ritch grissom memorial wetlands at viera

carlosrU8736DT

Sighted so many beautiful birds, as well as aligators and turtle. Always enjoy seeing nature at it's best, and this place was a gem regarding the birds. Took lot's of pictures.

iamthule

Great park for walking or driving. Lots of birds (and alligators). Even if you are familiar with the area, this is a great birding spot. Depending on your experience, you may not see anything new, but its definitely worth your time.

WharfRat121486

What a wonderful place to drive around and relax. Restroom facilities are limited to porta potties. Easy access and viewing of birds.

697davec

What a neat place to go my wife and I loved it. you can walk you can bike or you can ride your car around on a dyke that surrounds the several ponds which are full of so many different kinds of birds it was amazing. What a nice little gem to find in an unusual place.

paulbarbv

Large area with dirt roads to walk on and drive on, if dry. If wet you must walk. Large variety of birds, gators are plentiful

MrGrumpy76

This is a wonderful place for a nature walk - or drive-thru - and if you are a keen birdwatcher it's one of the best sites that we've been to in Florida.In a few hours we saw all of the normal beautiful wading birds plus Caracara, Bald Eagle, Harrier, both Least & American Bittern, Limpkin, Hooded Merganser etc etcI couldn't recommend it more highly and was very pleased to make a donation as we left

Deltraveler75

Drive through or walk the trails. See many types of birds. See gators in the wild. Allow 2 or 3 hours, depending on how much time you spend walking and out of your car. Nice views of wetlands. Well worth the visit.

bluepelican

Visited three days over a week in the area. Saw something interesting and different every visit. One of the great features about it's location is that it is right on the edge of Viera, so you can go for a couple of hours in the morning, and you are only minutes from lots of restaurants for lunch, then go back to the wetlands in the afternoon.If you happen to visit while volunteers are on hand, they are very willing to answer questions, point out recent birds spotted. Take advantage of their knowledge.It's free to enter, but it is supported by Friends of Viera Wetlands, so make a donation if you can.Be Aware. This is a drive thru wetlands, but the roads are closed for a day or two after heavy rain. Even when the roads are closed to vehicles, you can still walk the entire wetlands.Late winter and early spring is a great time to visit. Nesting Great Blue Heron and Annihinga, migrating birds and lots of activity.

JaneyPC

If I hadn't seen these wetlands reviewed on TA, I would not have decided to go but I'm so glad I did visit. It doesn't get the publicity of Merritt Island wildlife refuge and is quite off the beaten track but well worth a visit.It is low key and without big facilities but it has lots to offer for keen birders and photographers. There are loop drives within loop drives so you can do a little or a lot. On a brief visit in early Feb, I saw a number of Ibis and Heron types, Coot, Common Gallinule, Tern, Cormorant, Anhinga, Merganser, an American Bittern (thanks to a sharp-eyed, helpful fellow visitor) and heard but didn't see Red Winged Blackbirds. I also saw a small alligator - and stayed in the car to view!!!! I didn't have time to be patient waiting and watching for other birds I could see along the way but I'm sure there's lots more to discover another day!I recommend a visit!

RDCprc

We go here frequently, there's always something different to see. Drive slow and you'll see many varieties of shore birds such as all types of heron (gray, little blue, white, green, etc.), egrets, roseate spoonbills, coots, merganser, kingfishers, etc. as well as turtles and alligators. What a wonderful place, it is so relaxing.

ArielleD_12

Great place to get some good photos of birds and Alligators. Drove around the park and also rode my bike.

JPSadler

My daughter had lived in Florida for four months and didn't see any. Then she went on a bike ride through the wetlands and counted 11 gators. Great place to ride your bike through or drive. I prefered the bike ride it is easier to spot the wildlife on a bike.

bunky36669

Can't believe there is no charge to visit this serene and lovely place. We spent several hours just walking the trails and looking at the many varieties of birds. There were very few people around, and we found the entire experience to be good for the soul.

Kristinesonja

This was a trail where you could walk, drive or bike. You could spend 1-3 hours. We saw gators and lots of birds. There is a handout at the beginning to show you the birds to watch for.

carollt781

Great little wildlife park and drive. Tons of birds and alligators. No big crowds no rush to get out.