Depends on the wind direction and where you are. There’s a park/beach to the north, Cocoa beach to the south, a little state campground alost directly across from 39A.
During the shuttle program we’d camp with the kids in tents, we’ve been to the north, to Cocoa but the first time driving over from Clearwater was the best.
Traffic hung us up somewhere in Titusville we just parked near a 7-11 raced up a hill and just caught the launch.
Winds were right, first you see it going up bright and then you feel it rattling through you and hearing the pop-pop-pop
of the engines. Incredible.
Other launches it was just a visual almost. Wind going the wrong way.
Saw a few scrubs too.
Post 911 changed everything. Used to be able to actually drive onto the base park with a reservation ($20?), put down a blanket with the whole family directly across from the launchpad.
Crap. Scrubbed.
During the 1960’s when I lived in the Orlando area we would watch the launch on TV and then run out to view the the rocket in the sky with our eyes. The Saturn IB Rocket was a great visual image climbing towards space. But the Saturn 5, WOW you could hear it! 50 miles away and you can hear the rocket!
Similar. We had our 5 kids in the rental van, driving from Orlando east. All the play-by-play was on the radio and we pulled into the median as it launched, still 10 miles west of the cape. It was dark and 6 am. March 2000 ish.
Still got the 8mm video of it.