Lori Wilson Park, Cocoa Beach

Lori Wilson Park is an oceanfront park on North Atlantic Avenue in Cocoa Beach that Brevard County operates, even though it sits inside the city (City of Cocoa Beach facility page for Lori Wilson Park).

The two official pages give different street numbers. Brevard County lists the park at 1500 N Atlantic Avenue, Cocoa Beach, FL 32931, with a park phone of (321) 455-1380 (Brevard County Lori Wilson Park page). The City of Cocoa Beach lists Lori Wilson Park, Operated by Brevard County, at 1400 North Atlantic Ave and gives the same Brevard County Parks number, 321-455-1380. Both addresses are given here because the two governments' pages differ; the county runs the park, and its phone line handles questions and pavilion bookings.

The city's beach page groups Lori Wilson Park with Alan Shepard Park, Sidney Fisher Park and Robert P. Murkshe Memorial Park as the four Cocoa Beach oceanfront parks, alongside 40 stub-end streets east of A1A (Cocoa Beach Beach Access Parks). Entry costs nothing. The Cocoa Beach facility page says there are no fees for using the park and that Lori Wilson Park is free to all, and the county page lists free parking. The city page adds that the park closes at dusk.

Brevard County describes Lori Wilson Park as a 32.43-acre regional beach park, while the City of Cocoa Beach describes it as a 20-acre oceanfront park (Brevard County park page).

The 20-acre figure appears twice on city pages: on the Lori Wilson Park facility page and on the Cocoa Beach Beach Access Parks page, which also lists 274 parking spaces for cars and recreation vehicles (Cocoa Beach Beach Access Parks). Neither page explains the difference, and this guide does not pick one. The table sets the city and county descriptions side by side.

Sources for the Lori Wilson Park rows: the city facility page, the city Beach Safety page, the county park page and Brevard County Ocean Rescue.

Lori Wilson Park has a 3,155-foot nature boardwalk through a maritime hammock, which Brevard County says lets visitors experience Florida's natural coastline (Brevard County Lori Wilson Park).

The county lists 6 dune crossovers at Lori Wilson Park, 4 of them ADA accessible, plus surf fishing, picnic shelters, a playground and an off-leash dog park. Restrooms, outdoor showers and parking lots sit on both the north and south sides of the Lori Wilson hammock. Two medium pavilions, the grills and the playground are on the north side; the dog park and more picnic tables are on the south side. The amenity list also names geocaching, a walking trail and a launch view.

The City of Cocoa Beach version of the amenity list adds a volleyball court and barbecue grills at Lori Wilson Park (Cocoa Beach facility page). Standard Cocoa Beach beach rules apply on the sand: the city's Beach Guidelines say glass, fireworks and overnight camping are not allowed, beach fire permits are currently unavailable, and shade tents and canopies are limited to 10 ft x 10 ft and must be removed before leaving (Cocoa Beach Beach Guidelines).

The off-leash dog park is a 32,000 square foot fenced area in the southern portion of Lori Wilson Park, and the city page says dogs are not allowed on the beach there (Cocoa Beach facility page for Lori Wilson Park).

The Lori Wilson dog park opened on July 22, 2006 as a joint venture of the City of Cocoa Beach and Brevard County: the city built it, and Brevard County Parks and Recreation runs it day to day. The rules on the city page: not all of Lori Wilson Park is dog friendly, unleashed dogs must stay in the fenced area, and there is no park staff on duty. Questions go to 321-868-1154, and after hours, on weekends and on holidays to Animal Services at 633-2024. Brevard County notes the dog park is divided for large and small dogs (Brevard County park page).

For a dog that needs sand, the City of Cocoa Beach Beach Guidelines point to a designated dog beach area between 4th Street South and the north side of Robert P. Murkshe Park (spelled Murshe on that page), with dogs on a leash no longer than 10 feet (Cocoa Beach Beach Guidelines). The same page's quick reference says dogs may come to the beach only in that designated dog beach area.

Brevard County takes reservations for three Lori Wilson Park pavilions, and the park phone, (321) 455-1380, is the contact for bookings (Brevard County Lori Wilson Park page).

The county page shows no rental price for the Lori Wilson Park pavilions and says additional fees may apply for water, electricity, serving areas and kitchens where they exist. Parking areas stay open to the public and cannot be reserved with a pavilion. The city's own page counts 2 pavilions rather than three, one more place where the two governments' listings differ.

Brevard County Ocean Rescue lists Lori Wilson Park as one of its full-time Cocoa Beach towers, staffed daily from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM (Brevard County Ocean Rescue Services).

The same county Ocean Rescue page lists the other full-time Cocoa Beach towers at the Cocoa Beach Pier, Shepard Park and the Minutemen Causeway, and says extra seasonal towers open from the last week of May, on weekends until Memorial Day, every day until the first week of August, then weekends again until Labor Day. The county's park page for Lori Wilson Park lists seasonal lifeguards among its beach attractions, a wording that differs from the Ocean Rescue schedule. The City of Cocoa Beach Beach Safety page agrees with Ocean Rescue, listing Lori Wilson Park among the full-time towers open daily from 10 AM to 5 PM (Cocoa Beach Beach Safety).

The Cocoa Beach flag system on that city page runs from green for low hazard and yellow for medium hazard to red for high hazard and double red when the water is closed to the public, with purple for dangerous marine life. The city warns that rip currents are common in Cocoa Beach and, when someone else is caught, says to call 9-1-1 or alert a lifeguard and throw something that floats rather than going in.

Conditions change daily, so this guide does not repeat them. The National Weather Service office in Melbourne runs the East Central Florida Rip Current Program, with the latest rip current risk and surf zone forecast for the coast that includes Lori Wilson Park (NWS Melbourne rip current program).

The Melbourne office's Surf Zone Forecast names Cocoa Beach among the beaches it covers, and each issuance gives the rip current risk and surf height (NWS Melbourne Surf Zone Forecast). Checking that product and the flag at the Lori Wilson tower before swimming is the practical routine.

Last verified: October 21, 2026, by comparing the Brevard County Lori Wilson Park and Ocean Rescue pages with the City of Cocoa Beach facility, Beach Access Parks, Beach Guidelines and Beach Safety pages for this park.