter the area in the slanted lines. I have seen an increase in parking tickets, $130 each for cars parked in the motorcycle area and on the grass and down where there is boat trailer parking only. And there is another new sign stating that ticketing is also being done by the park rangers as well as the Volusia county sheriff's department. So there is a lot of money in the coffers for improvement at the park.

This beach is by far our favorite . We have come here many times in the past few years.Our favorite is parking lot 5.parking is very limited. Yes it is the NUDE section as stated in other reviews. The peaceful atmosphere is the reason we go there, no condos, no noise, just sun sand and waves. Everyone is respectful of others space.My wife likes the seashells for her crafts.Space is shared with fisherman ,many nude as well. Wish there was more parking.

This is a national treasure! Beautiful Beach without any restaurants or buildings or noise other then the waves! We also discovered that nudists frequent the very end of the beach off parking area 4. I like to go on long walks and was a little surprised at first. However the nude beach goers were far from where the majority of the visitors frequent. So I guess my review is also this appears to be a nice place to go if you like to be nude. There are miles of beach in which they are not nude. Bring a picnic. This is a great place to spend the day on the beach away from the crowds. Something for everyone!

You can get quite a work out walk from one park lot to another and back again - approx. 5 miles which is OK where the sand is firm but hard going when it is soft or where the tide has just washed in. Lots of seabirds - terns, gulls, waders, pelicans and the occasional osprey and turkey vulture. A load of jellyfish washed up as well !! I just love this walk.

They had several landings and one was for nude sunbathers! Clean well kept facilties. Nice handicap accessible ramps for viewing sunrise. Sand looked like brown sugar and cool shells. Recommend next time you are at the Eastern Space Coast of Florida.

The nude beach came as a surprise to us, as we had not checked this website. We did stop at the visitor information center with our kids in tow. Nobody warned us that beach #5 was nude. The nice employee there encouraged my daugher to seach the farthest beach for seed pods as it was the " least crowded", so off we went. Imagine our surprise when a totally nude man walked up to us, and others were everywhere! Nobody on the beach had on any clothing except us. We tried to ignore the naked people ( mostly men). I was taking a photo of my daughter in the water when one of the men began to verbally abuse me about my camera. He ran up to me, used really offensive language and calling me names and threatened me with bodily injury, then followed us the rest of the time we were there. When did it become a problem to take a picture of nature at a public beach in a national park?

If they are going to allow this beach to be clothing optional, fine, but give us a heads up that it is clothing optional BEFORE people arrive there especially if they have kids with them. Also if cameras are a problem, tell us that instead of assaulting the tourists.

We did stop back by the tourist info center on our way out of the park, and asked why we were not told that beach #5 was nude. The info lady pretended to not hear the question, then went in the back room and stayed there until we left. Never have I been in a National Park where adult men could be nude in front of children before!

The mosquitos will carry you away, bug spray and a tazer would be useful here

One of the beaches at Canaveral National Seashore. Walk along the beach, watch the waves, watch the birds, just relax.

Goes on for ever right down Frome Ponce inlet to cape Canaveral Beach is good for cycling you can cover a lot of ground which out for the nudests around cape Canaveral national seashore park

Apollo Beach is the northern segment of Canaveral National Seashore. It’s the Volusia County part of the park.

Being part of the national park system, it has minimal development focused on the visitor center which has a picnic area and full bathrooms.

The remaining park has been retained in a mostly natural state, with beach areas divided into 5 parking lots. Lot 1 is nearest the entrance and has the most parking spots. Areas 2 through 5 have limited spots which fill quickly on the weekends. Warning, area 5 has become a de facto clothing optional beach, since there are no federal nudity laws and county policing is almost non existent. If nudity bothers you, stay away from area 5 and the extreme southern section of area 4.

Because parking is limited in most areas, the beach does not get crowded and visitors can manage to spread out and don’t have to be on top of each other.

There are no facilities, other than latrines located in each parking lot. They are generally well maintained, although on certain hot days they can get a little ripe.

If you like a beach without condominiums and houses, this is the one for you, as is it’s sister beach called Playa Linda on the southern end of the park in Brevard County.

Apollo Beach in New Smyrna Beach is a portion of the Cape Canaveral National Seashore. It's therefore a Federally run facility and national park. There is a charge to enter the park and then there are 5 parking areas over a 6 mile length of road. The 5 parking areas are numbered from 1 to 5 with lot 5 being at the far end (6 miles into the park).

Each parking area has a his and her's bathroom. There are no showers or other facilities though (no food, changing rooms etc.). Parking at each lot is limited from the largest lots hold approx. 40 or so cars and lot 5 at the end having the fewest spaces.

Parking Lot 5 (the lot at the end) is also a nude beach. Not topless, nude! So if you are not into that sort of thing, find a nice spot at lots 1 through 4.

The Canaveral National Seashore is a well preserved part of the Florida Eco System and a great place to spend a day and enjoy the beach, sun and waves.

10/16/23; The beach is beautiful and I do my 2 mile walk almost daily. The lot #5 board walk is being repaired and closed Monday through Friday but open on the weekends. It is mostly just replacing the path way boards on the boardwalk. The park service is stating that they will be finished Oct 27, 2023. Most of us are using #4 and going 100 yards south to be out of view from the boardwalk. I met the new ranger (law enforcement) yesterday after he had written warning tickets on the cars parked illegally at the boat trailer parking area below. He said next time there would be tickets issued. Enjoy this beautiful beach but read the enforcement signs; also we have an unwritten rule amongst the regulars and visitors; line up in the cul-de sac to be the next vehicle for the next spot. Walk to the boardwalk and ask nicely if someone is leaving if you may have their spot and tell them you are next in line. This is just common curiosity.

Beautiful beach. We parked in Lot 1 and maybe 4 cars were in the lot. It was a Friday morning and schools are back in session so the beach was virtually deserted. We walked from the crossover at Lot 1 to the crossover at Lot 3 (approximately 6 miles round trip) and encountered maybe 10 people. We left about 1:30 and drove to the end of the park highway. Lots 2 and 3 were virtually empty. More vehicles were in Lots 4 and 5 but ample parking was still available. We did not go down on the beach adjacent to lots 4 or 5 so no clothing optional participants were encountered. National Park Service lifetime passes are honored here so we used our pass for admission. A beautiful and relaxing day at an uncrowded masterpiece. Will go back again.

This is by far one of the nicest areas in central Florida. We went here while visiting friends and also happen to see a rocket launch. Just breath taking. Check it out!

It was getting ready to rain so beaches were very quiet. We were so impressed with how clean the park was including the bathrooms, visitors center and roadways. Perfect place to swim, relax and picnic. One side the lagoon and on the other side the ocean, best of both worlds. Saw several large land turtles eating grass along the road, beautiful.

There are 5 different parking areas but it is all one long beach, thankfully very well kept and litter free although some people leave things at the litter bins that they should really take home with them.

My brother in law and I did a lot of walking between the parking areas from 1 to 2 and back and so on. only missing out 3 to 4. Great to virtually have the place to yourselves with sometimes no one in sight until you get back to where the board walks and steps are. Could have done without seeing some of the sights at No 5 beach though - there are times when clothing should be essential.

Shells galore! Peace and quiet, nature at its finest. Enjoyed my day on this beautiful peace of Florida coastline. Wish there were at least foot showers, that is my only complaint.

The Ranger’s cell phone rang at 10:30PM.
“Our girl is giving eggs - caravan down to lot 3 - walk south ¼ mile on beach”
Two ‘turtle tracker’ ladies had found a specimen appropriate for viewing. A Loggerhead.

Under dark starry skies of a new moon with a comforting warm breeze, we marveled at the majesty of Mother Nature as we observed the visceral instincts of a 300lb turtle. Lady ‘Luna’ dropped over 100 mucus encased ping pong sized orbs into about a twelve inch deep sandy pit she had just carved. Immediately following her deposit she used her back flippers to bury them with gentle, meticulous precision. After an hour and a half of her laboring, always facing the blackened dunes, she rotated toward the sea, keeping her massive head (size of my thigh) flat on the sand plowing smoothly through the dried sargassum grasses (fancy word for the local seaweed born from the Sargasso Sea - which is beyond the gulf stream) of the high tide line and returned to her ocean home. It was spectacular. Her hatchlings, if they survive, swim over to the Sargasso and the girls will return in twenty or thirty years to do as their mother did.

The turtle tracker ladies marked the site, promptly laid down a 3’ x 2’ piece of wire cage and secured it with rebar ‘hooks’ and witnesses to this holy event doused it with sand. There are a variety of predators on island, mostly bobcats, raccoons, and ghost crabs - the wire cage helps ward off the first two.

Last night alone well over 1000 eggs were laid in the sands of Canaveral National Seashore by at least a dozen ladies. Luna’s clutch should hatch between 45 to 60 days from today. It's estimated 1 egg in 1000 make it to maturity.

9/21/19; yet another review for me on Apollo beach at Canaveral National Seashore. I was there yesterday and the waves were awesome and drifting up to the grass line and I have never seen it like that! It is because of the tropical disturbances we have off the east coast. Still paradise and relaxing. Parking was not a problem but it was about 12:30 PM and a Saturday with clouds rolling off the TS we had out there. All boardwalks are open and no repairs from Hurricane Dorian which was a relief. Bring sandals or shoes as the asphalt is very hot and the splinters on the wooden boardwalk are painful. As you walk down toward the beach you will encounter nudity, whereas before the 'warning sign' it was about 100 yards north or south of the boardwalk. People from all over the world visit this beach and I have 1000's of people from Europe reading my reviews on Apollo. Go and enjoy the freedom, If you spot me wearing my Tilly hat (Indiana Jones style hat) just say hello.

This was our first trip to Apollo Beach. We went on Sat (8/13) and Sun (8/14). We arrived at parking lot #5 just before 8am both days and were lucky to get one of the few remaining spots. It is the most natural and remote beach we have ever seen. It felt like we were at the ends of the earth. The water was very nice and the waves were great. Nothing like body-surfing au-naturel. We saw a few gawkers, but overall everyone was very respectable and kept to themselves and enjoyed the day. The only thing that keeps us from giving it an excellent rating is the lack of running water at the "outhouse" building. 4 or 5 port-o-lets would be a nicer, less smelly, touch. However, this will not keep us from coming back and we are looking forward to a return trip.

When I am in NSB I love to drive just 10 minutes south to Apollo Beach. This end of Canaveral National Seashore is easy to get to and well maintained. There are several parking areas with basic bathrooms. Each area has a boardwalk to get to the beach at the ocean. When I see the surrounding dunes and vegetation I can imagine what old Florida must have been like before it was settled.
It is also a good place to watch rocket launches from if one occurs during park hours.

Boyfriend and I wanted to visit the nude beach here, but only made it in time with 20 minutes to spare since it closed at 8pm, so we skipped viewing the nude beach located at #5 btw and instead parked at the closest entry to the beach.
This beach was BEAUTIFUL! We actually were vacationing in Daytona, but it was such a disappointment and the beach was gross so we headed here!
APOLLO BEACH!!! This place was clean, sand was soft, and there was plenty of places to park! And to top it off the ranger we spoke to was very friendly and had a smile on his face. We appreciated that.

The improvements to the boardwalks are most visible at Boardwalks 3 and 4. #5 is virtually unchanged. They added a new sign just before parking area #4 alerting people to the potential for nude sunbathers. I noticed a marked decrease in clothed visitors at 5. In years past I noticed that nude bathers stuck to the righthand side of the beach and were almost always at least 50 to 75 feet away from the boardwalk. Not this year. There were nude bathers directly in front of the boardwalk, on both sides of the beach, and even a few seen in the parking area when the rain ran them off the beach (and sometimes when it was sunny). I hope they dont ruin it for everyone by abusing the relaxing of rules!

There is a fee if you don't have a pass. Not sure what the day fee is but an annual pass is $35 for residents and $ 10 for Seniors. I just moved down in June and Ive been going at least once to twice a week. You have the intercostal on your right and Atlantic Ocean to your left! Turtle mound gives you a great view of both the intercoastal and Atlantic! all in one spectacular view!!! Such history there, be sure to stop at the visitor center and look around ask questions and watch the video. Stop in to see Endora house and watch the video. The videos aren't very long but it gives you the history and clear understanding of how it began and life before the Parks took over the National seashore to preserve its beauty and history. Turtle nesting is very active along the coastline so be respectful and don't disturb the areas that are clearly marked with marked posts, roped off or fenced. On the inter coastal you may just see Dolphins and or Manatees! Great access for boating shortly after you enter on your right and all the way down the pretty 6 mile drive to the last beach and end of the road there is another boat ramp. Parking is a bit limited so I would get there early. Plenty of spots to fish along the paths between the parking lots. Be sure to bring a bag for your trash and throw it in the barrels at all parking areas and rest room areas.

All natural. No driving on the beach. No restaurants, ice cream or lemonade trucks... no real bathrooms. au naturel near Parking Area 5

in a natural park, where access by car costs 20 USD, you can travel many KM, surrounded by local nature.
there are many car parks for stops and walks on the kilometric beaches.
However, it is not very different from the beaches on the coast, except that you cannot access the beach by car.
the peculiarity is that it is possible to access the beaches even as nudists....
the only fauna I saw besides 4 turtles..

