Lake Washington

Lake Washington, Florida

Lake Washington is a charming community in Melbourne that shares its name with the incredible lake it borders. The actual lake spans 4,362 acres and is Brevard County's largest lake and the 41st largest lake in Florida. Lake Washington is incredibly important to its residents as it is the main source of fresh water for the city and its surrounding areas. Bringing in thousands of fisherman a year, the lake is stocked with game fish such as Largemouth Bass, Black Crappie, Bluegill, and Shellcracker.

The community of Lake Washington has the appeal of a quiet town, yet is close enough to the excitement of surrounding cities--Downtown Melbourne is less than 8 miles away. Fraught with lush native plant life, gorgeous lakes, and astounding wildlife, the area of Lake Washington is perfect for spending days and nights outdoors. If you're seeking a peaceful refuge, this is the place to come.

Being that Lake Washington is quite rural, it has a sizable amount of accommodating campgrounds'one being the Palm Shores RV Park. During the summer, the temperature stays in the high 90's during the day and drops to a comfortable temperature in the 70-degree range. In the winter, the highs during the day are in the 60's and tend to dip down into the 40's at night. While you're taking in the scenic views of nature at its finest, you'll be able to partake in some great open-air activities like fishing, boating, swimming, and golf. Schedule a tee time at the Baytree National Golf Links right nearby, or set up camp and roast some marshmallows beneath the glow of the stars and moon with family and friends. Lake Washington Park is located at the end of Lake Washington Road and is a prime spot for social gatherings as there is a pavilion and playground to take advantage of.

Lake Washington harbors a number of wildlife parks and wetlands. The Sebastian Inlet State Recreation State Park is 3 miles of beach, and a premier area to enjoy Florida's waters. Reeling in thousands of visitors each year, many come to scuba dive, snorkel, surf fish, swim, and go boating. Cast out your line and you're liable to hook some redfish, bluefish, snook, or Spanish mackerel. Hammock Trail is a beautiful mile-long trail available for visitors to leisurely walk. And if you don't want to leave, there's a full-facility campsite here. For those seeking some history on the area, there are two museums: The McLarty Treasure Museum and Sebastian Fishing Museum.

Be sure to check out Canaveral National Seashore, which is a part of a barrier island with 24 miles of wetland and undeveloped beach, and home to more than 300 species of birds and 1,000 plants species. Another great place to visit is the Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge. Designated as the Nation's first National Wildlife Refuge to protect brown pelicans and other native birds nesting on the island by President Theodore Roosevelt, this was the first area that the federal government set aside for wildlife. Today the Refuge consists of more than 530 refuges on nearly 95 million acres.