The best place to observe a rocket launch from Cape Canaveral is at Jetty Park at Cape Canaveral. We spent the day at the Kennedy Space Center to learn about and then watch the launch scheduled for that evening. Our guide at the space center recommended watching from Jetty Park because it was in view of the launching pads at Cape Canaveral. We also found out there is a difference between the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral. The confusion started when the name Cape Canaveral was changed to Cape Kennedy. The locals wanted it changed back. To appease the situation the area was split into two different sections. The tourist section and government sponsored space exploration area, more to the west on Merritt Island, is known as the Kennedy Space Center. The commercial space development section is known as Cape Canaveral, and is more to the east and next to the ocean. Jetty Park is on the south side of the Canaveral Canal and the launching site called Cape Canaveral is north of it.
Located next to the ocean side entrance to the canal is a jetty. In front of it is a watching bridge built especially for observing rocket launches. Watching from the beach is excellent also. We found a perch on a watching platform built into a bridge structure crossing over a sand dune. We would have preferred the bridge near the canal but we arrived when the park was almost full and the best viewing spots were already taken.
Jetty Park is a RV camp. There is a $5 charge to enter the park with a car, more if you're bringing in an RV. It’s a beautiful place to camp. The sites for the campers among the tropical landscape near the ocean and beach make it ideal. Although packed to full capacity during a launch, the parking lot and beach were almost empty on an ordinary day. Miles of beach in that area are covered with white powdery sand. People come in for the day to use the beach or fish off the jetty. There's a snack bar, bait and tackle shop, changing rooms and toilets and a small grocery store in the RV camping area. There's also a big playground for children. We came back on a non-launching day because we wanted to picnic at the weather worn tables next to the canal but it was very windy.
It's pleasant to sit at the picnic tables and watch the enormous luxury cruise ships, fishing fleets and casino boats go up and down the canal. Cape Canaveral has become an important port in recent years for cruise ships. On the other side of the canal is a waterway leading to the launching area at Cape Canaveral. Equipment, too big to be brought in any other way, is shipped in by barge on that waterway.