Was in the area to visit our son; wanted to hang out at a small/non-crowded/laid-back beach area and my son suggested this beach. My daughter and I were not disappointed. Was able to soak up a bit of sun and enjoy the birds, lol! The parking area was easily maneuverable. We enjoyed ourselves and plan to return. Notably, in looking over the reviews, I read that there are parts of this beach where clothing is optional. We didn't have a clue, but we were apparently in the section where everyone had on clothes, which is good in that I am absolutely not interested in visiting a nudist beach. :o)

Love walking this beach, uncrowded, lovely sunrise and really wonderful helpful park rangers. Do not miss Endora House and the turtle mound ruins. Great relaxing and interesting way to enjoy your time

Me and my wife went to the Canaveral National Seashore to round out our 2nd wedding anniversary trip. It was beautiful. We had never been to a nude beach, so we were both nervous. We had talked about leaving if either of us felt uncomfortable. When we got there there were nude people on the beach, but there was lots of space and everyone was really spread out. When we got there the people we saw were a couple of families and a few couple just minding their own business and having a good time. The atmosphere was super chill and laid back. way more so than the other 5 regular beaches we had been to on the trip. I made the comment to my wife that I felt more comfortable naked here than I had felt in a speedo at the last beach we were at.

The wildlife was incredible. The plants were beautiful and teaming with wildlife. We saw several tortoises, pelicans, more shore birds than I could count, and more. We are going to have to go back and explore the lagoon where the dolphins, alligators, and manatees are.

If you like going to pristine natural areas and going to the beach this is the place for you. It was also so nice to be able to experience part of it in the nude.

Take the time to ride down to the end of this beautiful old florida. see the way it use to be all up and down the coast. stop at the endura house.

This is in a National Seashore, so you will need to pay for a day pass or show your annual National Park Pass as you enter. If it is on a holiday or warm weekend I suggest getting there as early as possible as parking fills up quickly on the Ocean beach side. Your first stop could be the Visitor Center with displays of the many flora and fauna in the area, including a touchable exhibit for kids of all ages. There you can sign up for special programs, including Turtle Watch, and find books, gifts and Junior Park Ranger supplies. There are also a number of quiet parking areas on the lagoon side of the park where you can find one or two picnic tables and short hikes through the vegetation or along the lagoon beach. The road ends after the last parking area, although the National Seashore continues down the coast where it can also be accessed from the Titusville area, near Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge.

Okay, WHERE is Apollo beach? We saw the power plant mentees and used our gps to find Apollo beach. It took us around a really high end neighborhood with no beach in site, then a gated community, then back to the power plant. We tired again, this time gps took us down to the Publix and back through some neighborhood and we ended up at a Bahia beach, which was tiny and all the signs said it was private. Worst Womens bathroom I have EVER been in.

Drove around and never found a real beach like I see described in these reviews. Where did we go wrong???
Visitor from MD.

This beach is remote enough that it remains in an unspoiled state. Only a few small parking lots are present on the beach side. Lot 1 is right next to the entrance station. Lot 2 was closed for repairs. Lots 3 and 4 are in the middle. Lot 5 at the end of the road was nearly full by 7:30 am on a weekend. Since parking is limited, the beach does not get crowded. The restrooms are very clean at the visitor center, but at the lots they are primitive, to put it mildly. There are miles of clean beach. No seaweed was present. Bird-watching is good. The clean water is shallow for a fair distance out from the beach, but there are no lifeguards, so be careful. The ocean was calm enough so that one person was standup paddleboarding. There were a few people fishing from the beach side, but more on the lagoon side. Any thunderstorms are likely to come in the afternoon.

Glad to see it hasn't changed much since I first started going 28+ years ago. I grew up about an hour's drive away and discovered Apollo when I was about 20.

I've been there on the 4th of July & Memorial Day holidays, and have seen nudists at every parking area. The parking areas are spread out so far from each other that it's easy to find someplace that isn't very crowded and relax au natural. Just don't flaunt in front of the crowds & kids. If somebody does happen to walk by, oh well. You're not breaking any laws.

As for other comments about the drop-off when entering the surf at high tide, it's been that way forever (I'm 47 now). There's a sandbar a little ways out. You'll go from waist deep to ankle deep, and then that's where the gentle slope starts.

That tidal pool is WONDERFUL to bask in at low tide! Take LOTS of SPF 30 or 50 with you!

Take the lotion, a couple beach towels, and a cooler with drinks & snacks & you'll have a great time.....clothed or not!

We were looking for a nice beach one day and discovered this beach was clothing optional. What a fun surprise on a nice day to skinny dip. Few others were there midweek (September) nearby. Loved that the beach was clean, good for wading and swimming. Restroom at the crossover was clean.

I wanted to do some surf fishing so we asked the guy at the entrance if he had any tips. He said try parking lot #3. We did and pretty much had the beach to ourselves all day. Caught lots of fish, bluefish, whitefish, sea cats and a few other I wasn't sure about. We can't wait to go back ! This may be the best beach we have ever bee to.

This beach has been spared from development and is remote enough to maintain its unspoiled state. There is limited parking on the beach side of the park, so people on the beach are few in number. You can walk a mile and never see anyone else. The beach and water are quite clean. The sand is a mixture of fine white sand and slightly coarse brown sand. The water is shallow for some distance but the waves can be rough. On the lagoon side there is more parking. There are historic sites to visit and trails to hike away from the beach. More people were fishing on the lagoon side than the beach side. The rest rooms are, to put it charitably, primitive. The ranger station has good restrooms.

Love this beach! Definitely on my to do again list. Small shell sand instead of the fine sand. When it dries it's easier to get off than the fine sand. Beautiful shells and less people. Nice parking areas with bathrooms. Boardwalks to the beach.

Great beach if you want serene and uncrowded. Parking can be an issue though. South of parking lot 5 is clothing optional.

Beach is pretty but if you are going with the thoughts of going past lot three, get up early (8ish) and you might have a chance. We didn’t have very good luck making it to Lot 5. Every day parking was full (30 spots max) so clothing optional was put on hold. Did get in to Lot 4 and walked down until we saw other neked people but that was a bit of a trek.

This is a hidden gem that many don't know about. There are miles of beach with no buildings and few people. There are restroom and shower facilities too.

We travelled to Lot #5, all the way at the end of the road. This is the clothing optional beach. We did not plan on swimming, so we were wearing shorts and tshirts. We did not feel judged or out of place. BUT- we did see some nude sunbathers, so I would not recommend taking your kiddos to this part of the beach. All of the other parking areas (1 through 4) are family friendly, clothing required beaches. There is also a sign on the road before you approach the parking lot for area #5 reminding you that it's a clothing optional area.

The beaches were clean and uncrowded. We are a bit spoiled in the sand department, as we're coming from the fine white sandy beaches in Daytona Beach. This beach isn't really sandy. It's more like crunched up seashells. It wasn't uncomfortable on the feet, but it didn't wash off in the waves. Rather, in the waves, the shell bits seemed to suction onto your legs and stay there.

It was still a fantastic beach with gorgeous views. I highly recommend at least getting out and looking at it, even if you don't want to hang out at the beach or swim in the ocean!

The National Seashore beaches are wonderful and mostly empty after walking just a little way from parking. You can walk a long way.

We love the beach in the Canaveral National Seashore area South of New Smyrna Beach. Because it is within the boundaries of the huge Canaveral preserve, you need to pay to enter the area ( the $10 lifetime national park pass is what we use). There are a half dozen parking areas with restrooms along the 7 ( or so) miles of coastal roadway. This lengthy stretch of beach enables one to find a decent level of seclusion. Because of less pressure, we take the Grandkids here to find lots of seashells. Don't tell anyone, but I have my best luck surf fishing along the Pollo Beach shoreline. In good weather, the parking lots are frequently full by noon.

My wife and I enjoyed our 2 days here. We were able to walk down the beach and find an area by ourselves. I enjoy seeing other couples enjoying themselves. We brought a picnic lunch, umbrella and a cooler. Perfect day, great swim and a great stroll down an isolated beach. Only negative is we did get last parking spot at number 5 and one day returning we were attacked by mosquitos in parking lot-- learned to pack up fast. Hopefully this place stays the gem it is.

The Canaveral National Seashore Park includes beaches, the Turtle Mound, a welcome center with a 15 minute video, and nature tours. The Turtle Mound is actually a hillside made of shells constructed by Indians hundreds of years ago. The name derived from its humped appearance. The beach is pleasant and facilities are available. We took the two hour long pontoon ride with a naturalist narrating the sighting of flora and fauna. We saw many dolphins, pelicans, herons, egrets, shore birds, oyster beds, mangroves, and waterways. The price of the ride is $20 per person or only $10 if you have a senior pass. These passes, good at any national park, can be purchased at the entry gate. The pontoon rides are offered on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Reservations are necessary as only twelve people can be accommodated per trip and it is popular, so call a week in advance. Armadillo were seen along the roadside. The park is at the southern end of A1A on New Smyrna Beach..

Great quiet beach where you can get away from all the people, blaring radios and cigarettes. If you are descreet, you can get back to nature in more ways than one.

During a recent visit to New Smyrna Beach we actually spent Thanksgiving Day on Apollo Beach -- & saw a rainbow over the ocean! Beautiful beaches (there are 4 or 5 options), very helpful staff at the Visitor Center, easy to access beach. Also enjoyed the Turtle Mound deck paths? great views!

March 2022, I go to the beach about 4 or 5 days a week and walk. This time I met a couple that called out my name "James" and he said he recognized me by my Tilly hat that I put on my reviews here at Tripadvisor. He (names withheld for privacy) said it was my reviews that convinced him and is wife to try out Apollo beach and they loved it. Ok, now on to the review, the air temps are warm, the ocean is not but people are going in the water. All the boardwalks are open and of course #5 and #4 are very busy. Our visitors from up north are visiting Florida and since Covid is about over we have an abundance of visitors. However most return back home in late March and April. So in summary the beach is beautiful and wonderful. Say "Hi" if you see me walking the beach.

This is the northern end of the 24 mile long Canaveral National Seashore. The southern end is at Playlinda beach just north of the Kennedy Space Center. Being a national park there is no development so the beach and access to it is a natural as can be and usually not the crowds you get at a public beach. I go there quit regularly to surf fish and absolutely love it. there is a $5.00 entrance fee. Just as a warning, the 5th parking area is where the nude sunbathers go so unless your so inclined I would visit one of the other 4.

I went here because I heard they hadA nude beach and I just wanted to try it out you have to go to the last lot which is area five and then get out of the car and walk south. When I got there it was closed because of maintenance so I was a little disappointed I didn't get to try it out instead I went to Lot 4 and ended up just having a nice day on the beach

I visited there over weekend the weather was beautiful , apollo beach untouched I recommend that you have to visit

Facilities limited to a restroom in the parking lot, The beach & dunes remain unspoiled as nature intended.
If you are so inclined, the area 1/4 mi. south of lot #5 is clothing optional.
Bring your own food & drink, and please place trash in the appropriate containers.

This is a nude beach and I want wholeheartedly thank the park service for making this beach possible. Relaxing on a beach in the nude is something everyone should try at least once in their life. If this is not for you, the east coast has miles of non-nude beaches with much nicer amenities than Apollo to choose from. Here is a very simple rule of thumb to follow, if you go to an unfamiliar beach, and the first thing you see is a nude person, and this bothers you, get back in your vehicle and drive to another part of the beach. Thanks so much...

The Canaveral National Seashore is VERY BEAUTIFUL. Costs $20 per vehicle to get in.( the receipt is good for a week so you can come back anytime in the next week and not have to pay) The visitor center is very nice, it has nice restrooms, vending machines, picnic tables, an overlook dock where we saw a pod of dolphins and they came right up to us. Then we drove to parking lot #5 and on the way there we saw 4 armadillos. The restrooms at the parking lot there are VERY primal. Then we made our way onto the beach. The sand is very course like crushed shells and they do stick to you and hard to remove. The water was GORGEOUS. Pelicans flying over in a V formation. There were nude AND clothed sunbathers and it was a very comfortable atmosphere. Very secluded, not crowded at all. If you are looking to get away from all the hustle and bustle this is the beach for you.

To start with, yes this is the area with the clothing optional section. This starts about 20yds or less south from the ramp to the beach, and most people on it will be nude. Everyone I meet was most pleasant and only cared if they were going to be in your picture. Heck most offered to take a picture of me there if I wanted it. Saw one ranger ride through the area on an ATV headed south to the backcountry section of the park, didn't seem to mind us at all.
Some might dislike the beach since it doesn't have soft sand and isn't always clean. This is simply because it is left alone, in other words not maintained. Trash will wash into shore and be left during low tide, only to be taken back out at high tide. Did my part and grabbed a few handfuls worth on the way out along with my own trash. Yes you need to bring everything with you that you may need.
The only warning about this beach is this. There is a severe drop-off when you enter the water. At low tide I walked in to the surf about 2ft expecting the shore to taper only to find a drop of about 4-5ft at that point. Along with the decent waves its not really a swimming/lounging in the water type beach.
Bottom line if you/your family is good hanging out on the sand, bringing all your stuff along and getting along with your own imagination this is a good place to go. If you need amenities still go, just go for the afternoon or morning instead.

