Where To See Alligators In Vero Beach

Overview

• Blue Cypress Lake, about 40 minutes west on State Road 60, gives you the best odds of seeing wild alligators near Vero Beach.
• An airboat or pontoon tour gets you closest with the least risk, and several operators run trips in the Blue Cypress Conservation Area.
• Stick Marsh in Fellsmere and the St. Sebastian River are free, and you can see gators there from the shore or a kayak.
• Gators can live in any freshwater pond in Indian River County, so the safety rules apply in your own neighborhood too.

You won’t see many alligators on the beach in Vero. Drive 20 miles west and it’s a different story. The county turns into marsh, cypress swamp and big shallow lakes, and that’s where the gators are. Here’s where to go and what to do when one is closer than you’d like.

Blue Cypress Lake: your best bet

If you only make one trip, make it this one. Blue Cypress Lake sits about 20 miles west of Vero Beach and covers 6,555 acres. From Vero, take State Road 60 west. It’s about a 40-minute drive.

Nobody has an exact count of the gators. One local airboat company puts it at 800 to 1,000 or more. Either way, you’ll see them.

You get in through Middleton’s Fish Camp Park, a county park at 7400 Blue Cypress Lake Rd. It has two boat ramps, a floating dock, restrooms with showers and primitive camping. The county doesn’t allow pets or swimming there. The fish camp runs airboat and pontoon eco tours, plus fishing guides.

Bring binoculars for the birds too. The lake has more than 200 osprey nests along the shore, and you’ll see bald eagles if you’re lucky.

Airboat tours in the Blue Cypress Conservation Area

An airboat ride is the easy way to see a lot of gators in a short time, and you don’t need your own boat. Two operators to look at:

• Gator Bait Airboat Adventures (Fellsmere). Their group tour is a 50-minute ride through the Blue Cypress Conservation Area, and they also run private tours. One family wrote that they counted at least 30 alligators on a single ride.
• Florida Airboat Excursions. They run guided airboat tours on Lake Garcia in the Blue Cypress Conservation Area. Try greetwell.

Airboats are loud. Bring ear protection for small kids if the operator doesn’t hand it out.

Stick Marsh and the Fellsmere Grade Recreation Area

Visit Florida says alligators abound at Stick Marsh, a popular bass fishing and birding spot in the northwest part of the county. The parking area is the Fellsmere Grade Recreation Area at 18625 Fellsmere Grade Road.

This is a good free option. You can walk the levee and scan the water. At sunset, thousands of wading birds fly in to roost on two islands you can see from shore. Don’t try to get to those islands. They’re closed all year, and the water around them is closed from January 1 to July 31 to protect nesting birds.

Next door is T.M. Goodwin Waterfowl Management Area. Its levee trails are good for wildlife viewing, and there’s more to see in the cooler months. Vehicle access is limited to certain days, so check the FWC page before you go. More info at myfwc.

St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park

The park says you can see alligators in the St. Sebastian River and the C-54 canal. It has 60 miles of trails, split between Brevard and Indian River counties.

The river is the better bet, and a kayak is the way to do it. You can’t launch inside the preserve, so put in at the Sebastian Canoe Launch at County Roads 510 and 512, then paddle down to Dale Wimbrow Park on Roseland Road. About Kayaks, across the road from Dale Wimbrow, rents kayaks and runs river tours and shuttles.

If you’re new to paddling with gators, take the guided tour first. More on Sebastian in our things to do in Sebastian guide.

Environmental Learning Center: easiest with kids

The Environmental Learning Center sits on an island in the Indian River Lagoon and runs pontoon boat rides where you may see dolphins and alligators. It’s close to town, it’s calm, and kids learn something. It pairs well with the rest of our things to do in Vero Beach for families list.

Can you see alligators at the beach?

Almost never. Gators are a freshwater animal, and they don’t like salt water much. It does happen, though. In 2017, trappers caught a 12-foot alligator on the sand near the Moorings Yacht & Country Club. The trapper said it looked worn out from trying to get past the waves. That’s on the south end of the island, in The Moorings.

You’ll also get the odd gator in the lagoon. One boater filmed an alligator swimming next to a bull shark in the Indian River Lagoon in Vero. Don’t plan a trip around it. For ocean days, see our guide to the beaches in Vero Beach.

Alligator safety: the rules locals follow

Florida has about 1.3 million alligators. They live in all 67 counties and can show up anywhere there’s standing water. Serious injuries are rare. These rules keep it that way.

• Keep your distance. Gators bask in the sun, so they’re easy to see. FWC still wants you to stay well back. If a gator hisses or opens its mouth at you, you’re too close. Back away slowly.
• Never feed one. It’s dangerous and it’s illegal. A fed gator loses its fear of people and starts to link people with food. That gator usually ends up removed.
• Watch the clock. Gators are most active from dusk to dawn. Swim only in marked swim areas, and only in daylight.
• Leash your dog. Keep pets on a leash and away from the edge of the water, and don’t let them swim in fresh or brackish water. To a gator, a dog looks a lot like normal prey.
• Take spring seriously. Gators get more active and easier to see in spring, when it warms up.

If a gator poses a threat to people, pets or property, call FWC’s toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286). They’ll send a contracted trapper. The program removes gators 4 feet or longer that pose a threat. Put that number in your phone today.

What this means if you’re buying a home here

A lot of Vero neighborhoods sit around lakes and stormwater ponds. Buyers from up north love the water view. Then they see their first gator on the bank.

Assume the pond behind any house will have a gator at some point. If you have small kids or a small dog, that should shape which lot you pick. Ask the HOA how they handle gator calls before you write an offer.

[JON: a real example from a showing or client, gator in a retention pond]

If you’re comparing areas, start with our Vero Beach communities guide. Out west near the marshes, see Fellsmere homes for sale.

When to go

November through April is the best time to visit Blue Cypress Lake. The weather is mild. On a cool, sunny morning, gators haul out to warm up, and that’s when you’ll see the most of them on the banks. In summer, go early. It’s hot by 10 a.m. and the afternoon storms roll in fast.

If you fish, most of these spots pull double duty. See our Vero Beach fishing guide.

Thinking about a move to Vero Beach and want a local’s read on which neighborhoods fit your life, gators and all? Get in touch or start with our homes for sale in Vero Beach page.

Related reading

• Things to do in Vero Beach
• Things to do in Sebastian
• Vero Beach fishing
• Beaches in Vero Beach
• Jon Sterling, Vero Beach real estate

Please do not attempt to pet the alligators. I’m talking to you, YouTube and Instagram influencers. Save your alligator selfies for your visit to the zoo.