I have looked over all the reviews of the park, and see mostly positive reviews of the CO area. Once and a while you will see someone will write about a bad experience with lewd acts or they walked up on the area with kids or kids were around. Well that seems to be a stretch of the real beach from our experience.

We spent two half days at the beach and it was wonderful with nothing even close to the few negative posts And a lot to support all the positive posts. As for kids, I think that in our 40's we may have been the "kids" on the first day. It was a Tuesday and there were about 75 percent gay couples or singles. Mostly were men. There were several older couples and no kids. It was all good and no one bothered anyone.

The following Thursday we returned. This time there were mostly couples older and younger. It was a great day for the beach. The only issue was a younger couple of girls in their early 20 came down the beach. They set up about 50 yards before us and changed into bikinis. Almost immediately two single men set up on either side of them. Shortly the girls packed up and moved just beyond us and set back out. One of the guys packed up and left back up the beach the other stayed. It was pretty obvious but after moving the girls seemed comfortable and overall it wasn't that bad of an encounter.

Over all it was a great time for us. Very comfortable to be on the beach and not having to look over your shoulder as we do seek out other secluded beaches where it's not exactly legal to go nude.

You have to experience this beach if you want to go nude. If you don't go nude stop at one of the other lots and enjoy the beach with minimal other people, it's great.

Really beautiful and remote location. It's clothing-optional past a certain point, and it's getting more popular with that crowd. So, don't go if the sight of naked old people bothers you, because you will see some of that. Still, a beautiful spot for those in the right mindset.

I must correct those who state that this is a 'nude beach'. Apollo IS NOT a nude beach, but you will find a clothing optional area south of parking lot #5 (the last parking area). There are plenty of family friendly areas along this six mile stretch so if you do not want to risk seeing folks relaxing in the buff, just use the areas north of parking lot #5. Wonderful beach & the Park Rangers do a fine job!

While on a business trip we were cross-crossing Florida and on our way to visit a client on the coast, time just ran out so we stopped in New Smyrna beach for the afternoon and went surfing.
Warm water and a great time.

Our grandsons enjoyed this beach, small, quiet and easy access.
Found lots of seashells and saw dolphins

You have to pay ($5/car) to get into the National Seashore Park, but you will find absolutely beautiful beaches, with very few people. We almost always feels like it's our own personal beach.

went with my gf. The first day we tried going we couldn't make it to parking lot #5 like we wanted so we settled on going to parking lot 3 and just to the normal beach thing. parking lot 5 is for clothing optional sunbathing / swimming. The whole area from parking lot 1-5 is beautiful but if you don't want to see the clothing optional crowd stick to 1-4. there's plenty to do and trails to hike and nature to be had with turtles and manatee and boating and fishing or riding your bike. traffic isn't bad but go early because they close the entrance when the max # of cars is hit. if you want to do the clothing optional beach be sure to go early to find parking, limited to maybe 20 cars. the beaches are beautiful and lots of shells to hunt for. if you have any other questions please feel free to ask. can't wait to go again next summer hopefully. be sure to bring your sun-scree and towels. the water was amazing and warm.

Spent a week in NSB in June, and made it to Apollo Beach 5 of those days. Saw several sunrise, or as close as I can get at 6am, and got many cool seashells. Great place for scallop shells which are my favorite. $20 the first visit, but keep the receipt and its good for re-entry for a week.

Canaveral Seashore in general is a wonderful place with so much to do

Driving from Blue Springs State Park where there were tight crowds viewing manatees (there were plenty), we arrived at the Ranger gate about 1230 pm. No line there. Enjoying history, my wife and I stopped at the Turtle Mound. Good views from the board walk path. Informative signs. Moving on to the beach, I always like being away from others, so we headed to the last access, #5, at the south end of the roadway. All the parking spaces were taken and there were two other cars roaming for a spot with no one appearing to be leaving. Headed to #4. Waited a minute or two before spotting a couple leaving. Being in the upper 70's / low 80's, we changed into suits in the bathrooms (over-sized outhouses). Wandered down south from the beach access walkway. Got about 500 yards down where there were no more folks within about 100 yards. Beach sand was soft. Gentle waves with no rip currents. There was a bit of a drop off (about a foot) when up to my knees, that surprised me. You'd definitely want to be with your young kids as they enter the water here. Though a relatively warm day, my wife and I only got up to our waists before chickening out to go deeper due to the coolness of the water. Except for birds, no wildlife (porpoises, sharks, or even crabs) seen.

After about a couple of hours, we headed back. Noticed, maybe due to the crowd at parking lot #5, three groups of folks in full or partial nudity. Since there was plenty of width to the beach, we didn't get too close and no one budged at our presence (our suits on) as we walked by.

All said, it was a great beach experience for us visiting northerners. We'll come back someday to this location.

Had a sunday to visit, so got up at 6am for the 10 minute drive from our rental condo to the National Park---the fee is now $10 per carload and you have to get up that early for a spot at lot #5 (only 30 parking spots) where you can swim and sun in the nude--go down the ramp and turn right for about 50-100 feet for the nude area. Take plenty of bug spray as there are TONS of mosquitos and no-see-ums (really tiny biting flies) especially that early in the morning. They disappear after the sun comes up tho---Folks are mostly real friendly, but this day there was one creepy guy up near the vegetation just checking everyone out while occasionally rubbing himself and tossing his cigarette butts into the sand next to him--no bother to me, but my wife was a little creeped out.
--anyways there was a dolphin swimming close to shore for a bit jumping for joy and a fisherman down the way caught and showed off 2 smallish (4-5 foot!) black-tip sharks that he caught with rod and reel---News says that NSB is one of the places with a lot of shark activity so don't go out too far past the first sand bar and you'll be fine. The sun can be blazing so also bring lots of sunscreen.. We do love this beach as it is never too crowded and usually lots of fun in the sun!

I read Jim's review from June 3rd and he is correct, parking at #4 is closed for reconstruction. I went Saturday July 8th at 11am and found parking at #3 and decided I would make the trek south to # 5.

NO need to walk so far. About 300 yards south of #3 I noticed a few couples were already sunbathing in the nude. Not many people were on the beach, I felt like I had the beach to myself and found a spot way before reaching #4.

A great sunny day, everyone was well spaced away, it was hard to tell if people were in the nude or wearing very small swimsuits, plenty of beach for a first timer like myself. I fell asleep and woke to the sound of the an ATV and thought I was going to be in trouble for not being south of # 5, instead the ranger waved hello and kept driving through.

Very relaxing and a leisurely day, stayed until 3pm just before the black clouds rolled in. Thank you Jim for the tip. I am planning to go back soon to this natural beauty.

My husband and I have been looking for nude beach for years, we finally found this beach. We were staying in Smyrna beach, but we decided to go to Apollo beach everyday during our vacation here in Smyrna beach. Very quite, friendly folks around. Great beach to hang out all morning. If you want to get all over body Tan - this is a place for you!! Go early because it is limited parking. Yes, there is restroom at the parking. We are coming back here again

National seashore, $5.00 entry to keep it up and repair after storms and Noreasters Yes it is a natural beach in every sence of the word. Years ago I saw wales migrate in the late fall, rare but possible. No huge hotels or other normal beach scene view blockers. I have seen post on taking children, it depends on how they are raised in the home. Young children adapt to this quickly and enjoy it more that uptight adults. Keep them near the over passes or steps, do not venture to non populated areas. If the rangers catch adults doing sexual things they will be cited or arested. They they get labeled as sexual preditors, Putting sun block on your partner is not a crime. These are the real facts. Just enjoy the natural surroundings.

Had a great tanning experience here...lol Not sure if clothing optional or what here, saw both. No drive beach. It is the end of Seashore National Park.

This was a fantastic trip. We visited the clothing optional section, lot #5, and had a wonderful day. There is a sign posted between lots 3 and 4 that says “ Caution, you may encounter nude sunbathers at boardwalk #5 “ so there are no surprises when you get there. Now there are those that go down the boardwalk just to see if there really are nude sunbathers on the beach. The beach was beautiful, the weather was sunny and surprisingly enough there were quite a few people there to be winter time. There were people flying kites, walking, fishing, collecting shells and even swimming. This is definitely a must do experience if you have not tried a CO beach before. Everyone was friendly and there were almost as many visitors wearing suits as going without. There were all ages, 20-80, and all body types so no one made you feel uncomfortable or self conscious. The only draw back is there are only 30 parking places so you do need to go early as it is about a mile between lot 4 and 5 so it is a hike if the lot is full.

The Apollo beach / Turtle Mound area is a completely undeveloped beach. You can go there and look down miles of beach and only see one or two people. It is a steep beach in comparison with the beaches at New Smyrna and Daytona so if you are taking smaller children you should be more attentive as the surf here is not suitable for youngsters. But if you plan to spend your time with your kids, want them to see a beach like it was when Ponce de Leon drove through and want to spend your time on the beach virtually alone then Apollo is for you.

It is a back to nature beach. Not developed. Needs more parking! It is a clothes optional beach at parking lot 5.

We love the beach and going nude there its super relaxing and a great place to visit, problem is the creep gawkers that go there to look and perv. there's only about 30 parking places there and it seems a third are taken up by folks who go there to hang out on the ramp and stare.
parking area 4 will be almost empty and yet clothed people will still go to parking area five... for what? if you're not going nude stay in parking area 4 .
Literally last week we had familys with teen age kids all clothed taking pics and selfies and on our way out had a couple park their jeep in the handicap zone without handicap tags displayed and walk down to the ramp literally with binoculars looking down the beach!!! I mean what the hell is up with these creeps?
then there's the " fishermen" who come there to "fish" wheb there's literally miles of beach between parking area's 1-4 to fish or swim...
really creeps me and the wife out and ruins what would otherwise be a fantastic time.

The beaches through the beach access points, parking lots 1 through 5 are beautiful. There are times when we were the only ones in sight. It's a wonderful feeling. The ocean waves rolling in, the random sea gulls. We did make our way down to Parking Lot #5. We heard it was clothing optional. The ones that told us that were right. So we join in. Don't knock until you try it. Talk about a liberating feeling walking up and down miles of beach wearing only a smile. There we several other couples there and a few extra men. Everyone kind of kept to themselves. We did meet a few and had some nice conversations. There are no facilities there other than a toilet shelter that I'd recommend "holding it!" The best part is no commercialism, no houses or condos and just very secluded!! Go and enjoy getting naked on the beach!!!

My Boyfriend and I Love going to Apollo Beach. The Beach is very clean and well maintained . We will be going back very soon and more often.

Love the beach here at the national seashore. Very peaceful and beautiful. Minus the bugs once in awhile you will be ok. The only thing is they do have a nude beach which is on lot 5. I go 3 cause 4 is closed. But they're all great. The only thing is that for some reason some nudist seem to think it ok to be nude on 3 which is if they're weren't kids here. Please if you're a nudist reading this I'm not bashing you yeah it a free country just please be respectful of other beach goers. Because I have seen a lot of y'all on lot 3.

Alright, once again, went to lot 5 for some nude sunbathing. It was crowded like usual. I do wish that Cape Canaveral sea shore at Apollo and Playalinda would open up more areas for Naturists/Nudists to enjoy. But, its only wishful thinking. Anyhow, the wife an I love going there. Nobody bothers others, everyone leaves enough space for each other. Always polite people. My wife is a home nudist. But, loves to sunbathe and read books nude on this beach. Bike week is another reason we go...

I have been coming to Apollo Beach for over 20 years both as a tourist and now a Florida native. Normally this beach is a clean, natural wildlife beach where one can enjoy sunbathing nude or not. Most folks frequenting this beach adhere to good beach ethics. most everyone who goes nude would never act inappropriately or make others who keep a suit on feel out of place or uncomfortable. We are a peace loving group for the most part and like to keep our beach clean and protected.
One item of deep concern is those very few perverted people who show up sometime between March and May from other parts of the country. These rotten people don't care about the beach or anyone else but themselves. We have reported couples and threesomes on the beach acting out sexually in front of everyone, even families with children who stay close to the ramp on parking lot 5! It's disgusting. The ranger has advised that if anyone sees person(s) doing anything against the law to report it at the ranger station ASAP. You can find the visitor center number online and they will report it to the ranger. Sorry to be the harbinger of bad news but these jerks are ruining it for everyone.

2/28/21; My last review was October 2019 and made a note that Parking lot #4 was closed for repairs to the boardwalk. I am happy to say it was opened yesterday and full as was lot #5 and #3. Weekends are always busy at the National Seashore. I was lucky and got there early enough for a spot in #5 and left about 11:30 and the ranger had parked his truck at the entrance to the park and telling people it was at capacity an no parking spots left in any of the 5 lots. That is rare for this time of the year and normally happens on holidays. The beach is still spectacular, calming and relaxing. The peak temperatures are now in the 75 to 80 degree area. on good days. Remember no glass bottles or dogs on the beach, it is up to a $5000 fine/citation (the signs are posted) if caught and violators will be questioned extensively to prove (with documentation) that it is a valid service dog. Their biggest concern is animals digging up turtle eggs in season and harming other animals. And "Yes" I love dogs.

This is a great place to go to the beach if you want more seclusion from the masses. I wanted to go to parking lot 5 for the Nude beach but it seems to fill up by 9am all the time so get there earlier!! I ended up at lot #2. It was great hardly any people and i walked down aways on the beach towards lot 3 and was all by myself. I decided to remove the clothes an enjoyed being free!! the water was great and the rays were beautiful. Just be careful of the guys who come around in motorcarts so they don't bust you. (they only come by like once or twice daily and are easy to spot from far away) just don't parade around or have sex on the beach unless its the drink!

What a great beach this is. Located within the Canaveral National Park, this is a natural beach. It is not groomed like other public beaches, there are no food trucks or any concessions available, no showers, and there are only outhouse type toilet facilities. Personally, I would only use these in a dire emergency, but at least it is available. Just be sure to bring everything you will need for a day at the beach ... even the umbrella if you want shade.

This beach along with neighboring Klondike and Playalinda beaches are home to many thousands of sea turtle nests. If you come at the right moment, you may witness the hatchlings making their way from the nest to the Atlantic Ocean.

There are 5 beach parking areas, each located about 2 miles apart. They're small and can fill up quickly on weekends and holidays. *WARNING* Before you reach Lot 5, you'll see the sign notifying visitors that they may see nude sunbathers at Boardwalk 5. This beautiful section of beach is clothing optional. And there is no MAY about it, you WILL see naked people enjoying life at the beach. If the thought of seeing folks of all ages, shapes and sizes without clothing, turn around now. However, if you choose to go beyond your comfort zone to enjoy feeling the sun and wind all over, you'll won't regret it. You can still use the beach even if you want to keep your swim wear on. Remember, it's clothing optional.

* There is a parking fee paid at entry. The National Park pass is good here.
* There are lots of noseeums, mosquitos and horse flies out there.
A can of Off Backwoods is recommended.

Great beach with very few other bathers. Be sure to stop at the ranger station just inside of the main gate. Good Hint - if you are over 65 purchase the lifetime pass. Only costs $10, good at ANY national park/site in the US and all for only $10.

This is part of the 24-mile Canaveral National Seashore, cost is $5.00 to enter. Beautiful area with NO development so it is as it was way back when. Now if you want to go au natural then this is the place to go, by going to the last parking lot, enter the beach and go south a way and you will be amongst other naturalist and enjoy the beautiful scenery in this pristine area. If you prefer to be clothed then any of the other parking lots are the place to go. The water is warm and lots of beach for you and the family!

We visited to go fishing and you will see naked people at boardwalk #5. Fishing was tough lots of wind. Bathroom is old style vault but clean enough.

We took the two hour boat tour with a naturalist on the inner bay. Lots of birds to see and great scenery.

Also saw lots of dolphins playing in the water.

Cost was $10 for seniors with Golden Age passport.

I want to love this place more. I love what this place is; that it's away from all the busy, commercial beaches, and that lot 5 is where nude sunbathing and swimming is tolerated. I think the park service does a great job, and that it's a great place to get away from the city beaches. But with that comes other visitors who may have different intentions that you and people can be pervs. I get that people may stare occasionally at and around lot 5, but I seem to get a lot of unwanted attention every time I go. I just want to be left alone to enjoy the beach. Doesn't matter if I'm near the small crowds, off in the distance, with or without my wife, weekends or weekdays, there usually are guys that make it uncomfortable and can really ruin the experience.

Last year I had the one-year pass so that I could go as much as I wanted. Every visit was different, but almost every time, there were people who couldn't respect boundaries. My wife doesn't like other people seeing her sans clothes, so we hike between lots 4 and 5 for privacy. But there's often nude cyclists or hikers who seem to linger around us too long, even though we cover up when they approach and make it apparent that we want our privacy. Sometimes there have been guys that will pass back and forth a few times. It makes my wife upset that some nude hiker will keep walking back and forth near us when we're out in the middle of nowhere. This hasn't happened every time, but seems common with most of our visits.

When I go alone, I just go to lot 5 to be within sight of other to be safe, but give myself ample distance from others. Shortly after setting up my stuff, other guys seem to move all around me and stare. It's really uncomfortable. I can always feel these guys staring at me. I've never gone without having to move my stuff away at least twice just to give myself distance from people that seem to gather around me. One visit I think I relocated about every 10-15 minutes to keep getting away, because guys kept setting their stuff up right next to mine. And I definitely was not in the gay guy area (further south). On this same visit after I moved my stuff to be alone I went for a swim, when walked out of the water, a guy had moved his stuff next to mine and had his phone out, pointed right at me! Maybe he was watching a video, but I'm confident that he was a perv and he was filming me!

Another time I was walking along the surf and a much older guy stopped me to try and flirt. I tried to politely turn him away but he wouldn't leave me alone, and kept complimenting my body and trying to get me to follow him back to where his towel was laid out. He kept making direct sexual offers to me, and I had to keep declining. I started getting rude just to make the point that I wasn't interested. I'm a dude in my mid thirties, who looks young and stays in shape. I'm not at all gay, don't give off gay vibes, and want to just be left alone.

I would like to enjoy this beach more by not being the entertainment or visual pleasure for others. I have not renewed my annual pass. I know I'll go again every now and then.

Spent a wonderful day on this uncrowded beach, plenty of shells to pick and perfect water! Part of the Canaveral National Sea Shore.

6/10/19; I like to keep visitors updated on the beach, parking and construction, so this is probably my 10th review on Apollo. First the guy that said this: "the beach has become a de facto clothing optional beach" ; well it has always been a clothing optional beach, just never advertised. This all happened about 1943 from what one of the regulars told me about his father going to the beach back then. But to top that the Indians were living there about 1000 years ago and 'Turtle Mound' is the proof and I can promise you they fished in the waters (ocean and lagoon) nude.
Ok on to the beach, no construction going on now since they have fixed everything or I hope they have. It is still very busy on the weekends and lots #4 and 5 do get full quickly. Either get there early or wait for a spot when someone leaves; or take your bike and park in 3 or 4 lots and ride to lot 5. Yes, everything is clothing optional south of 4 and all of 5, but then again staying away from the overpasses (people who are offended) is a good idea in other areas. The rangers are not riding the 4 wheel atv's but the people marking the turtle nest are and they don't care about nudity. DO NOT TOUCH the turtle nest under any circumstances, you will go to jail and not pass "GO". Just go and enjoy nature.

Beautiful drive, checked out all the beaches. #5 has the least amount of parking, #4 has a few more and #3 having even more. We parked at #4, on a Sunday afternoon, beach was lovely. Definitely would go back.

My wife and I visited for the first time this week. We went before 9 to PL#5 and found one of last three spaces. We loved it. The water was pretty rough and we were a bit concerned about rip tides but the beach was perfect. Our beach neighbors were friendly and we only saw a couple of lookie loos. Be warned that the restrooms are horrific. If we hadn't had to pee so bad we would have waited until we got back as far as the visitors center. We've been National Park volunteers before and visited many parks. Never have we seen facilities this bad. Other than that, take plenty of cold water and sunscreen and enjoy it au natural. BTW Parking lot 4 IS closed for repairs as of today 7/12/17

If you want to enjoy a beach along the Atlantic Ocean, Apollo Beach is the place to go! Be prepared that the southern end of the beach is clothing optional, which is what many of us are looking for without going all the way to Ft Lauderdale & Miami! It makes for a great day trip, be sure to bring food & water since there is no place to buy either once in the National Park.

Great place for a nude day on the ocean!

March, 07, 2019; The beach is wonderful, great, fantastic and relaxing. I still go for my 4 mile walks about 5 days a week. Last week we had 80 degree temperatures. Parking on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays is "hit and miss" and mostly miss after 8:15 AM. Illegal parking is getting $80 tickets and no warnings anymore. Parking at the boat/trailer parking area down the hill from the car/motorcycle parking gets you an $80 ticket. Speeding is also being enforced. Also sitting in the cul-de-sac waiting for a parking space is also not allowed anymore, at least when the ranger is in the area. The rangers are informing people that south of #4 and north and south of #5 is acceptable for the naturalist, but in reality all the beach "is"; (and one ranger will disagree with that, they make their own rules) just stay away from the boardwalks except #5 states 'within' (see the sign pic I posted). Adding the sign was a HUGE step for the park management and I said it would never happen, just like I don't think parking area #5 will be expanded, but you never know; it is the federal government! And... motorcyclist should be allow to park in the slanted lines, but that is an $80 ticket, that would free up more parking for cars.

A nice beach along the national seashore. Parking is tight and you can't park in unmarked spots so you may have to wait. Signs warn you of nude sunbathers. :-)

No better place to unwind and relax...nude of course. We were at parking lot 5 by sunrise and it was gorgeous. Quiet and peaceful is the best description. Don't go if you're looking for a crowded beach. Do go if you're looking for an unspoiled beach to completely unplug from the world. We can't wait to go back.

Went on a Tuesday. Not much parking and not much beach at high tide. The day was rather gloomy so perhaps we didn't see it at it's best. Supposedly, the park is closed to visitors if there is a shuttle launch at Cape Canaveral.

I just love the Canaveral National Seashore, and Apollo Beach is also quite nice. Must be at least open minded when you come here, and not really kid friendly due to nudity.

All of the beach areas in the park are excellent clean and natural setting. If you are offended by nudity just stay away from the last parking area as to the south of that entrance to the beach is a nude beach.Everyone seems to behave themselfs and are just out toget that all over tan. Its also a great area to bike ride as the traffic is very light in there great for the kids as well.

No running water and , port o potty type bathrooms--- but it's worth it for the untouched beauty of the Atlantic. Lots of shells to pick up. My wife and I brought a picnic and walked a few hundred yards from the ramp and had the Atlantic to ourselves. It costs $10 to get in the park and you have 5 lots to choose from. Lot 5 fills up fast. Small shower at lot 1. We will return.

Beautiful beach the problem is parking for Lot #5 that is designated for the clothing optional section. This lot is notoriously full and often you can't even get a parking place whilst all four other lots barely have any cars in them. The park is well aware of this problem, but makes no efforts to accommodate more parking whether it be adding to Lot 5 or letting you park in Lot #4 and extend the clothing optional a ways down the beach towards Lot #5. If the clothing optional started a couple of hundred yards south of Lot #4's access it would have little effect on the current status of the Lot #4 section, but would provide the higher demand part of the beach better access. Either that or add spaces, even if not paved, to Lot #5. I can't tell you how many times Lot #5 is completely full while the other four lots combined have less than 10 cars total. Again, park management knows this, but doesn't care and actually routinely issue expensive parking tickets to those parking on the grass at Lot #5. God forbid we give people what they want it is just so aggravating.

This national seashore is the most relaxing beach you can go to in Florida, no buildings, except toilets in each parking area and no running water. Last week I saw dolphins playing in the surf. The water is very warm at 79 to 82 degrees and always a light breeze. The roads have been resurfaced so the dust from the grinders is gone. Naturalist will enjoy the areas 100 yards or more from the walkovers.

Apollo beach is a great beach. Very secluded. No cars are allowed on the beach and there is plenty of beach to get away from the crowd. You may have to walk a bit if you want seclusion . The last parking lot gets full early as that section of the beach is clothing optional. The other parking lots offer great access to a long and beautiful beach if you not into enjoying the sun, water and breeze in your natural state.

A Florida beach that allows you to imagine what the coast of Florida was like before all the built structures and shoreline. Water was turquoise, surf beautiful. Not crowded on a weekday in late March. Some surf fishing, windy. A beautiful stretch of coastline.

We have been going to local beach for the past six years and every time we go we just enjoy the simplicity of the beach.They have added more parking spaces and have kept the area clean.

I was thinking we would try this place to see if there was better cell reception, in case of an emergency. We drove 20 minutes further than Playalinda to get here. Arrived about 1020 on a weekday and there were no spots at ramp 4 or 5. Settled with 3, which is not C/O. Yes it was a nice beach with plenty of shells and there were not many people there but there was even worst cell reception and was stuck with the swimsuits. Even if we could fine a spot at 4, it would have been about a 2 mile walk just to get to 5.

If your looking for C/O, just go to Playalinda where it seems like anywhere from lot 12-13 is C/O. Unless you are really shy and want to be there probably before 7 am.

Despite the rain and thunderstorms, this beach was truly stunning , amazing views, plus the ability to park on the beach for $5.00 all day, in good weather this beach would be a fantastic day out to chill out after doing theme parks for days.

Plenty of restaurants/bars close to the/on beach and it was spotless, not a bit of litter in sight.

Definately worth a visit

this is a beautiful unspoiled beach. Limited parking areas effectively limits the number of people on the beach. If you are willing to walk a little you will be by yourself on the beach.

Great area for walking there are tons of shells to find.This is what Florida looked like before people. There are areas to launch boats and kayak on the bay side of the park.

If you go down to areas 4 or 5 you may come across a bare bottom or two. If that is going to bother you, go to one of the earlier parking areas

Gorgeous unspoiled beaches, tons of shells. However clothing is optional and there are no signs. To each us own, but some of us don’t want to see naked old men. A warning should have been in order

Always love to come back to this long beach to enjoy walking between the lots. There are 5 of them and we try to take in two lots by walking from 1 to 2 for instance and back again. Maybe just about 5 miles but it is difficult sometimes due to the sloping beach in parts.

Love trying to take pictures of pelicans overhead but I still have not gotten that perfect shot. Love the shore birds darting in and out of the incoming tide their little legs almost invisible due to the speed they and running at.

Wow! This place will be in your dreams for years to come. Beautiful!Wild and peaceful. This national park has lots of shells, birds, raccoons,turtles,wild cats etc. it has trails that you can hike but don't forget your mosquitos' repellent. You will need it.
This national park has numbered parking lots. If you do not want to see nude people do not go beyond the number 3 because chances are if you go you will meet the nude dudes along the beach.
There is no facilities in the park so pack water, food and all you will need to spend your day there.
The ticket to go there costs only 5 dollars per car.
It is a beautiful peaceful beach. I highly recommend this national park. I love this place.

Whenever I come to New Smyrna Beach, I always make it a point to visit Apollo Beach at Parking Lot #5. Lot #5 is closed for repairs right now until further notice but I used Lot #4 and had a very private area not too far from the boardwalk with virtually no one around within a quarter mile. Nice & peaceful, quiet and very relaxing as I like it. For the naturalists, Lot #4 seems to be just fine!

No buildings just beautiful beach and ocean. No tourist traps. Nature at its best. A great find. Worth the drive.

I went to the very end which is called Lot 5, a clothing optional section of beach. I found it to be everything I imagined and hoped it would be and spent a wonderful day in the sun working on a full body tan, then walking the shoreline periodically taking a dip. I ended up walking a very secluded section and totaled about 5 miles of hiking and enjoying the ocean breeze.

Nice beach area. The only negative, and there is nothing to be done about it, was that the no-see-ums were horrible in the early morning, so you had to wait until mid-morning to go.

Wonderful naturist destination. Devoid of commercial taint. Went November '16 after hurricane Matthew. Much erosion evident. Don't know if it's related to the time of year or the storms but a lot of debris washed up on the shore, human-based and natural. Saw similar in Daytona Beach though. It was disheartening to see the amount of human garbage mixed among the seaweed washed ashore. I certainly left with more trash than I generated and would encourage any other visitor to do the same. There are trash and recycle containers at the Lot #5 parking area. Oh, and a word to smokers - TAKE YOUR BUTTS WITH YOU. Just visit a turtle rescue and learn about how something like cigarette butts or plastic bags kill sea turtles slowly and agonizingly. It's a real eye opener.
As far as facilities, they're Spartan. There's a visitor center near the entrance and all should be encouraged to contribute by either donation or purchasing some sort of souvenir. Bear in mind that the National Park Service is pretty much self-sustaining thanks to our elected overlords. Also, when visiting, shop local and let the local merchants know you're there because of Apollo beach and the CO recreation. Such feedback helps.
The people we encountered on the beach were pleasant and friendly. Granted, it was an off season time and weekday. Parking was no problem when we went. I'd really like to see and/or participate in some sort of naturist beach cleanup because it is such a beautiful and serene place. It's so sad to see the volume and variety of washed up debris. Regardless, I highly recommend.

Went to the clothing optional beach at Lot 5 twice during our stay in Florida. Pristine beach. The lot is small but we found a spot both days. We were there for photo shoots. Easy to change outfits since nudity is okay.

Went there on a Monday so there were only a few people on the beach. The water was a beautiful blue and was warm. Natural beach without all the tourist traps and condos. Parking lots could get full on busy days. There is only one outdoor shower and bathroom at parking area 1. I don't see why nude bathing is a thing, but as long as you stay near parking areas 1 and 2 you should not have a problem. Will definitely go there again.

Pro's and Cons
Con: You must get up early to get a parking spot for lot #5.
Pro-If you get a parking spot, the beach is clean, beautiful and clothing optional. I feel like this is my little piece of Paradise and freedom.

I visited on June 24th and 25th 2014, arriving almost as soon as they opened the gates at 6am on the 24th, and around 10am on the 25th. There is a $5 fee per car/motorcycle, and a $3 per person fee if you walk in, bike in, rollerskate through the gate.

On the first day, I was seriously assaulted by mosquitoes as I unpacked my stuff from the car...and I don't mean just a few! There were literally hundreds of mosquitoes coating every exposed inch of skin. Luckily I had some Deep Woods Off! wipes, and that seemed to do the trick.

I highly recommend either some bug spray, or some sunscreen with bug spray in it (Bullfrog makes some). Once on the beach, the mosquitoes left, but then the biting flies (Yellow Flies I think) started eating me, and they HURT! After putting on some sunscreen, they still would get me every so often...like one bite every hour or so. Not enough to make me miserable, but enough that I wished I had something to kill them off! That's the end of the bug report.

As for the beach itself, I loved it. There were hardly any people there, and if I wanted to be completely alone all I needed to do was trudge through the sand further North. I'm lazy, so I setup maybe 75 yards in, and still only had maybe 3 small groups within 100 feet of me.

This beach is natural, meaning there are shells galore, crabs, even occasional turtles...and the beach is not leveled daily like at the public ones. There are these little depressions where the waves come in that you can setup in, and they make these natural blinds that people cant hardly see you until they pass directly in front of you.

Bring a few grocery bags for trash, as there are no trash cans on the beach itself. There are a couple large ones at the beach entry ramp at every parking area so you can toss them as you leave.

When I left, I made the mistake of not wearing my beach shoes (because it was easier to walk without them), and then compounded the mistake by not stopping to put them on before walking up the ramp to leave. The boardwalk ramp is very very VERY hot, and the cement is even hotter! I highly recommend using shoes, or flip-flops as soon as you hit the ramp! I have a couple blisters that will mark me as an idiot for at least the next couple days :(

If you keep in mind that this is a natural beach, with all that entails, you'll love it! If you are looking for lifeguards, chair rentals, people to gawk at, white sands and hotels...then this isn't going to be your thing. If it isn't, the good part is that New Smyrna Beach is accessible just outside of the National Seashore entrance. You can check Apollo out and if you hate it, you're vacation isn't ruined!

Great to go to would tell others friends they should go and good place to fish and swim tell your family

I loved Apollo Beach. Although because parking is limited and strictly enforced, it's best to get there early, or if you're lucky there is a kind of 'shift change' around 1-2 pm-ish. But you can't loiter in your car waiting for a space to open up. Rangers patrol often. However, that also means there are not an overcrowded amount of people either. Locals inhabit the beach as regulars. They are friendly natives and very welcoming without being intrusive. GREAT FAMILY BEACH for the kids too.
Clothed people stay at the closer end of the beach to the ramp, while nudists are beyond the little insignificant white post in the dunes, as an unofficial marker. As a solo female guest I felt totally comfortable in my own skin. Bring water!!! And possible shade. AND your boogie boards :)

This is a lovely long stretch of white sandy beach. During the week it is quiet (we went on a Wednesday during term-time - it was almost empty). As others have said, car parking is very limited, especially at lot 5, which is where the naturists gather. But you can park in lot 4, then walk south towards the end of the spit and still go naked if you wish. We prefer this to Playa Linda.

Spent a day here. Note: go early if you plan to park at the end. It gets full and not enough parking spots. This seemed to be the most popular of all lots. This is apparently a legally nude beach. Be aware. It's a wide, flat, beach. All natural sea shore. Loved it.

We just got back from Apollo Beach, part of Canaveral National Seashore. You enter from SR A1A from New Smyrna Beach to the north (this is the only way in or out). The entrance fee is $5.00; an annual pass is $35.00, which includes admission to Playalinda Beach (southern portion of Canaveral - access through Titusville) but not other national parks in the area.

There are 5 beachside parking areas. We parked at Lot #2. Be sure to park in a designated parking space (i.e., not on the grass) or you WILL be ticketed $100.00. If nude sunbathing/swimming is your thing (not ours), proceed to Lot #5, as others have posted. The facilities at Lot #2 were lacking; the single restrooms at Lot #2 were basically port-o-lets with no running water. The Visitors Center to the north has running water, vending machines, a gift shop, and theater.

The beach itself this trip was mostly finely ground shell; sugar sand lovers will be disappointed. It was much less crowded than New Smyrna to the north. Great opportunities for shelling and observing wildlife. We saw pelicans and gulls flying in formation, fiddler crabs scurrying about, even a raccoon wandering near the trash area. Watch out for man-of-war/jellyfish - found several small ones washed up on the beach.

We'll be back soon.

The beach looks great although we went for the history. Make your initial stop at the Visitor center, make sure that you view the movie. Then go to Eldoro house. Eldoro house is only open some of the time so check schedules so that you can do both on the same day. If you are beach people, take advantage of a picnic on the beach.

Nice quiet beach. Not crowded even though parking lot was full. Very friendly clothing optional area.

One of our favorite places to bird watch. Usually able to find a parking spot pretty quick and the beach here is always clean!

Went to Apollo Beach (Lot #5) back in December. It's a really nice clothing optional beach with some minor drawbacks. On the day I went, it wasn't really the best day to go since it was 65°~ outside. Nonetheless, it was sunny outside and the beach was empty. The beach was also clean and well kept.

As previously mentioned, it is a nice beach with a couple of drawbacks. Probably the biggest drawback, is the lack of showers to wash the sand off. To remedy this, I walked to the other side where the boat dock is, and washed the sand off there (the parking lot is also clothing optional by the way). The other drawback is the restrooms. It's pretty much a concrete porta-potty. No sink, just a toilet seat over a hole. Other than the restrooms and showers, it was a little difficult to walk on the sand. If you're going to walk on the beach, do it on the shore as close to the water as possible. Otherwise, you're going to get a leg workout.

Minus the drawbacks, Apollo Beach is a great place to visit. It was very calming to be on the beach, with no hotels overlooking the water, or the sound of cars driving on the road behind you. You feel like you're in nature, away from it all. Enjoying the sounds of the ocean waves going back and forth, and the wind blowing across the water. Whether you decide to enjoy the beach with or without clothes, that's up to you. Just know that you can shed it all and enjoy nature, on one of the best beaches on the east coast. Will definitely be returning, and I recommend anyone reading this to plan a day at Apollo Beach.

Very clean beach, nice sand. Went to the nude portion, stripped down completely and enjoyed the sun. Very nice considerate people, no one staring. Several nude people of all ages both sexes.

We spend a lot of time in the National Seashore beaches. Miles and miles of beach with no commercial development. We just went on pontoon boat ride of Mosquito Lagoon. Great Great Great. Jake the captain very knowledgeable SNF informative. Joyce, the first mate, very very good. You can sign up at Visitor Center.

This beach is at the South-end of Canaveral National Seashore at the Southern end of New Smyrna Beach. The beach is sparsely attended, and there is minimal parking space which assures it will stay that way, especially at the last beach.

From the last entrance, a hiking permit is required if you desire the ~10 mile walk to Playalinda Beach at the other end of the park. This is as secluded a beach as you can find in Florida which is quite cool.

We have been there at times and seen nudists along the way, but everyone was clothed on our last visit.

Rest room facilities are available as you arrive at the parking lot. Other than that, it is a primitive experience.

This beach is at the end of the road in Canaveral National Park. This is a beautiful area with the Indian River visible to the West and the Atlantic Ocean visible to the East. The beach narrows as you proceed South from NSB on this portion of the beach the actual beach area is very narrow, the dunes are beautiful and recovering nicely from the storm last year. The nude portion of the beach is South of the walk-over/beach access. People who choose to enjoy the beach nude must stay 200 yards from the beach access so it should be no problem if you have concern about your children. I really enjoyed visiting this part of the park it feels very natural and isolated from the rest of the world.

Head down to lot number 5 to complete your get away from the crowds. As with the other designated parking areas, you will have a large deck/sitting area to look out and enjoy the ocean view. The beach is un-groomed and full of all types of shells both whole and crushed which makes up its unique blend of sand. And for the more adventurous . . . there is the clothing optional area of the beach if you go towards the South end. Just don't forget something soft to lay on down there because the sand can be a little rough on those delicate areas !

Apollo Lot 5
I’ve been to clothing optional places before, first time here. There were some elderly couples, a pair of younger females, and many solo and paired men (gay, straight, who cares). A solo man parked his chair rather close to me and just stared at everybody waking by, as well as had his phone out. I could tell he was rubbing his parts, but as soon as he added some lotion to them and got more intense - I picked my stuff up and moved. I relocated between 2 elderly couples and was very comfortable being there. If you can’t keep your hands off your junk, a CO location is not the place for you! There should be a way to report this activity, I know other places have numbers to call. There was another solo guy whose entire body was as dark as burnt toast (definitely his place to hang out!) and he kept staring over at me which was uncomfortable. There were also many spectators. People would come to the boardwalk and just look (one couple stood there for at least an hour) and many people would just go for a stroll on the beach, while fully clothed (shirt tucked in, shoes and socks even!) They honestly didn’t really bother me because they are the ones who look more foolish by being there! (And my body is far from perfect) But you should not be allowed to take up precious limited parking if not using the place as CO (either you are naked or the person you are with is!) Overall, it was enjoyable. Definitely lather with sun block. Seriously. It’s not about trying to get a tan in a couple days, but more just enjoying the freedom and the breeze in your skin! Lay in the sun, swim in the ocean, go for a walk! Who cares what others think! (And really, most people are thinking more about their own bodies and imperfections!)

We viewed the park head quarters and had a great tour, also visited the house on the west side of island, then we went to the beach there are 5 areas to go to. If you go to area 5 stay to the north for the family beach, to the south is the Nude area. there is no place we found inside the park for food, restaurants out side the park seemed rare so take food and drink.

This was my first visit to a clothing optional beach. Altho I had tried to visit one on Cape Cod Ma. The walk to that area was overwhelming never made it!
This being my first time I was a little nervious,as it turned out no need. I parked and walked onto the beach 50 yards south I encountered my first naked person. I set up 50 feet further down and took off my shorts. And walked some of the most beautiful beach In the country. I encountered many people on my mile walk,all with a nod. The water at this time of year was in the 80s. And was very user friendly. This was one of my best beach experiences of my life. There was quite a few couples but I saw more single men than women. It was nice that all I encountered were comfortable within their own skin ;-) Anybody thinking about nude sunbathing and are hesitant JUST DO IT this beach is GREAT

Went to Apollo Beach 3 times in May 2019. Parked in lot 5 with no problem. Loved it for first time being nude at beach. It seems normal and natural. Most people are nude and some clothed. Some people fishing but most enjoying the sun and the surf. Gay or straight no problem. Mainly older but yet quite a few in 30’s and 40’s. Very friendly. Only complaint, why come to clothing optional and stay dressed but laugh at those nude. Oh well. Come and visit.

This was a great beach for a first time clothing optional experience. We read reviews on several sites before going and afterwords felt that this beach was well secluded and everyone kept to themselves. Us being "newbie" cautious, we didn't feel uncomfortable.
Having some understanding of shore fishing, I didn't feel the fishermen were creepers, they carried too much gear for all that!!! They also were all left of the pier 5 boardwalk. A couple cyclist road up the peer and turned around with a "oh that's for real?" face. Entry fee was $20 per vehicle and good for 7 days.

As in other reviews, we agree that arriving early is must. Take compact beach gear because the natural sea shore is not the easiest trek. A durable beach blanket with a basic umbrella or pop-up canopy are strongly recommended. (+ flyswatter and baby powder!!)

Anyone looking to break free from restrictive clothing culture, body conscious, or self-image issues will not regret starting hear. It seems popular for all types of people and the water is great. Going during the week may also be less crowded.
We hope this was helpful for someone.

I stumbled across Apollo Beach by accident. I was surf fishing with my husband. We walked down the beach quite a ways as to not fish near people swimming. It became clear that the people walking past us had a certain flare to their gait! I was told yrs.ago that there was a nude beach in New Smyrna Beach and ummm....low and behold we were at the nude beach!
If you like to let things loose, this is the place for you! I didn't see any families there. It seemed the people there were respecting others space. Low key and the norm is how it felt to be amongst this special group of people. If nudism is your choice then it's the place to be.

We were excited to enter this park with promises of multiple beach viewing vistas. As we travelled to the first one it was impossible to find parking as there are only about 20 parking spots. As we travelled to other vistas we were faced with the same problem. We did manage to eventually find a spot but the wait was not really worth it. The beaches in New Smyrna are much more accessible and nicer.

This is about as pristine as you can get for a Florida East Coast beach. Excellent visitor center with all the cool stuff you might want for souvenirs of your visit as well as a small theater with an informative video of Canaveral National Seashore. The Eldora House is also something you might want to visit but check CNS Park Service website for hours of operation.

The sand and beach does vary during the seasons (soft sand to shelly/sticky depending on the season, weather, tides, recent storms, etc. but the bugs can be a problem at certain times. For instance, after heavy rains, mosquitos and biting flies (nasty bite, BTW) will attack in full force if the wind is from the west across Mosquito Lagoon, so bug repellent is probably more important than sunscreen on those occasions.

Be mindful of the fact that you may encounter nude sunbathers on the beach (especially south of Lot 5 which is the de facto nude beach). Since it is a short drive for me, I got an annual pass and visit several times each month, mainly for being able to walk naked down the beach and meet other folks sharing the experience. Having done this for over two years, I have NEVER witnessed any behavior that could even remotely be construed as sexual in nature. Some couples holding hands as they walked the beach was as “racy” as I’ve seen.

And the National Park Service Rangers here are as helpful and courteous as you will ever find in a National Park.

We spent one of our mornings at Apollo Beach and it was beautiful here. Took in a lot of the scenery and toured Eldora State House too.

Loved our day at this beautiful beach. The wife and I tried parking lot #5 the Clothing Optional section. Took a picnic lunch and set up our beach chair and umbrella. Had a gentleman come up to us sat in front of us and started talking to us. He was friendly just a little awkward for us. He left and we enjoyed our lunch and the rest of our day. I would go back again.

you have to pay to get into the park - like any other beach. be careful as some beaches are clothing optional.

I wanted so badly to be on the beach away from the crowds and just be nude at my leisure. My wife and I made this a stop on our 10-year anniversary vacation and went to Lot 5 (wanted to go to Lot 4 but it was closed), then hiked back toward lot 4 where we could be alone. We went early in the morning during a beautiful sunrise. The place was practically empty. During our walk, we encountered fresh turtle tracks going to and from the sea where a turtle had just laid it's eggs that morning! really neat.

After a pretty long walk, we set up our spot where we had the entire beach to ourselves! I was so anxious to be in the nude out in nature. It was amazing. My wife kind of thought I was crazy because she wanted to keep her suit on.

We met a guy who was out combing the beach for sea shells. In the distance he was nude, but when he got closer to us, he put his suit on (probably because my wife wasn't nude). He told us all about sea glass, which got my wife excited because she had just found a large piece herself. We later learned at the visitor center that afternoon that lots 4 and 5 are the best areas for seashells, especially at low tide (which is when we were there).

Eventually my wife became more comfortable and uncovered herself more until she was nude. We went on walks together, threw a Frisbee around, and my wife collected a bunch of really neat sea shells. It was the best experience ever!

After some time a nude couple came our way walking along the beach together and collecting shells. My wife quickly covered up. I thought it was beautiful to see them out together walking around in just their skin. But my wife was uncomfortable with it and was upset that they didn't cover up when they approached us. My wife kept herself covered after that. Then some nude guy with a military backpack and matching hat came walking around and gave off a creepy vibe. So that kind of ended the experience for my wife. Then it was really uncomfortable for her when we had to walk back to lot 5 for our car. People were nude everywhere, and not just south of the lot.

We spent a lot of time at the visitors center afterwords and learned a ton about all the neat shells and things that we had found that morning.

A few days later at the end of our trip, we went back. I wanted to be nude on the beach again, and she wanted to collect more shells. This time we went to Lot 3 and hiked up toward lot 4 to be alone again. I went on a jog and while I was gone, my wife said some creepy nude guy on a bike was passing back and forth by her, so she moved back closer to lot 3 where more people were.

Overall, it was great. Just know that you'll probably see nudes the further you get from the parking lots (except lot 5 were everyone seems to be free of clothes), and please be careful if you're away from the crowds like we were.

We wanted to go to the manatee viewing center, but it closed 1 minute before we arrived! Sheriff told us to go here that we may see some.

We were able to see a snout, tail or back. But more importantly the beach surroundings were stunning! We were there at dusk and sunset was stunning.

There were fisherman there that were very friendly as well. Very peaceful more a nature walk vs hang out and play and swim.

Oh yeah, I was naked and lovin' it. Parking lot 5 had the closest access to the naturalist/nudist/the naked people. It isn't marked! Seriously, there is no signage or anything that indicates that the beach goers are without swim suits. The bathroom is basically a smelly permeant nasty port-a-potty. I went every day at different times. People kind of keep to themselves. There are people walking that realize that people don't have clothes on and turn around as quickly as possible. Be aware that parking is about 35+ spaces. You WILL be towed if you park illegally. On the weekend patron will just hand out in their cars in a line waiting for a parking space. They idle in the cud-a-sac. The lot 5 is at the end of a 6 mile road. Look for turtles and armadillos along side the road. At the visitor's center bay we saw a manatee. In the ocean we saw a shark and a turtle. The hid and low tide are drastic! Watch were you set up your chair. We went in August. The sun felt hotter at 4pm than at noon. It was cruel mid day, but completely delightful in the afternoon. There is an outdoor shower at lot 1. Each parking lot has recycling. The park opened at 6 am. Sunrise was at 6:50 ish. We loved having the naked beach to ourselves as the sun made it's way above the horizon.

June 3, 2017; Also see my other reviews on Apollo for parking and other details.
OK, today I discovered that Parking lot #4 is closed for renovations to the walkover. I stopped at the ranger station on the way out and inquired how long this was going to take and the answer was 10 weeks unless rain delays the rebuilding the walkover. Our rainy season has just started this week. Actually this is about how long it took to rebuild lot #5 back in 2015.
Since this was a Saturday lot #5 was full and as I parked in the cul-de-sac and queued up my car so I would be next for a spot. I walked to the 'walkover' and looked to see if anyone was leaving; no such luck. So I went to lot #3 and found a spot and parked, I cleared the walkover by 100 yards and did my 2 mile walk and encountered only a few naturalist. The beach is beautiful in all areas and worth the wait for a spot unless you have time restrictions like I did. Get there early or late to get a parking spot or just wait it out, but refrain from parking in the boat/trailer area or on the grass as the fines are steep. Note: you can also park in other lots and ride your bike to lot #5 if you desire but it is not necessary.
Contact me for details via this site.

This is out-of-the way enough that you can almost always find a quiet stretch of beach to have to yourself. No lifeguards. No cars on the beach. There is limited parking so you might need to stop at a different parking lot than you expected. Can be serene. Usually more fishermen than swimmers or sunbathers. May be a little windy.

I went to Apollo Beach (parking lot 5) at Canaveral National Seashore this Monday in November. It was a nice 82 degrees and the sun was out. Not a lot of people but quite relaxing and being a Clothing Optional Beach no one really cares if you are dressed or nude. Or they shouldn’t. I would recommend for anyone who just wants to get away and relax.

I love Apollo beach. We are regulars to this beach. We love nature and untouched places. If you like primitive and semi wild places this is it.

Nice beach at the north end of the Canaveral Seashore. 5 parking lots. Plenty of room to spread out on the beach. Bring water as there are bathrooms but no water.

I had visited Apollo Beach late one afternoon about a year ago and was eaten up by bugs. I decided to give it another try. After my last experience, I made sure to go in the early afternoon on a nice Sunny day and checked the tide to make sure it was not high tide.

My experience this time was very different. First, I did in fact experience the full parking lot that others talk about at lot #5. I was lucky in that somebody was leaving as I was arriving so I didn't have to fight it, but the lot was 100% full.

The only people I saw clothed once I was on the beach were people who were walking to or from their destination. Most people where there either as a couple or with a small group of people. Almost every group had an umbrella, chairs, and cooler and probably had been there most of the day. Each group was about 20 yards or so apart, so no one was getting in each other's space. My only complaint was how far I felt like I needed to walk to set up without the likelihood of someone feeling like I was crowding them. There were young (20s) to older people there and I never felt like anyone was gawking or even paying any attention to anyone else. The people were all shapes, sizes, and ages so the theory that nude beaches are only for old fat men was dismissed with this visit to the beach.

The beach was much wider because the tide was out, so I was not crowded up next to vegetation, which would have caused bugs to be worse. I did not have a bug problem at all this time, but it was in the heat of the day and a nice breeze was blowing. The sand was still not comfortable, but this time I brought a beach chair so it wasn't really a problem. I also did not try to swim and therefore did not get the oyster shells all over me. It does still take a while to get there.

I also was able to locate the outdoor shower this time (I asked the Ranger on the way in where it was). It is located at lot #1. After I left lot #5, I drove up to lot #1 and got out and showered off (not nude) to rinse the sand off of my legs and feet. The shower is not obvious at lot #1 as it is not near the boardwalk -- it is next to the toilets across the parking lot from the boardwalk. When I was not on the nude section of the beach, I wore a thong and never had a problem.

I would definitely recommend you try this beach if you want to nice public and legal nude beach. I would recommend that you go when it is sunny, breezy, and not high tide.

Really lovely little find! Not a beach for swimmers exactly but great for a dip and to watch the boats and fishing . I loved it and had a really great relaxing day out. Great for families. Small but picturesque and nice sand. Great place to eat or drink at the Marina after at Circles. Is a nature reserve too.

This is my own personal paradise, beautiful sandy beaches, lots of wildlife, great surf, but I like to call it my own beach, so please don't visit there!

This beach is addicting.. Beautiful, undeveloped, and all natural! The road in is newly paved and lot #5 is redone to include another 10 parking spaces. However, I arrived at 9am and lot #5 was already full, as was lot #4 (the park opens at 8am). Thank God I'm on a motorcycle.. Ha! I made my own space. If you're in a car, you need a space or you will be towed. Come early! Lot #5 is clothing optional, and if you've never body surfed naked, there is nothing I can write to explain the freedom you will feel here. You just need to experience it. This beach is spectacular! Even with the lot full, the beach has plenty of space for everyone. I only saw a handful of other beach folk and they were all totally respectful of my space. An amazing day at the beach and highly recommended!

As a bonus.. Alcohol is permitted on Apollo Beach (just no glass). Naked and tipsy in the Atlantic Ocean is bucket list material. Just do it!

We spent quite a while just walking around and learning about things that we never knew! Our son has always loved space, and this is the perfect place for someone who is interested in anything "space" !!!

This is one of the two beaches in Florida with a legal nude beach. The beach is clothing optional at parking area # 5. The only place to get a good tan without tan lines. If you want a place to be nude to swim and sun bath this is it.

I went to Apollo beach lot #5. It was not a good weather day, rained off and on and the sand gnats were terrible early in the morning. Even with all of that I still had a wonderful time. Parking lot never did fill up so it wasn't crowded. Very laid back and peaceful.

My wife and I visited Apollo Lot 5 this weekend. Instead of going to Lot 13 in Playalinda like last year. I'm a Nudist when I can, she is not. So, we have to find Clothing-optional places. Granted, I tease her about being Textile on vacation when we go to Clothing-optional places. This time, she Surprised Me! She wore a open laced shaw and a pair of shorts, from the motel room. Nothing else, so her nips poked thru and stood out. The whole drive to the beach, no one noticed this. It was crowded at the beach, park rangers were turning people away. But, we got lucky and a few cars were leaving, so we were let in. Found one spot left at Lot 5 to park. We set up our umbrella and chairs. I took off my shorts and laid out a towel to sunbathe. Their was a group from a Nudist resort there and a lot of older couples. The atmosphere was so relaxing, the ocean was calm and the sun and sand were warm. Then my wife done the unthinkable!!! She took off the shaw and her shorts,,, She said it was more relaxed than other places we had gone too. We sunned, played in the ocean, walked along the beach and collected a few sea shells. She told me while we were on our walk that she hated me for being so right to be Nude out in Public and she felt so comfortable on this beach with others. I'd like to thank everyone who respects others for their minds, not their or others bodies. We plan on visiting Apollo again. Along with other Fine clothing-optional Nude beaches.

Gate 5 was our goal and we made it. It was clean. Our first experience at a clothing optional beach and it was very comfortable for us. Only issue was the ppl who showed up and just appeared to be looking at those of us who enjoyed the area like zoo animals. They stayed dressed, some didn't even go on the beach, but took up the limited parking spots that true users of gate 5 would have enjoyed. Its not a freak show ppl. If you aren't going to at least enjoy the freedom, just stop at gate 4.

This was my first visit to Apollo, but not my last. The beaches are coquina, and is not firm as you might expect.

Our visit was to boardwalk 5, which is considered a nude area. If this isn't your thing, or if you have children, stop at a closer entry point! If you do end up there and offended, shame on you. The sign in picture is before area 4!

Area 5 has a mix of people. Judging by the tans I saw, MOST were true nudists. There was a mix of both males and females, as well as nudist couples. A few people remained fully clothed though. For those, I recommend another area. Yes you are free to go anywhere you like, however for reasons I will further discuss, save this area for those who dare to go bare!

Let me explain. Parking at area 5 is EXTREMELY limited. Driving in, other area parking lots were pretty empty. I was fortunate to get the last spot at area 5. A friend arrived a bit later, and was in a line waiting for a spot to open. A lady with two young children, NOT in line pulled into a spot as someone was leaving and was confronted by those waiting in line. She did move, and when asked if she knew this area was nude, said she didn't.

Helpful hints to those wishing to go to area 5! Park opens at noon. Was there slightly before, and cars lined up. There are no foot showers there. As i understand only at area 1. There is a restroom but I'd say a portolet in a building.

Passes are $20 and good for 7 days..Annual passes are $40. Im sure ill go more than twice!

All in all, a beautiful beach, and looking to explore more of it.

What a beautiful.unspoiled beach. I dont get many opportunities to visit quiet beaches. Glad i took the short ride here. Miles of clean sand with practically no one in sight. Loved it!

You are entering a National Park so if you have a pass or 62+ get a lifetime $10 pass to use at any National Park (pay at the ranger check point). Lots of armadillos and turtles as you drive down the 35 MPH zone, which is now being enforced by the rangers. I have seen laser/radar used twice this week. The beach is amazing parking is available from lot 1 to lot 5. Lot 5 is the busiest because of naturalist and fishermen, but lot 4 offers the same. The naturalist agree to stay 100 yards (or more) from the crossovers. No glass bottles (cans ok) of any kind or dogs and the fines are hefty. Do not park in non designated spots, the ticket is also hefty.
This is a great escape from the rat race of the world, a place to forget your troubles and just enjoy the beach. The sand at this time is not good for biking and walking is a challenge unless the tide is down, I am referring to walking for exercise (fast paced). But a stroll down the beach is fun and there are many shells at this time of the year, depending on the tide.

$20 to park. Allowed cars on a portion of the beach. Crowded/ppl right next to you. Restrooms and outside showers were available.
A man took a shower like he was at home. Shampooed his hair and everything! There was a line waiting to RINSE off. Very inconsiderate and rude of the man. Condos lined the waterfront but once on the beach, facing ocean, it was fine.

I would not return. Instead, I traveled a little further down and thoroughly enjoyed the Mar McCloud Bethune beach, the next day.

multiple beach areas with limited parking...watch for tortoises crossing the road...fee to get in...seniors get your national pass for $10 and it's good at all national parks for life...avoid the last beach as it is permissible to be there without clothing...we were rather shocked

no giant conch shells. but some good sized shells. the drive into the park/beach area is a beautiful stretch. theres hotels and condos along the beach. a really good Mexican restaurant. once you get to the gate its a long drive to the last beach area. not as long as playalinda but still a hike out. beautiful place to take pictures. has 5 parking lots. number 5 is a skinny dipping beach. I hear this area along with daytona beach is the shark bite capital. not sure but so far soo good. never seems to be crowded every time I go. if you've never been, give it a whirl.

The great thing about these beaches is that there is only so many parking spots so the beach is never crowded. That being said, you have to get there early on the weekend, or you will have to wait for a parking space.

Canaveral National Seashore is a spectacular example of beauty and peace. There are approximately 6 parking areas to enjoy the seashore and natural beauty. Apollo Beach is the last stop and is equally beautiful. The nude beach is within walking distance from the parking area. Any of the parking areas are equally impressive.

Dunes, ramps down to the beach, fine sand, shells, boat ramps, no concessions or tourist trap atmosphere...bring your national parks system card if you have one-- this is a national seashore, protected (for now) and beautiful.

Quiet, secluded beach. Not a million people, maybe 10-20 people for miles. Shells galore! No big houses or businesses, bring your own food and drinks and enjoy the serenity of the beach like it was before the rich people swallowed it up and built homes on it!

We just enjoyed hearing the waves and the birds, and feeling the warmth of the sun on our backs. It was hard to imagine that more people had not discovered this place! We went during the week, and there were very few people at any of the five beach areas. All wore bathing suits, too.

Also, beaches 3 and 5 have a nice long ramp for wheeling in the beach gear!

I have been going to Canaveral National Seashore for about 25 years, both Playalinda and Apollo depending on where I resided. I now live in New Smyrna Beach and at Apollo 3 to 4 days per week walking for exercise. If you have questions about the beaches, just send me a message on Tripadvisor.
I just read Sheila P. review and somewhat agree. Yes there are a few perverts on the beach but usually away from the walkover's (note I wrote walkover's with an "s") You can be nude anywhere on the beach as long as your away from the walkovers as not to offend anyone and of course families with children. This is at least 100 yards away in either direction. I ignore the perverts unless it is very blatant and I will ask them to stop. Here lately it is rare that I see them.
Ok the beach is now very clean of debris due to mostly volunteer efforts to pick up the trash from the recent hurricane. This is a busy time of the year since the snow birds (for my European readers that is people from our northern states) have ascended upon Florida, so as you can imagine the National seashore is busy and limited parking in lot 5. If you care to wait for a spot, go around the cul-de-sac and stop just as you exit and either start the 'wait' line or get in line. Just like Disney there is a line, pecking order if you will. Do not park in undesignated or TOW areas, the fine is hefty for parking on the grass or boat trailer area. Watch your speed (35 MPH) as the rangers do run laser/radar.
As I have written in my other reviews of this treasure, this is a National treasure, unspoiled and beautiful. If your looking for restaurants, shops or even a place to wash the salt off your body forget it (only one shower in lot #1, but most people don't know about this). New Smyrna Beach has great restaurants and shops and a great Textile beach you can drive on for a fee.

I went and purchased my Senior National Park pass. Planned on just driving through quickly and ended up spending a couple hours. Breathtaking views, ocean and river, with wildlife and beautiful native plants. Every parking area provides a different experience. The beaches were not crowded. Looking forward to bringing my family back for a lovely outing.

I went there on a Saturday, had no trouble finding a parking space in lot 5. Was a little nervous at first, the beach is beautiful, people are friendly but respect your privacy. I enjoyed my visit and will return.

This was our first trip to a nude beach (my wife and I) and won't be our last. We are in our mid 20s and didn't really know what to expect, but it was great! The beach is a little narrow and the sands just a bit difficult to walk. Everyone here is very respectful and in about 10 minutes you'll forget your nude. If you haven't tried it this place is a wonderful way to get started.

Costs to get in but well worth the $5 . Miles of non crowded beach. Has easy beach access and restrooms. I will definitely go back my next time through.

The two previous reviewers were at two different places. The Town of Apollo Beach is on the west coast, on Tampa Bay. Apollo Beach The Beach is on the east coast and has no rocks or lifeguards.

The Beach is popular with sunbathers, swimmers, fishermen and , yes, nudists around parking lot 5. Parking at all the lots is somewhat limited, which means the beach is never crowded, a big plus for me. For those of us who want to relax out of earshot from radios, rambunctious kids and other distractions from surf sounds and birdcalls, there is plenty of room. That also means there is plenty of room for the radios and kids, too.

The only downsides are the sand, mostly crushed coquina shells, and by Florida standards the beach is relatively narrow.

I go every chance I get.

It took some patience but I got a parking space at lot #5 after a group of birders with binoculars got more then a eyeful and left
It was my first visit and most trash that I had cleaned up had washed ashore other then that it was very pristine
Ages varied but mostly it's a 50 and up crowd and very polite

This is on Canaveral National park area, is historic in its own. Must see the huge pile of Oyster shells from early humans liveing here.

10/15/2020; Long over due for another report so here goes. The recent storms off the east coast wreaked havoc on the boardwalks/overpasses to the beach and parking lot #4 is closed due to extensive repairs to the overpass. They have removed the damage and piled it in the parking lot, but I see no repair material as yet! The last time this was done was years ago and the lot was closed for months, and don't ask the park service when the completion date will occur because they do not know. The storms and rough seas and high tide had waves up into the grassy dunes, something I have never seen before. However the beach is still beautiful and relaxing. Parking lot #3 is about three miles to parking lot #5, a log walk. If you see me in my signature 'Tilly' hat just ask me for a ride and I will accommodate you.
Remember: No Dogs or glass bottles on the beach, the fine is very high.

I had high expectations after reading some of the reviews but it turned out to be quite a let down. I got to ramp 5 on a Tuesday afternoon around 2 and I had heard that parking spaces might be opening up around that time of day but that wasn't the case. All the parking spaces were taken and there were two cars idling, waiting for a spot. I noticed that there were several couples standing on the ramp, fully clothed just looking. So I went to Lot 4 and decided to chill out there for a while.

The next morning I got up early and got to ramp 5 before 8am and got one of the remaining 4 parking spaces. By the time I got my things out of my car, the rest of the spaces were full. After walking down the ramp, I noticed that again there were people standing on the ramp fully clothed, just looking and almost everyone on the beach had clothes on. I only saw 5 or 6 people actually sun bathing in the nude. The beach was crowded with fishermen. On my way in I noticed that lot 4 was almost empty so I am not sure why all these people took the extra drive to ramp 5 if they had no intention of getting undressed. I got a spot on the beach to lay down and began sun bathing. I was immediately attacked by sand gnats and biting flys so I had to pack up and leave. I decided that it wasn't worth my time to stay there.

The next afternoon, I decided to try one more time since I was in the area and I managed to get a parking spot because someone was leaving. The crowd was about the same and most people were just standing around fully clothed looking around. There were a few more nude sunbathers though so I again found a spot and put my towel down to sunbathe. I was able to get in some good tanning time but again most of the people around me had on bathing suits. When I had enough sun, I started walking towards the ramp and noticed that there was a lady standing there looking with her two young daughters. I quickly got dressed before approaching them because I felt that was odd.

So in short, the beach itself was nice, but the bugs and people were not.

Spent my 50th birthday as God intended.. In my birthday suit! Haven't felt this free since I was a child. Bodysurfing in the rough surf, and not worried about losing my shorts. Awesome! This beach is spectacular. All natural and undeveloped. Fellow patrons of Lot #5 are totally respectful. Everyone gives each other space and you actually have a lot of privacy. Your own piece of paradise. My wife had a couple of gawkers, but that's understandable.. She's hot! I was one of her gawkers. Canaveral National Seashore opens at 8am. If you want to park at Lot #5, I suggest you get there before 9am. It's $5 per vehicle to enter the park and worth every penny. There are no amenities except a restroom that's more like an oversized outhouse. I'm not an exhibitionist in any way, but I highly recommend giving this beach a try. Most excellent experience,

So, the beach at parking lot 5 is where the nudies hang out. There is limited parking and space is at a premium. Taking that into account it would be nice if the textile/fisherman crowd would hang out somewhere else. Seriously, have you people never seen a naked person before? My wife and I travelled across the country to visit Florida's nude beaches. What a shame our experience was marred by uncouth people hogging up the parking to get a glimpse of some strangers privates. Getting nude and enjoying nature is an awesome experience. I recommend it to most everyone. Please, if you are curious by all means come and join in, if you are here to gawk please go somewhere else.

It takes a little patience to get all the way down route A1A to the northern section of the Canaveral National Seashore but once you get there the congestion disappears. Entry fee is $1.50 on foot or bike, $5 for a car. There is a visitor center which isn't that informative and mostly a gift shop. Parking areas are on the left going south and are numbered 1-5. Each one looks the same - I only stopped at 2 with what must be chemical restrooms since there are no utilities or amenities but a boardwalk with observation area to the beach except at Parking Area 1 where there is running water. You can see miles of white sandy beach on the Atlantic. Immediately on the mainland side is the lagoon which unfortunately was plagued with a brown tide so water quality was poor. Boat access to the lagoon side is available at Parking Area 5. I went on a weekday so no crowds but I could guess on a weekend, parking would be at a premium and you are not supposed to park along the road. I guess at least that limits any crowd on the beach. It is true that south of Parking Area 5 is clothing optional and is not posted or mentioned anywhere in the brochures. Hours 6a-6p and there are programs including a pontoon boat ride but space is very limited and is first come, first served.

This was my second visit over July 4 weekend. Parking at lot 5 was no problem, very relaxing sitting on the beach and swimming in the ocean nude. Only downside was afternoon thunderstorms. Thoroughly enjoyed and will return again

My fiance and I went to the nude section of the beach. We had a wonderful time. the water was absolutely perfect and the sands were comfortable. The people around there are more than welcoming to first timers. The only issue I had....was my own fault. I forgot our sunblock, so we definitely got burnt!!!!! Ooops. For those who are griping about the nudity- it is a NUDE beach area. If you don't like it, don't go to that area. simple.

We were here on the day of the eclipse and what a great visit it was. the welcome center had the glasses we could use to view the eclipse and they also had the live feed from NASA on the big screen in the auditorium. We spent about 2 hours there visiting with the rangers and visitors from various places. We could not come though without a stop at the beach. This park is always a great place to take a chair or blanket and spend some time on the shore of our great Atlantic Ocean. It is always a rejuvenation for me to spend some time with the sounds and scents of the sea.

Yeah its not for kids. Its a nude beach. All shapes and sizes will be there. Its an experience worth having but dont forget sun block...

This beach is a nice little quiet beach, not crowded, clean, and safe. We went to the beach just to relax, little did we know, that the Manatee's hang out there! They were so neat to watch. Worth the stop on the road!

Seems the bane of high tides, bugs and rude people eluded us on out first trip here. The fact that parking area 5 leads to a clothing optional beach isn't well sign posted and parking is very limited, however, we lucked out and had a car leave within minutes if arriving. The beach itself is clean and pristine. The people are there to enjoy the beach a al natural. That's it. Bring supplies and water and just in case, bug spray. I will certainly visit agin.

Historical and informative, Turtle Mound, Eldora State House, the Mosquito Lagoon access and the beaches are amazing. Take a trashbag and leave it cleaner than you found it.

Very Easy Going Clothing Optional Beach. Ver last parking area of the park. It was $20 for a pass for the week. Everone was spread apart. Relaxing and Enjoyable

Very nice and clean beach. There isn't one bad thing to say about it. You'll need a couple of days to enjoy everything the Park has to offer.

3/22/23: 3:00 PM; WOW, it has be a while since I have written a review on Apollo Beach. Well the hurricane and tropical storm and the storm surge that came with them did a lot of damage, but Apollo was open the next day after the normal assessment. However Playalinda got slammed from Lot #7 to #13, but that is another beach south. Since we are in the snowbird season we are still getting a lot of fishermen but that is going to diminish next month as they are going home up north. The beach is beautiful and sometimes crowded at lot #5 but #4 south is also C/O; please be 100 yards from the the boardwalk. Yesterday walking on the sand was hard packed "Gray sand" and other days it is soft, so it changes daily. It is paradise and freedom.

There is now a national Park service sign right before area 4 advising people that they will encounter nude sunbathers in area of 5. People who choose to sunbathe in area 5 are comfortable being an area where there are nude sunbathers. the vast majority of people at area 5 are nude. On the weekends there can be upwards of several hundred nude sunbathers. Area 5 does not not have enough parking there for you will profbably need to arrange for transportation to area 5 on the weekends.The way I do it is to drop everybody off at area 5 and then park in area 2 or at eldora and ride a bicycle back to the beach

Nice beach, bug-free (but likely not for long) with mild surf, few shells (although more than many FL beaches) in low 70s early April 2016. Sparsely populated, all friendly yet minding their own business. Most common activity other than sunning was surf fishing (although little catching seemed to be going on). Parking at lot #5 pretty much a must if you want to pursue well known options. Pit toilets at parking lot were as expected - plan to bring what you'll use - closest store is miles away.

My visit was around 4:00pm during the week after a rainstorm had passed through, so please keep that in mind as you read the review.....

Pros:
* Nude beach to yourself (south of lot #5 only) where everybody was very respectful of one another.
* No concern of being harassed by law enforcement
* Good mixture of ages/sexes, though not many people

Cons
* Very buggy
* Sand not very comfortable
* Beach was very narrow
* Takes a while to get there
* I didn't experience this as a problem, but parking is limited and the next lot is over 2 miles North of lot #5

Summary

For the nude experience I would give this a rating of 4 out of 5, but for the beach and the bug experience I would give it a 2, so I averaged it and rated the overall experience a 3 out of 5. If you are new at nude swimming in public, this is a good place to try it because it isn't crowded and you can get used to be naked around others without being on top of one another.

Details

As you enter the gate to the Canaveral National Seashore from A1A, you will pay $5.00 per car to visit the park. As you drive down the main road from the gate, you will pass 5 parking areas with beach access. There were hardly any cars in any of the parking lots on the day I was there. I drove on down to lot #5, which was confirmed by the Rangers to be clothing-optional South of the lot on the beach. There were 3 other cars in the lot that contained approximately 30 spaces total. There is a chemical toilet building and a boardwalk over to the beach. I went to the trunk of my car and dropped my shorts (I wear thongs) and changed into slide-on shorts for my adventure out to the beach. I then picked up my towel and headed across the boardwalk. From the moment I got out of my car I was immediately attacked by bugs -- I am assuming it was sand-gnats (aka no-see-ums) since I never really saw any mosquitoes, etc. The boardwalk to the beach is a short walk cross the dunes. About 25 yards from the boardwalk is an empty chair up on the sand. About 50 yards, there are two couples playing in the water and the waves without the constraint of swimwear. One of the couples looked to be in their twenties and the other probably in their thirties. I walk about 50 yards past them and lay my towel out and remove my clothes and get into the water, hoping the water would keep the bugs off of me as I am itching all over at this point. The water was rough and there was strong undertow after the water was about knee-deep, so I didn't get very far into the water being by myself. I sent back and sat down on the sand where the water was about a foot deep. One of the things that I noticed almost immediately is that the sand was mostly broken-up shells and it would stick all over you and the sand itself would also cause you to itch. After about 20 minutes I got up and walked further south down the beach, just walking in the edge of the water. Along the way I passed another couple that was probably in their fifties and passed another solo male that was probably in his early sixties walking in the opposite direction from me. After we had passed one another for a little while, I turned around and went back to my clothes and put on my thongs, t-shirt, and flip-flops and carried everything else to my car. As I was walking back towards the boardwalk, I noticed that the guy I had met walking was now sitting in the empty chair near the boardwalk. I was under the impression that there was an outdoor shower at lot #1 or #2, but I could not find it, so I left the park and found a shower at a public beach area on New Smyrna beach. I used the outdoor shower there to wash the sand and shells off of me before getting back into my car to go home. As I showered in my thong, I got some disapproving looks, but didn't experience any problems (this was outside the park).

I assume it was high tide when I was visiting because there was a ledge of sand where the water came all the way up to the ledge, then there was about a two foot step up to sand that was not packed at all. The width of the sand where the water wasn't going was only 10 to 12 feet before you get to the dunes.

I would like to visit again when (1) the tide is out and there is more beach, (2) the sun is brighter and I could actually get some sun, (3) the wind was blowing enough to keep the bugs at bay. Otherwise, the freedom of not having to wear a swimsuit did not overrule the inconvenience of the beach and bugs.

Not a first time beach nudist, but it had been awhile since I had sunbathed in public sans clothing.
The purchase to enter the Park is $20 and it last for a week, so if you are visiting, just hang on to the pass until you leave.
I went in early November and was hoping for good weather. I was lucky and tempertures were a beautiful mid-70's. Not too hot, no too cold.
Water was stll warm and very refreshing

About the parking lot. Please be advised it is very small and only hold 35-40 cars. I arrived after 12 noon both days and there were generally about 5-8 spots still open. Because the lot is so small, it's easy to find a spot to spread out comfortably far enough from others so as not to intrude on their privacy.

About the people. I'd have to say couples and single men predominate. I did see two older women that were solo. Brave souls.

The ages were generally older because after all, this was mid-week when most people work.

If you are used to sugar like sand, you'll be disappointed by the sand here. It's kind of course and brownish, not white or powdery like the Gulf Coast. Don't let that deter you though because it is easy to get off of your body.

It was easy going, with most people walking along the beach to the south before encoutering a sign that required a "back-country" pass to go any further. There are few prudes here. I only saw one woman with her bottoms still on. It's some interesting people-watching as they crusie by on their "excercise of the day" walk southward.

Couples tend to amass around the entry point to the beach while guys were spread thin as you got further away. I did get some attention from some younger males the further I walked down but it was sort of a passive showing of semi-hard genitalia which did not offend me. I'd wave and nod in appreciation just to tease them a bit. All in good fun.

There’s not a lot there. This place is operated by the National Park Service. There are several public parking lots with access to the beach. There is one boat ramp where you can launch a fishing type boat, and several small ramps for kayaks. The farther south you go, the closer you come to the nude beach, where you can see whatever you want to see, plus some things you probably don’t want to see.

There is an entry fee that depends on your vehicle and number of passengers. Seniors with National Park Pass get in free.

El Dora House is worth the walk.

A great place to watch a space launch, but you’d better get there early.

Nice, quiet, beautiful beach. The beach is more secluded and not busy or crowded. There is just sand dunes and no houses or condos.

This is worth the trip. Shelling on these beaches is average but so much better than New Smyrna Beach. Very well maintained. Be aware that beach #5 is clothing optional.

must visit and well worth the $20. we walked all the trails and walked along the beach as well. there is a clothing optional area that is non intrusive

This beach is a little steeper and Shelly. It is within the park so it requires a pass. Just get one it’s nice. No dwellings. All nature. Ramp access. No stairs. Good fishing.

This is a National Park so there is no development here save a few historic homes left over from the long gone town of Eldora. The beaches are traffic free and offer good shelling and fishing as well as privacy. There are 5 parking areas and they fill up fast. Most everybody stays near the parking areas but if you do not mind a little hike you can have some beach all to yourself. A word of caution; parking area 5 has a nude beach a few hundred yards south of the parking area. If you want to avoid it stay near the parking area or north of it. The mosquitoes and no-see-ums can be brutal at certain times of the year but they are concentrated around the Turtle Mound area and the old Eldora site.

This afternoon on the 23rd of June 2016 parking lot five reopened at Apollo Beach. The road has also been replaced with asphalt. Beach access now includes a long ramp to accommodate beach visitors who are handicapped.